WISeKey International Holding Ltd, a leading Swiss cybersecurity, AI, and IoT company, together with its subsidiaries WISeSat.Space which focuses on space technology for secure satellite communication, and SEALSQ Corp, a company that focuses on developing and selling Semiconductors, PKI, and Post-Quantum technology hardware and software products, today provided an update on the evolution of its collaboration with the Swiss Armed Forces (SAF). This partnership, initiated in 2022, continues to advance Switzerland’s sovereign space and cybersecurity infrastructure by combining secure IoT satellites with trusted digital identity and post-quantum cryptographic technologies.
Recent coverage by WIRED revealed a stark vulnerability in the global satellite communications ecosystem: with just a few hundred dollars’ worth of off-the-shelf equipment, researchers intercepted unencrypted calls, texts, and sensitive military and corporate data being broadcast via geostationary satellites. (wired.com) The article underscores how many satellite “backhaul” links, especially those serving remote or critical infrastructure, remain unprotected, exposing vital information to trivial interception.
In direct response to such threats, WISeSat.Space’s work with the SAF supports the development of secure, sovereign satellite-based communications, reconnaissance, and navigation systems for military organizations. These initiatives aim to reduce reliance on foreign providers and intergovernmental projects, thereby enhancing national resilience, operational autonomy, and cybersecurity.
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Since the signing of the initial agreement, WISeSat.Space and the SAF have jointly conducted research, development, and mission testing on small-satellite and secure communications capabilities, including Low Earth Orbit IoT (LEO-IoT) and Internet of Battlefield Things (IoBT) applications. The collaboration has now evolved to integrate SEALSQ’s post-quantum semiconductors and WISeKey’s Swiss Root of Trust, ensuring quantum-resilient encryption and authentication for satellite-to-ground and inter-satellite communications. These quantum-secured WISeSat satellites directly address the vulnerabilities exposed in the WIRED report, creating a zero-trust orbital network that guarantees encryption from end to end.
This operational partnership also supports the SAF’s goal of ensuring secure satellite-enabled mobile communications, which has been already made public in August 2023 with the new strategy for the reinforcement of defense capabilities. Additionally, on October 8, 2025, the overall conception for the build-up of SAF’s space-based capabilities has been published by the Department of Defense after its handling by the Government.
Ludovic Monnerat, designated commander of the new Space Command of the Swiss Armed Forces, commented: “To close their capability gaps in space, the SAF are pursuing a strategy focused on partnerships aiming to work with national industrial companies and universities to build operational capabilities with dual use characteristics and thus strengthen our defense capabilities. The Swiss Armed Forces need a regular to permanent coverage with narrowband to broadband connections for networking people and objects, with a security allowing its use in every situation. Our operational partnership with WISeKey during the last 3 years has been playing a key role in preparing the integration of post-quantum encryption to Direct-to-Device (D2D) connectivity in the near future, while giving our partners a technical and tactical support allowing the development of solutions tailored for military needs worldwide. This security level could also apply to other space-based capabilities, especially the steering of space systems. This collaboration with WISeKey give us the perspective to reach the necessary level of security and sovereignty, which then must be implemented via our procurement process after the necessary decisions at the Government and Parliament level.”
Carlos Moreira, Founder and CEO of WISeKey, added: “Our partnership with the Swiss Armed Forces has evolved from a visionary initiative into a solid, long-term collaboration anchoring Switzerland’s leadership in secure space technologies. By merging cybersecurity, cryptography, and satellite innovation, we are helping ensure Switzerland’s digital and spatial independence.”
WISeSat.Space is a joint venture between WISeKey and its subsidiary, SEALSQ, focused on deploying the world’s first truly secure IoT satellite constellation. Leveraging WISeKey’s trusted root of digital identity and SEALSQ’s post-quantum secure semiconductors, WISeSat.Space is creating a trusted space-based ecosystem for governments, enterprises, and critical infrastructure providers.
SEALSQ is a leading innovator in Post-Quantum Technology hardware and software solutions. Our technology seamlessly integrates Semiconductors, PKI (Public Key Infrastructure), and Provisioning Services, with a strategic emphasis on developing state-of-the-art Quantum Resistant Cryptography and Semiconductors designed to address the urgent security challenges posed by quantum computing. As quantum computers advance, traditional cryptographic methods like RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) are increasingly vulnerable.
SEALSQ is pioneering the development of Post-Quantum Semiconductors that provide robust, future-proof protection for sensitive data across a wide range of applications, including Multi-Factor Authentication tokens, Smart Energy, Medical and Healthcare Systems, Defense, IT Network Infrastructure, Automotive, and Industrial Automation and Control Systems. By embedding Post-Quantum Cryptography into our semiconductor solutions, SEALSQ ensures that organizations stay protected against quantum threats. Our products are engineered to safeguard critical systems, enhancing resilience and security across diverse industries.
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