CYBER SECURITY HAS BECOME A BUSINESS NECESSITY

CYBER SECURITY

Has Become A Business Necessity

The new government should do well to ease the level of tax liabilities, including reducing contributions to employees' salaries, and encourage banks to address support for the economy more substantially. Alongside that, with the further development of provided digital services, the state would significantly support the business operations of small and medium-sized enterprises. Finally, cyber security should not be seen as an option, but rather an obligatory part of the digital transformation process

The state of increased health security as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed companies operating in Serbia towards digitalisation, but the road from digitalisation to digital operations is an extended one, says Majo Mićović, president of the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, investor and CEO of Sky Express, one of the leading companies in the field of cyber security in Serbia and the region. We spoke with Mićović about doing business in Serbia, the work of the Chamber and government measures that could help companies more easily overcome the chal lenges that lie ahead.

How deeply has digitalisation been taken on by different business segments of companies in Serbia? - I would like to stress the distinction: it is important to un derstand that digitalisation, as a process, and digital business operations are not synonymous. Digitalisation, as a modern response to the tendencies of developing human communication, is generally an all-encompassing process that extends beyond narrow fields such as business, health or education. The trans formation of all types of mass and individual communication into “bits & bytes” has been going on for decades already, since the beginnings of the mass use of personal computers and the internet. Digital business operations, on the other hand, which is the topic of your question, relates to the digitalisation of business communication, but not only communication as a form of mutually informing participants in the process, but rather beyond communication it also encompasses the complete line of business processes, from production to distribution, and alongside that all documentation, sales and marketing processes, analytics, data mining etc. If we look at your ques tion from this perspective, the digitalisation of operations hasn’t been nearly as far-reaching as general digitalisation, and the COVID-19 pandemic and all measures, from the state of emergency to the post-Covid period, have confirmed the extreme importance of digitalisation. Many companies have “awoken” from their analogue dream, finding themselves fac ing extreme challenges such as compulsory work from home,

web business orientation, facing market demands for digital precisely the type of risks that must be addressed with a communication and business operations in general. high degree of priority, considering the huge scales of po In your opinion, how prepared was Serbia for this type of systems can be compromised when converted from paper challenge, in terms of infrastructure and in the domain of to digital resources. The protection measures you take will e-government? not by themselves deter an attacker from their intentions, - With the information at my disposal, and I would say that no rather carefully selected and applied correctly with other one has the most accurate insight into the preparedness of measures are those that contribute significantly to reducing any country in the world when it comes to entering a pandemic and eliminating the risk of an attack being successful. This is crisis, Serbia was in a similar situation to most other coun actually the major task of our IT security branch, to help the tries in the region, with slightly better communication and IT user to understand the adequacy of technology and mutual infrastructure. What is actually a surprise, and an unpleasant harmonisation of protection resources, to avoid wasting one, happened in countries with much higher standards, such budget resources in procuring incompatible systems. Cyber as Italy, France, the U.S. and Spain, and shows only that the security is a field of high, narrowly specialised IT technology, strength of infrastructure isn’t the only response to emer primarily in an application sense, because it has been shown gency situations. I believe that the behavioral aspects of the that only application solutions can quickly, efficiently and individual citizen, and then the collective consciousness, is flexibly deal with organised cyber crime. Here I would point a much more important factor for successfully overcoming to the fact that although cyber security is the fastest growing these kinds of situations. We have all witnessed that this same branch of the IT industry and the fastest growing industry in test was failed by much more developed the world, the need for digital data and economies and societies that are more When the Swiss economy communications increased by the pan advanced in terms of civilization. When it comes to the success and capacity of e-government of Serbia, I have dif adapts to the new conditions for doing business, it is to be demic and crisis made it all even more obvious in the global business circles. In Serbia, we have several companies that ferent indications. Initiatives such as expected that a healthy cycle have really succeeded in evolving into Digital Solidarity were to be commended wholeheartedly, then a couple of good of quality investments will serious subjects in this area, not only in our country but also in the Region, portal projects such as COVID-19, as be restarted, because the such as the company for whose busi well as the efforts of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Serbia to use Serbian market offers good ness I am personally responsible, Sky Express, which is a leader in the area of frequent webinars in order to raise the opportunities, especially in the distribution and implementation of ability of businesses to cope with the the fields of IT and services highly complex solutions in the field of newly emerged situation. On the other cyber security. hand, I think The Office for IT and E-government had the op tential compromises and the relatively simple way in which portunity to do somewhat more in the area of supporting the To what extent will working from home, but also transfer economy and citizens in this period, considering the exceptional ring part of operations online, be able to contribute to the support of its founder, the Government of Serbia, or rather preserving of production processes? What is the situation the Prime Minister’s Office. I said this while bearing in mind among your member companies in this regard? that the Cabinet and the Government have really done a lot - It is certain that in the initial phase of becoming accustomed for the IT industry in the past few years; as a result, it is a to the new system of work, working from home will not con well-known fact that Serbia’s IT industry is becoming one of tribute greatly to the preservation of production processes, the main engines of Serbia’s export economy. especially in non-digital operations, in classic industries such as metal processing, wood and agricultural production. In the Do you think that current level of cyber security protection end, working from home isn’t a method of contribution but a has been sufficient when it comes to operations that have necessary measure to improve employee safety, so like any been relocated to the internet, and in which areas is strength necessary measure it should be observed as temporary. The ening needed here? transition to online operations certainly goes hand in hand with - The aspect of cyber security shouldn’t be considered an services, and when it comes to the manufacturing business, option, but rather an essential part of the digital transforma part of the business - such as sales and logistics, as well as tion plan, which is defined by the positive legal regulations supplies - will certainly gain strength through the digitalisa of the Republic of Serbia, as well as the acts of the European tion of operations. Union. Of course, every transformation carries with it some Members of SSCC, in accordance with the aforementioned risks, and the risks of applying digital transformation are theses, they apply both the measure of working from home and

