The Unbreakable Business: Key Principles from ITU Member Nova Digital

At a time when digitalisation has encompassed all areas of business, cyber threats have become no less critical than economic or operational risks. Online services simplify work but simultaneously make companies more vulnerable: almost 95% of cyber incidents are caused by human error, and a new attack attempt occurs globally every 39 seconds.

 

Oleh Polihenko, Deputy CEO and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Nova Digital, spoke about how Ukrainian companies can become less vulnerable and build resilient processes during a lecture of the “Vidvazhna 3. The Digital Evolution of Business” programme. 

 

Modern attacks are deliberately designed to look ordinary and safe—which is why employees easily lower their guard. Among the most common types of threats are:

• Phishing—emails or messages that imitate official correspondence;
• Social Engineering—manipulating a sense of urgency, such as when an “IT specialist” requests a code or access;
• Hacking social media/ad accounts due to weak passwords or lack of 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication);
• Data Leaks due to incorrect access settings or public links;
• Deepfake and AI audio—when the voice of a “manager” urgently requests a payment transfer.

 

To enhance cyber resilience, businesses must work systematically with people, processes, and fundamental IT settings. Teams should be trained regularly — not just once, but through continuous training and phishing attack simulations — so that employees can recognise threats. In parallel, a technological minimum must be ensured, including two-factor authentication (2FA), access control, and clear rules for working with documents, messengers, and AI services. This combination of awareness, clear processes, and swift reaction makes a business significantly less vulnerable to modern cyber threats.

 

The new season of the visionary women’s accelerator Vidvazhna 3. The Digital Evolution of Business is delivered by the Diia.Business network of entrepreneurship support centres in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office, with the support of UNDP in Ukraine and financial assistance from the Government of Japan under the project Transformational Recovery for Human Security in Ukraine, and within the framework of the global initiative She’s Next Empowered by Visa, in partnership with the IT Ukraine Association.