Swiss Army Breaks with Microsoft: "Cyber Command" Relies on Open Source

4 hours ago

The Swiss Army's Cyber Command and CEA units are switching from Microsoft to the open-source alternative OpenDesk by October, due to Microsoft's push towards its own cloud infrastructure.
This move is driven by security concerns, as Microsoft's cloud-based Office 365 is deemed unsuitable for handling classified military data, with fears that U.S. laws like the Cloud Act could lead to data access by foreign intelligence agencies.
Geopolitical risks, such as recent U.S. actions including sales bans and forced data handovers, have heightened urgency for digital sovereignty and reducing dependence on U.S. tech giants.
OpenDesk, developed by Germany's Zendis, is part of a broader trend in German-speaking countries towards open-source solutions, with the Austrian Armed Forces migrating to LibreOffice and the Bundeswehr's IT system using similar software.
Switzerland's 2024 law mandates disclosure of source code for government software to enhance transparency and reduce vendor dependencies, and the army is actively contributing to open-source projects, such as publishing its own document search engine, Loom.

Hasty Briefsbeta