Western Switzerland

Small business cybersecurity in Western Switzerland: who does what, canton by canton.

In French-speaking Western Switzerland, a small business can rely on three public levels: the cantonal police for emergencies and complaints, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) for reporting and advice, and regional programmes such as Trust Valley to raise its level. None of them tests your systems for you. That is the role of a private provider such as Ryze Cyber, published in Lausanne.

Who do I call in my canton?

Everywhere in Switzerland, the police emergency number is 117. The NCSC points it out: its own reports are not processed around the clock, and in an acute emergency you have to call the police. A criminal complaint is filed with the cantonal police of your registered office.

Canton	Official page (in French)	What you find there
Vaud	Canton of Vaud, reacting to a cyberattack	The contacts of the cantonal police: 117 for an urgent case, 021 644 44 44 for a non-urgent case or a question. Instructions for reacting to a cyberattack.
Geneva	ge.ch, reporting a cyber incident and filing a complaint	Online reporting of a cyber incident and the ways to file a complaint, including an online pre-complaint to be finalised by appointment at a police station.
Fribourg	Canton of Fribourg, cybercrime prevention	The cantonal police's prevention advice on internet-related risks.
Neuchâtel	Neuchâtel police, prevention	Cybercrime prevention (scams, data theft, hacking) and a link to the information website cybercrimepolice.ch.
Valais	Valais cantonal police	The cantonal police website and its contacts.
Jura	Jura cantonal police	The presentation of the cantonal police, its stations and its Prevention section.

Links checked on 6 October 2026. Direct numbers change: if in doubt, 117 remains valid in every canton.

Good to know: the police forces of Western Switzerland work together. In 2019 they created a regional cyber competence centre, led by the specialists of the Geneva cantonal police, to pool resources between cantons and obtain an overview of digital crime in Western Switzerland (press release of 9 April 2019).

What does the NCSC do for a small business?

The National Cyber Security Centre is the Confederation's competence centre. For a small business in Western Switzerland, it serves three purposes:

Reporting an incident on report.ncsc.admin.ch. After a few questions, you receive a first automated assessment and the measures to take.
Finding the steps to follow by type of attack, for example for ransomware.
Finding out whether you are subject to the obligation to report within 24 hours, which only targets critical infrastructure. See legal obligations by country.

The NCSC provides first-level support. Its FAQ specifies that this support must not compete with the offers of the private sector: depending on the scale of the attack, it invites victims to seek help from specialised companies.

For personal data, the contact is the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC), with its DataBreach form.

Trust Valley and the Trust4SMEs programme

Trust Valley presents itself as the Lake Geneva region's competence hub for digital trust and cybersecurity, backed by public, private and academic players. Its Trust4SMEs programme is aimed at small and mid-sized businesses in the region.

What the programme page states for the 2026 edition:

support over 10 to 12 months, with training, workshops and coaching;
for businesses or organisations with fewer than 250 employees in the Lake Geneva region;
a contribution of between CHF 1,500 and CHF 5,000, depending on the number of employees;
a limited number of places, on application: for the 2026 edition, applications were open until 3 April 2026.

The Canton of Vaud supports the programme financially. Dates and conditions change every year: check on the official page whether applications are open.

Where does Ryze Cyber fit in?

Ryze Cyber is a private service, published by Patrya Gestion Sàrl, in Lausanne. It works for small and mid-sized businesses in Switzerland and in France. It replaces neither the police nor the NCSC, and it is not an emergency service. It steps in before the incident, in two roles:

Red Team: a one-off offensive audit, at a published price. With your written consent, we try to get in through your website, your email, your accounts and your AI tools. You receive the list of open doors and how to close them.
Blue Team: a monthly subscription to close those doors, check every month and alert.

The debrief of an audit takes place by video call: whether your company is in Lausanne, Geneva, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Sion or Delémont makes no difference to this step. The website states that data is hosted in Europe.

Your need	The right contact
An attack is under way	Your IT provider, the police (117), then the NCSC. See the first hour.
You want to file a complaint	The cantonal police of your registered office.
You want to train your team over several months	A programme such as Trust4SMEs.
You want to know how someone could get into your company	A penetration test. See penetration testing for small businesses.
You want a first idea, with no commitment	The Ryze Cyber free scan: 10 questions, two minutes.

Where do you start as a small business in Western Switzerland?

Write down your emergency contacts on paper: IT provider, cantonal police, insurer. On the day of an attack, your email may be out of reach.
Take stock with the free scan: ten questions on access, data, the team and AI tools.
Deal with the most serious "no" answers: two-factor authentication, tested backups, administrator rights.
Have tested what is exposed on the internet, as soon as you have a client area or sensitive data.

Frequently asked questions

Who do you call in the event of a cyberattack in Western Switzerland?

In an acute emergency, the police on 117, in every canton. Then your IT provider and the National Cyber Security Centre through its reporting form. The complaint is filed with the cantonal police of your registered office.

Can the NCSC repair my systems?

No. The NCSC provides a first assessment and first-level support. It specifies that this support must not compete with private offers and, depending on the scale of the attack, invites you to call in a specialised company.

Is there public support for small business cybersecurity in Western Switzerland?

Yes. Trust Valley's Trust4SMEs programme supports businesses of the Lake Geneva region for 10 to 12 months, with financial backing from the Canton of Vaud. Places are limited and conditions change every year.

Does Ryze Cyber travel to Lausanne or Geneva?

The Ryze Cyber website does not advertise on-site visits. The debrief of the full audit takes place by video call. For the rest, ask when you request a quote.

Where do you find a penetration testing provider in Western Switzerland?

Compare several providers on written criteria: scope, authorisation contract, sample report, fixed price. Ryze Cyber publishes its prices in Swiss francs and in euros, and starts with a free scan in ten questions.

Ten questions to find out where you stand.

The Ryze Cyber free scan is a 10-question questionnaire. It takes two minutes, the score appears straight away and nothing is tested on your systems.

Take the free scan →

Sources

Last updated: 7 October 2026