Proactive protection in times of drastically increasing cyber attacks
Traditional security tests often reach their limits as they only simulate attacks in artificial lab environments. In contrast, Obsidio uses a globally distributed infrastructure of currently over 232,000 smartphones to accurately replicate realistic overload attacks (Distributed Denial of Service, or DDoS). In a DDoS attack, a system is paralyzed by a massive number of simultaneous requests - akin to thousands of people blocking the entrance to a building at once.
Digital sovereignty and 'Swissness' as core principles
Especially for Switzerland, whose security can no longer be viewed in isolation from the international technology and cyber risk environment, Obsidio offers a practical approach to strengthening the digital resilience of critical systems. As a renowned tech powerhouse based in Zug, Papers AG relies on Swiss engineering and the highest data protection standards:
- Decentralized security: By using the Acurast platform developed by Papers AG, which distributes computational power across tens of thousands of real devices worldwide, Obsidio avoids dependence on large, central cloud providers and reduces systemic risks.
- NSA immunity: Due to processing in secure hardware areas of mobile devices, the infrastructure is structurally protected against unauthorized external access and extraterritorial control.
- Data protection: The system operates under strict zero-trust principles, is fully GDPR-compliant, and protects the privacy of all participating users through their explicit consent (opt-in).
Meeting regulatory requirements (FINMA & DORA)
For Swiss banks and insurance companies, proof of operational resilience is now a regulatory necessity. Obsidio provides cryptographically signed and tamper-proof records serving as evidence for audits. By providing meaningful test results, the platform delivers central proof of operational resilience, specifically designed to comply with the audit requirements of FINMA (Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority), DORA (EU Digital Operational Resilience Act), and NIS2 (EU Digital Operational Resilience Act 2).
"In a time when trust in digital tools is the highest asset, Obsidio offers a unique platform that underpins this trust through measurable resilience," says Alessandro de Carli, CEO of Papers AG. "Obsidio transforms cyber resilience management from reactive damage limitation to proactive defense system verification."
*Background: What is a DDoS attack?
A DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack is a cyber attack where many devices or servers simultaneously send artificial requests to a website, platform, or digital infrastructure. The goal is to overload the system so that it becomes slow, fails, or becomes inaccessible to real users. For banks, authorities, telecommunications providers, hospitals, or other critical infrastructures, such attacks can cause significant operational, financial, and reputational damage.
In Switzerland and Europe, DDoS remains the preferred tool for hacktivists, with these attacks alone accounting for 13% of all attacks on critical infrastructures such as public administration and the financial sector in Switzerland. Given a worldwide increase in attacks by 168% and massive traffic floods of up to 31.4 Tbps, the Swiss economy is also facing a significantly intensified threat situation. As conventional protection systems against new AI-supported botnets are increasingly ineffective, local companies now face potential financial damage of almost USD 500,000 in severe attacks.
About Obsidio
Obsidio is a 'Swiss-engineered resilience testing platform' specifically developed for critical infrastructures. The platform enables realistic, decentralized simulations that precisely reflect the dynamics of real cyber attacks. Against the backdrop of growing global cyber threats and the increasing vulnerability of critical digital infrastructures, Obsidio offers organizations the opportunity to assess their resilience not only in critical situations but in a controlled, realistic, and proactive manner. Developed by the Zug-based Papers AG, the application ensures maximum failover safety for critical communication environments and is frequently used by notable financial institutions.
Obsidio exclusively offers advanced DDoS resilience solutions (Distributed Denial of Service) that allow organizations to transition from reactive damage control to proactive vulnerability and vulnerability management. By integrating the decentralized cloud computing protocol Acurast, Obsidio redefines the standards for security and censorship resistance. Acurast addresses the core problem of the centralization, inefficiency, and fragility of traditional cloud computing infrastructures that require massive capital expenditure. The protocol transforms unused or decommissioned smartphones into a global, decentralized mesh-cloud of verifiable and confidential computing providers. By simulating a realistic botnet, vulnerabilities can be uncovered with Obsidio, which would not be possible with centralized providers available in the market. Obsidio utilizes this ethically-sourced botnet to conduct realistic attacks. Located in Zug, Obsidio leverages the regulatory clarity and technological quality of Switzerland's leading technology location. The infrastructure follows strict zero-trust principles and is completely independent of large, centralized cloud providers due to decentralization. By precisely simulating such attacks using a realistic botnet, vulnerabilities can be uncovered that would not be exposed by centralized providers available on the market.
https://obsidio.com/de/