IT Service Switzerland: IT Forensics | IT Security

Public indignation in Switzerland and neighbouring countries is substantial: In 2016 and 2017, hackers repeatedly extorted Swiss hospitals by threatening to attack their servers and encrypt partly life-critical hospital data unless a significant “ransom” was paid. A ruthless yet highly lucrative form of attack, given that hospitals deal with matters of life and death. The perpetrators deliberately gamble with the health of innocent, uninvolved individuals to force rapid payment. Their cyberattacks result in the encryption of patient data and other hospital records and can, in the worst case, paralyse hospital operations for several hours or even days – a circumstance that may ultimately cost high-risk or intensive-care patients their lives. In such cases, Kurtz Detective Agency Switzerland can deploy its Detectives and IT Experts at an early stage to determine who is behind the attacks and bring the responsible parties to justice.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to determine how many hospitals are affected throughout Switzerland, as only a few cyberattacks are ever reported; the hospitals concerned fear reputational damage and the emergence of copycats. The Tages-Anzeiger quotes the head of a security agency warning of the cunning of the perpetrators, who appear to be true professionals rather than pranksters; for example, a clinic in Los Angeles (USA) had no choice but to pay the demanded 17,000 dollars to regain access to its encrypted data after falling victim to an extremely dangerous virus. Our IT Specialists in Switzerland not only identify the perpetrators in cases of damage or concrete threats, but also ensure effective prevention by developing and implementing individual IT Security Concepts: +41 44 5522 264.

No Company Is Safe from Cybercrime

Companies of all sizes face constant threats from online attacks just as hospitals do. As soon as even a single cybercriminal devises a promising plan for extortion or the theft of sensitive data, their attempts can cause significant and lasting damage to the affected organisation. If an attack took place some time ago and was only discovered retrospectively, identifying the perpetrators and ensuring they face appropriate punishment becomes extremely difficult; although traces of the attack may remain, they are often no longer attributable to the offender after a lengthy period. In cases of extortion – especially involving hospitals – extremely swift action is necessary to avoid endangering patient care; this leaves very little room to manoeuvre. Timely involvement of Security Experts can help avert the worst.

If our Zurich IT Security Experts are engaged early to proactively detect and close security gaps, hackers can often be thwarted before causing severe damage. This applies equally to innovative start-ups and well-established companies, as any type of invention, patent or other sensitive data may be of interest to competitors and cybercriminals. Consequently, the entire corporate landscape of Switzerland is under threat from Internet crime. One need only imagine the reputational impact on the Swiss banking sector if the servers and data of one of its many renowned banks were to fall into the hands of hackers.

Diverse Motives Behind Cybercrime

Cyberattacks can occur for many different reasons:

• If a large company attracts polarisation, attacks may be politically or ethically motivated and aim to cause long-term damage.
• In cases involving extortion, attacks are carried out with the intention of obtaining personal financial gain.
• However, the most common motivation for IT attacks remains espionage: Data and plans belonging to successful companies are extracted to gain an illegal competitive advantage, to plagiarise products or to sell information to the highest bidder.

Our IT Forensics Specialists in Switzerland have frequently encountered cases of this nature when engaged to investigate server intrusions and identify the perpetrators.

Intent or Negligence – Employees as Perpetrators

It is a sad reality that not all cyberattacks are perpetrated by outsiders or competitors. Job dissatisfaction, financial difficulties or other motivations frequently drive formerly loyal Employees to pass on confidential information to earn extra income. Yet intentional wrongdoing is not the only issue – negligence is another serious factor. A typical example is the careless disclosure of login details and passwords by Employees who respond to phishing emails. These individuals fall for more or less sophisticated traps set by professional fraudsters who imitate the layout and tone of major companies (e.g. PayPal, eBay, Amazon) to trick inattentive or naïve Employees into opening infected websites and/or sending passwords to an alleged customer service department. In this way, cybercriminals may gain quick access to servers, company accounts and cloud services with minimal effort.

Our Swiss IT Specialists therefore always advise Clients affected by data leaks to critically reassess their Security Concepts and eliminate potential vulnerabilities. Employees must also be regularly trained in handling sensitive information, and they must be made aware of the consequences of violating confidentiality obligations, committing breaches of secrecy or aiding espionage. Attention to irregularities – from apprentices to top-level management – additionally helps detect security leaks or external access to servers and data. This can place the first obstacles in the hackers’ path, even though it naturally does not guarantee complete security. Our Corporate Investigation Agency in Zurich evaluates the IT Infrastructure of your company, implements structural improvements and identifies perpetrators of past crimes by tracing their digital footprints: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-schweiz.ch.

Is Your Company at Risk? Private Investigators from Switzerland Take Immediate Action

Are you concerned that cybercriminals may have taken an interest in your company, its innovations or its data? Do you suspect that sensitive information may be leaking from within? Have you already fallen victim to a cyberattack and wish to identify the perpetrators? In these and many other situations, the capabilities of our IT Experts in Switzerland are at your disposal. Whether you want to take preventive action and have a personalised Security Concept created or you wish to trace the attackers after a cyber intrusion in order to bring them swiftly before the courts and prevent further damage – our Swiss Detective Agency can help. For consultation or commissioning purposes, contact our staff free of charge: +41 44 5522 264.