The NCSC and SIA put cybersecurity in the spotlight at Swissbau 2026
Bern, 21.01.2026 — The 2026 edition of Swissbau, the construction and real estate industry trade fair in Basel from 20 to 23 January, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA) will be focusing on cyber risks in the construction and real estate industry. Various events will highlight the increasing threat posed by cyberattacks and provide companies with specific recommendations for action on cybersecurity along the supply chain.
Cybersecurity in the construction industry is not only a technical task, but also an organisational and collaborative one. Cyber resilience begins with openly addressing risks, responsibilities are clarified and protective measures are consistently implemented. That is why the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA) are jointly focusing on cybersecurity in the construction and real estate industry at various events during the Swissbau 2026 trade fair.
Hands-on cybersecurity
Florian Schütz, Director of the NCSC, Christoph Starck, Managing Director of SIA, and Andreas Albrecht, Zurich Office Manager at Uniola AG, will discuss the relevance of the supply chain as a point of attack. The discussion will focus on how criminals carry out cyberattacks by exploiting the trust between planning, execution, material delivery and operations. Florian Schütz will explain what to look out for when selecting suppliers and partners with regard to cyber risks.
In addition, various workshops give visitors the opportunity to experience cyberattack defence in a playful and practical way. The cybersecurity role-playing game, developed jointly by SIA and the NCSC, uses real-life scenarios from the construction industry to give visitors an idea of typical situations and decision-making processes in the event of cyberattacks.
Preparation for cyberattacks with an emergency plan
Cybersecurity in smart buildings is the focus of a themed event that highlights how networked building technology brings with it new security requirements, in addition to creating efficiency and comfort. Together, the NCSC and SIA demonstrate how prevention, awareness and emergency planning must work together to ensure that building technology does not become a gateway for attacks or fail to fulfil its operational purpose in an emergency. Additional emphasis is placed on the emergency response plan, which is designed to help companies prepare for cyber incidents in a structured manner, and on the implementation of ‘secure by design’ in software development. The event will also address the questions that building owners should ask in order to clearly define responsibilities in the supply chain.