A Swiss spy has been accused of leaking top-secret information to Russia’s military for more than five years.
The country’s defence ministry has launched an investigation into the alleged leaks, according to Swiss news agency Keystone-ATS.
Reports broke earlier this week that an officer in charge of the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service’s (FIS) cyber team allegedly handed over highly sensitive data to the Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky.
From Kaspersky, which was banned from operating in the US last year, the information reportedly found its way into the hands of Russia’s GRU spy agency.
It is believed two allied intelligence agencies alerted FIS officials to the leaks.
An internal report into the incident cites that the agencies threatened to “cease cooperation with the FIS if the employee continued to work for the FIS”, per Keystone-ATS.
The case is understood to have stretched across a five-to-six-year period, from either 2014 or 2015 until the end of 2020.
The Swiss officer, who left in 2020, allegedly justified the collaboration with the Russian cyber firm, highlighting a need for access to cyber tools that the FIS could not provide due to a lack of expertise and resources.
The intelligence service is made up of around 400 employees, tasked with responsibilities to protect the interests and infrastructure of the neutral state.
Swiss Defence Minister, Martin Pfister underlined the importance of ensuring the service’s personnel are reliable, “Especially in the current global situation marked by insecurity.”
The minister authorised an external, independent body to investigate previous investigations into the matter, conducted by the FIS.
Despite keeping close ties with NATO, and its geographical neighbours, Switzerland is not a member of the defence alliance and the recent revelation will come as a blow to Western intelligence services.
Kaspersky has always firmly denied any links between its cybersecurity services and Russian spy agencies.