Secure digital communication – how Swiss public authorities and companies are succeeding

Data protection and legal security are not side issues in a digitized administration, but rather form the basis for public trust. Solutions such as the Digital letter allow public authorities and companies to make their processes more efficient while also complying with the highest security standards. Digital letter mail meets the stringent requirements for legally compliant handling of sensitive data, offering new opportunities for efficiency and citizen proximity.

Now part of the universal postal service

The Federal Council has decided to expand Swiss Post’s universal service obligation: Swiss Post is now also to deliver letters digitally. To do this, it provides a secure infrastructure via which customers can send and receive letters digitally. Private customers use the Post-App, while business customers can send and receive letters directly via their business software.

How Digital letter delivery works

Using the Digital letter is easy: companies and public authorities create their letters digitally, upload them to the ePost communication platform and then post their consignments digitally. Depending on the recipient’s wishes, Swiss Post delivers letters digitally or takes care of the printing, packaging and mailing by post.

The Digital letter is not an e-mail

The Digital letter has various security features that distinguish it from an e-mail. The customer sends the letter to a postal address. The sender and recipient, i.e. the people who live at the postal address provided, are both verified – in contrast to an e-mail. This makes it impossible to carry out anonymous attempts at fraud, such as phishing. A regulated electronic seal guarantees that the Digital letter has arrived in a genuine, unaltered form. The qualified time stamp provides proof of the acceptance time.

Maximum information protection

All data is sent with end-to-end encryption via the ePost communication platform and stored in certified Swiss data centers. Only recipients can read their documents. Swiss Post employees have no access to digital letters. Strict access controls and ISO 27001 certification guarantee the highest security standards.

Technical and organizational measures

Clear security standards are required to ensure data protection and legal compliance:

• End-to-end encryption: sensitive data remains protected along the entire transmission channel.
• Access controls and authorizations: only authorized persons can view or edit data.
• Secure transmission protocols: communication occurs via encrypted standards such as HTTPS or S/MIME.
• Data storage in Switzerland: all information is stored in certified Swiss data centers, guaranteeing data sovereignty.

Transparency and verifiability

To ensure legally compliant communication, public authorities must be able to prove at all times when and how documents were delivered.

• Confirmation of receipt: proof of mailing, delivery and receipt of digital letters.
• Integrity of documents: digital signatures and verification mechanisms prove that the content remains unchanged.
• Legally secure archiving: documents remain accessible for years and are stored in a forgery-proof manner.

Simple tool

The Digital letter and ePost communication platform provide companies and institutions with a secure, digital delivery channel that meets the requirements for data protection and document integrity while also providing confirmation of receipt. Progress is gradual. In the Canton of Bern, advance invoices are sent digitally, but final statements are sent physically.

Swiss Post’s role as a trustworthy partner

Swiss Post supports companies and public authorities as an experienced and certified partner:

• ePost is ISO 27001 certified and meets the highest information security requirements
• Swiss Post operates critical infrastructures for secure communication in the public sector
• Thanks to its many years of experience in corporate and public authority communication, Swiss Post is fully familiar with the specific requirements and challenges involved

Conclusion

Digital letters enable companies and institutions to communicate efficiently and in a customer-oriented manner while also meeting high security standards. Data protection and legal security are not obstacles, but preconditions for a successful digital transformation. Swiss Post is a strong partner for public administration that combines security, reliability and innovation.