Audit of the DTI key project Polycom Value Preservation 2030 with a focus on the border security subnetwork
The Swiss Federal Audit Office’s recent review of the Polycom Value Preservation 2030 project highlights effective management and coordination by the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security. Despite the rapid technological transition, the project remains on track for completion by the end of 2024, with dismantling expected by the end of 2025. This audit underscores the project’s robust planning and execution, ensuring Switzerland’s security radio system is up-to-date and reliable. Polycom is the security radio system of Switzerland's authorities and organisations for rescue and security. Due to the manufacturer's change of technology, the system in Switzerland needs to be brought up to date. Parallel operation is necessary as long as both technologies are in use. The Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) is con- tributing around CHF 65 million to this technological development. Together with the Fed- eral Office for Civil Protection (FOCP), the Confederation is investing a total of around CHF 160 million in this project.
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Cross-sectional audit of secondary occupations with a focus on conflicts of interest
Additional transfer of knowledge takes often place through the secondary occupations of professors and other scientific employees. The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) examined whether the sufficient measures had been taken to prevent financial or reputational damage. In addition, the SFAO assessed whether the applicable rules allow for sufficient knowledge transfer. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) together employ almost 900 professors, about one third of whom have declared at least one secondary occupation. Secondary employment is much less common among other staff. Around 150 ongoing secondary occupations were recorded for the approximately 4,200 research institute employees.
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IT security in the Federal Administration
The SFAO has audited the Admin PKI – the basic infrastructure and offering for the issuing of digital certificates – within the Federal Office of Information Technology, Systems and Telecommunication ... (FOITT). The examination concentrated on assessing the development and current operation as well as future prospects. Admin PKI refers to all processes and the hardware and software needed for issuing ... certificates of different grades. ... Technical and organizational deficiencies work together against data security ... Only minor deficiencies were revealed in the Windows environment but only in case of Microsoft products.Providers' lack of both assertiveness and synergy adds to 'the great unknown' of authonomous ... entities' networks.
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