Swiss Prosecutors Investigate Data Leak at Federal Pension Fund Publica
October 8, 2026 - 9:10 am
Publica, the pension fund responsible for providing pensions to staff of the Swiss federal government, has confirmed a data leak resulting from a cyberattack on one of its external software suppliers.
The Swiss government revealed that the supplier detected the attack at the end of September, filed a criminal complaint, and informed federal authorities, Publica, and its other clients. Subsequently, the Office of the Attorney General initiated an investigation.
While the extent of the data breach remains unclear, the supplier is collaborating with federal authorities to assess the impact on Publica's data. The statement provided no details regarding the affected member count or investigation timeline.
Publica has not identified the supplier or specified the data types involved, but it has notified its members of the breach, its potential implications, and the measures taken in response. Additionally, the statement assures that no other federal agencies conduct business with this supplier.
As one of Switzerland's largest pension funds, Publica covers individuals working for the federal government and institutions within the ETH Domain, comprising several federal universities and research organizations. As of the end of 2025, the fund managed approximately 70,000 active members and 41,600 pensioners, with assets valued at nearly 45 billion Swiss francs.
Recent similar incidents involving Swiss federal data include the Play ransomware attack on Xplain in 2023, which exposed around 907GB of data, and a ransomware strike on software company Concevis the same year, compromising older federal data. External companies have been the entry point for recent breaches at the FBI and Denmark's CPR register as well.
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