strengthening online operations quite differently: software and Immediately prior to and during the health crisis, Swiss general IT companies, and companies with digital services, have companies arrived on the Serbian market. What are your very easily and efficiently adapted to the new conditions of doing expectations with regard to new FDI, considering the situa business, with a possible tendency to keep part of employees tion on the global market? on remote working even after the waning of the pandemic, while - Compared to some other international economies, Swiss compa the other hand, the classical businesses of Swiss companies in nies don’t rank high in numbers and investments, so I believe this Serbia certainly suffer the same pressure on the efficiency of crisis will even further slow down the arrival of Swiss investors, production processes as all other companies of that provenance, except in a few industries like IT and services. On the other hand, and that through the enforced measures like deploying more the world economy, including the Swiss economy, is adapting to working shifts, shorter working new conditions for doing busi days, more frequent holidays, ness, so it is to be expected the reorganisation of busi that, after getting used to the ness premises and production new way of doing business, lines etc. a healthy cycle of quality in We understand that there because the Serbian market probably won’t be a second provides good opportuni package of assistance to the ties for that, which we have economy from the Govern also been convinced of at ment of Serbia. What are the Evolution Equity Fund your suggestions for the new from Zurich, a fund that has government when it comes invested in Serbia with Sky to improving the business Express, which is an SSCC climate? member company as well. - It wouldn’t be responsible if vestments will be restarted, I were to comment in advance What do you consider as the the measures that should be adopted by a government that has not yet even been Many companies have most important tasks of the Chamber in the period ahead? selected, because we must accept that “awoken” from their analogue - The SSCC, like most of bilateral chambers, it will probably differ quite a lot from the current one, both in terms of composition dream, finding themselves is an active factor in the international cooperation between Switzerland and and in the strategic goals of the state, facing extreme challenges Serbia, as well as being a careful analyst so measures for economic recovery will depend significantly on the political and economic circumstances in which it will such as compulsory work from home, web business of the economic situation in the country. Add to that the integrative moment for our membership, actively connecting be formed. Judging by the topics the orientation, market demands all members who express an interest in state is currently engaged in, primarily the issue of Kosovo, then international for digital communication connecting with various economic organi sations, government agencies and other relations with neighbouring countries, and business chambers, then you will get a picture of which unfortunately aren’t progressing the scope of activities that the Chamber due to pandemic complications, general regional tensions and has. In the coming period, until the end of the year, analysing the the complexity of relations with the EU, I believe that economic pandemic situation and how it reflects on the economies of Serbia issues will be resolved following their importance rather than and Switzerland will certainly be our primary activity, both in an strategically, at least in the period until the end of the year. advisory sense as well as through acting as a centre for informa

In nutshell, the new government should ease the level of tion on administrative and economic measures and changes in tax liabilities, including reducing contributions to employees’ the economic lives of the two countries. Alongside that, we are salaries, and encourage banks to address support for the also continuing with all our daily activities, amongst which I would economy more substantially. Alongside that, with the further really like to single out the outstanding contributions of some development of provided digital services, the state would of our member companies, such as Adecco, Confida Consulting, significantly support the business operations of small and Sky Express, Smart Point and TSG Law Office, whose webinars medium-sized enterprises. Finally, cyber security should on topics relevant to overcoming crises difficulties to operations not be seen as an option, but rather an obligatory part of the are attracting ever more attention from both our membership digital transformation process. and among the members of other Chambers.