Everyone surfs the internet without knowing their origins. But by meeting Robert Cailliau at CERN, and then at a conference, listeners had the privilege of exchanging views with the man who, with Tim Berners Leedesigned the web at CERN.
Why has an invention born in the heart of Europe, with European funding, escaped Europeans? This is a nagging question that raises the issue of digital sovereignty.
The major's mission to Switzerland also provided an opportunity to meet the cyber ecosystem at the Geneva Center for Security Policy, in particular Major General Claude Meierformer Chief of Staff of the Swiss Army. Jean-Marc Rickli gave a masterly presentation of the geopolitical challenges of new technologies.
Then at the ICRC, at the heart of international Geneva, the question of the law of armed conflict applied to the digital space was studied in the light of the conflict in Ukraine.
In Lausanne, top experts in forensic analysis demonstrated the excellence of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). A visit to Kudelski also highlighted the challenges of post-quantum encryption. The Swiss segment ended with a visit from the Geneva police and the former head of cyber defence in the army, illustrating the specific features of a federal state when it comes to taking account of the sovereign aspects of cyber security. It was a busy year for the SNC, offering a summary of all the major issues explored over the year!Â
