Switzerland Wants To Become the World's Data Vault

wiredmikey writes "Business for Switzerland's 55 data centers is booming. They benefit from the Swiss reputation for security and stability, and some predict the nation already famous for its super-safe banks will soon also be known as the world's data vault. For example, housed in one of Switzerland's numerous deserted Cold War-era army barracks, one high-tech data center is hidden behind four-ton steel doors built to withstand a nuclear attack — plus biometric scanners and an armed guard. Such tight security is in growing demand in a world shaking from repeated leaks scandals and fears of spies lurking behind every byte."

Comments

Swiss's NSA analog?

[Anonymous Coward]

What is to say that their agency similar to the NSA will not be over all the stored data like a fat kid over cupcakes? It is great intel, especially if it comes to economic or commercial stuff.

Re:Swiss's NSA analog?

[AHuxley]

The Swiss mil did a lot of mil 'swaps' and further 'education' with the US. The Swiss also had a lot of their deep bunker information sold to the Soviet Union. Would the US have been invited in to help with security after such an event and friendships formed?
Switzerland had great skills in ~cold war crypto products for export but did not seem to pose any decryption issues for the GCHQ/NSA over time.
What an Australia, UK, NZ, Canada gives to the US via generational agreement, the Swiss might give to the US out of staff friendship and ongoing gov trust?
The other aspect would be the ongoing tax issues with US citizens and the use of EU/Swiss banking products.
Swiss banking might become more open to US legal requests, would Swiss data protection laws for non Swiss end users bend the same way over time under constant US legal/gov/mil requests?

Physical, sure. Data security? Not anymore.

[spiritgreywolf]

Spies don't have to crack them if they're financial based businesses like banks. Every time the IRS expresses an "interest" in the account information, they roll over on their backs. I would expect no less from them if any other three letter agency wanted more information, especially if any of those "interests" involved doing business with the US.

More holes than Swiss cheese

[Anonymous Coward]

Three more Swiss banks join US tax deal - Reuters - 12 hours ago.

Swiss banks are supposedly the safest place to store money, If the Swiss are willing to share customer data with the US, what else can't they share?

Just another tentacle of the Nothing is beyond our reach motto.

Re:SLA agreements...

[cold fjord]

IMHO, I don't care if they store data in the vaults of Mordor...

I'm thinking that the Swiss are more of the Dwarf miner flavor, don't you think? Tunnels, tunnels everywhere, filled with gold.

I was from China ...

[Taco Cowboy]

Yeah, NSA may be more pervasive worldwide, but if you truly believe China's espionage efforts aren't also focused outside of their country, I know someone with some prime marshland you might be interested in.

Yes, China does spy on people.

But at the very least, China does not do that and then say to the world "The world should THANK US for keeping them safe".

I was from China. In fact, I ran away from China. I dislike China's communist party as much as anybody else, and I am a naturalized American citizen.

But still, fair is fair.

While what NSA did technically was not that much different from what others do (which includes democratic countries such as England, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and France), morally, the United States government has sunk lower than that of China !

China steals others secret but never pretend to be THE PROTECTOR, unlike the Hussein (aka Barry Soetoro) Barack Obama Administration of the United States of America !

Now, about that piece of marshland, I think you can keep it.