Switzerland’s Security Under Threat as Influence Operations Target Information Space

Switzerland’s information landscape is increasingly becoming a battlefield for foreign influence operations, with the nation’s Defence Minister Martin Pfister warning that strong, independent media and high levels of media literacy are essential bulwarks against these threats.

In a recent address at the Epiphany Conference of Swiss media association Schweizer Medien, Pfister emphasized that security in democratic nations fundamentally concerns protecting democratic rights and freedoms rather than territorial control or power dominance.

“When a country’s media outlets are in good shape, so are its democracy and security,” Pfister stated, highlighting the vital role journalism plays in Switzerland’s overall security architecture.

The defence minister painted a concerning picture of the current geopolitical landscape, describing it as a time of “fundamental upheaval” with Europe’s security situation becoming increasingly fragile and unpredictable. He pointed to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, now approaching its fourth year, as having profoundly disrupted the continent’s security order.

The changing nature of warfare presents particular challenges for Switzerland. Modern conflicts, Pfister noted, extend beyond traditional military means to include hybrid tactics such as cyberattacks, influence operations, disinformation campaigns, espionage, and economic pressure.

“The information space is central to such hybrid warfare: once it is destabilized, a country’s security is weakened,” he warned.

Russia has significantly intensified its attacks on Switzerland’s information space since 2022, according to Pfister. Russian outlets like Russia Today and Pravda publish between 800-900 articles monthly in Switzerland, most qualifying as disinformation. In May 2025, pro-Russian actors coordinated the spread of an out-of-context video from Geneva across seven social media platforms, generating over two million views in a brief period.

“The clip suggested that Switzerland was descending into chaos and had abandoned its neutrality,” Pfister explained, adding that more subtle operations exist through social media networks without obvious ties to Russia.

The minister expressed particular concern about technological advances accelerating these threats. “Artificial intelligence now allows an even broader range of actors to craft and spread sophisticated disinformation with little effort,” he said, predicting that future content would be more finely tailored to target audiences and appear more credible.

In response to these challenges, Switzerland has established the National Cyber Security Centre and incorporated measures to combat influence operations in its security policy strategy. A government working group now coordinates federal administration efforts on this issue.

However, Pfister emphasized that the government cannot address these threats alone. “In a democratic society, security depends on a population that is well-informed, critical and vigilant. Media literacy and diversity are central to Switzerland’s resilience.”

He described journalism as not just the fourth estate of democracy but an essential component of the country’s security architecture. “It informs the public while protecting the information space through research, context and transparency.”

While acknowledging the economic and technological pressures facing media organizations today, Pfister underscored that both private media outlets and a strong public broadcaster like the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation are crucial to maintaining the information ecosystem that protects Swiss democracy.

“Today, in this era of technological change and geopolitical uncertainty, we need media outlets that take their responsibility seriously as never before,” he concluded.

The speech comes amid growing international concern about targeted disinformation campaigns against Switzerland, with false claims about Swiss neutrality circulating internationally, potentially damaging the country’s global standing and relationships.