From passwords to platforms: how cybersecurity has changed since 1990

1990: the world before the Internet boom

When Open Systems AG was founded in Basel on 25 October 1990, the Internet was still very much a project for universities. There were only 2.6 million users worldwide, most of them researchers and employees of government agencies. It was only in the early 1990s that the Internet became commercially and publicly available, notably with the introduction of the World Wide Web in 1991 and the first graphic browser, Mosaic, in 1993. Terms like “cybersecurity” didn’t exist in 1990. People instead spoke of “IT security”, which essentially meant physical security checks and simple passwords. In Switzerland, the first private e-mail addresses had just been issued. Companies and the public weren’t yet aware of security concerns. Technological barriers (“firewalls”) against external intruders were still the exception rather than the rule, and networks were often directly connected to the Internet. The biggest concern companies faced was the dreaded millennium bug, not hacking attacks from countries like China or Russia.

Open Systems: from one-man show to security platform

It all began with a one-man operation selling high-performance computers (“workstations”) from the US provider SUN, now called Oracle. The founder handled the configuration and management of the Domain Name System (DNS) for his clients. Open Systems wasn’t based on a specific business idea, but rather the strong belief that the Internet would radically change the way people communicate with each other. The arrival of a technically experienced partner allowed the company to tackle more complex projects, e.g. for banks. This was followed by the development of a global 24/7 support system, which today helps market leaders such as Franke, Sika and many others to protect their global production locations. The bold move towards security services during the Internet and dot-com booms was an important milestone, helping the company become what it is today. Despite the dot-com crash and growing threat levels, Open Systems remained stable and developed into a leading company offering security solutions for IT networks worldwide. This development was no coincidence: since the 1990s, the number of reported cyberattacks has increased significantly. There were only relatively few cases back then, but now there are hundreds of thousands every year. Although it is difficult to compare statistics on cybercrime, it is clear that there are more attacks, more perpetrators and more reports today – not least because we now know more about this sector than we did before.

2025: a holistic approach to security

Today, Open Systems operates in more than 180 countries and provides security and connectivity services to flexibly meet the needs of global businesses. The company draws on its many years of experience and helps ensure that organizations can operate securely, even in an increasingly networked and complex digital environment. This shows how much the understanding of network security has changed since 1990. What was once simple password control has evolved into holistic, data-driven protection concepts. Dennis Monner, CEO of Open Systems, says: “Thirty-five years later, our core mission remains the same: to make connectivity and security simple, reliable and future-proof.” This continuity and adaptability characterizes the company’s approach, and stands as an example for the development of network security as a whole.