Swiss interbank clearing migrates fully to secure SCION network
The Secure Swiss Finance Network (SSFN) has fully replaced legacy connectivity for Swiss Interbank Clearing. More than 100 participants now use the SCION architecture to control paths and prevent routing attacks.
Taking control of the data path
Developed at ETH Zurich, SCION enables networks to interconnect securely while granting senders explicit control over transit paths.
In conventional routing under the Border Gateway Protocol, senders cannot select packet paths, leaving traffic vulnerable to hijacking.
The Secure Swiss Finance Network (SSFN) applies this architecture in production.
The Swiss National Bank and SIX launched the network in 2021, and by late September 2024, the platform had fully replaced the legacy Finance IPNet infrastructure.
More than 100 domestic and foreign participants connected to the Swiss Interbank Clearing system now operate through the SSFN.
Network operators issue cryptographically authorized path segments, letting banks configure and maintain redundant live connections across providers.
Shielding validators from isolation
Beyond interbank clearing, the architecture offers vital protections for distributed ledger technologies.
While blockchains rely on consensus across decentralized nodes, validators still communicate over the vulnerable public internet.
Recent research shows that simulated routing attacks halt over 80 percent of transaction confirmations on the Sui network.
When validators controlling more than two-thirds of the stake connect via SCION, the attack success rate drops to zero.
Isolation domains also allow cross-border financial networks to enforce local governance.
Solid engineering, isolated perimeter
Switzerland proves that path control successfully eliminates border gateway vulnerabilities.
Yet an isolated national perimeter offers little defense once transactions cross borders onto legacy routes.
Without coordinated global adoption, the architecture remains a fortified island in a fragile ecosystem.