Summary

The Defense Department VBS is separating its civilian from military IT – a so-called disentanglement project called «iTask», which was initiated after the cyberattack on Ruag ten years ago. The Federal Audit Office has reviewed the project and warns of significant risks: The overall planning is incomplete, and tasks and responsibilities are not definitively regulated. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2032 and costs approximately 100 million francs. The VBS accepts the recommendations of the Financial Control.

People

Topics

  • Cybersecurity and information security
  • Federal administration and IT governance
  • Military digitalization
  • Project management and risk management

Clarus Lead

The project reveals a structural dilemma of Swiss defense policy: While operations are running, the foundation is being renewed. The criticism from the Financial Control – missing detailed planning, unclear responsibilities – points to a classic risk management problem that extends beyond federal IT major projects. With 126 different «Business-IT-Services» that need to be disentangled and a new digitalization platform that will not become operational until mid-2026, an implementation risk emerges over eight years – particularly critical for the availability of specialized personnel and technical dependencies.

Detailed Summary

The VBS initiated the disentanglement in 2016 after the cyberattack on Ruag, the federal defense contractor. The goal is to structurally separate civilian from sensitive military IT – a measure to increase security resilience. Robert Scheidegger, Deputy Secretary-General of the VBS, characterizes the project with the metaphor «We are changing the wheel on a moving car», which underscores the operational complexity.

The Financial Control documents several critical gaps in its report: The overall project planning is «incomplete», and there is a risk that the VBS will not deliver required services, will deliver them late, or will deliver them with poor quality. Tasks, competencies, and responsibilities are not definitively defined. Daniel Keller, Chief of the Army Staff, emphasizes, however, that the project has achieved a «high level of maturity» for technical implementation and is currently in the «green zone». He identifies the availability of specialized personnel over the long implementation period as the central challenge.

The new «Digitalization Platform» of the Army is scheduled to become operational from mid-2026 onwards and will then be gradually «populated». A total of 126 different Business-IT-Services must be migrated or disentangled. Keller acknowledges that the new platform itself also harbors risks – particularly technical dependencies, available resources, and «aspects that we may not yet know today». To minimize these risks, the VBS relies on «Pilot Projects» (smaller test implementations). The VBS accepts all recommendations from the Financial Control and will implement them step by step.

Key Statements

  • The iTask project separates civilian from military IT at the VBS with a budget of 100 million francs by 2032 and was initiated after the Ruag cyberattack in 2016.
  • The Federal Audit Office identifies incomplete planning and unclear responsibilities as risk factors; however, the VBS believes it is on track.
  • The greatest challenge is the availability of specialized personnel over eight years during the migration of 126 Business-IT-Services.

Critical Questions

  1. Evidence/Data Quality: What concrete indicators define a «high level of maturity» for technical implementation, and how was this measured?

  2. Conflicts of Interest: To what extent could organizational pressure to present the project in the «green zone» lead to an underestimation of the planning gaps identified by the Financial Control?

  3. Data Quality/Source Validity: What specific requirements has the Financial Control recommended for «complete» overall planning, and are these publicly accessible?

  4. Causality/Alternatives: Was a gradual disentanglement parallel to operations technically necessary, or could an operational interruption have been considered for a complete restructuring?

  5. Feasibility/Resources: Is there concrete personnel planning for the 126 service migrations, and what are the consequences of a shortage of specialized personnel for meeting the timeline by 2032?

  6. Risks/Side Effects: What technical dependencies exist between the new digitalization platform and external system providers, and how are these documented?

  7. Feasibility: How are the findings from the «Pilot Projects» integrated into the planning of the remaining 126 services, and is there a formal learning management system?

Bibliography

Primary Source: IT Project of the VBS: «We are changing the wheel on a moving car» – SRF News, Author: Philipp Burkhardt, 30.06.2026

Verification Status: ✓ 30.06.2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-Check: 30.06.2026