Digital Security and Technological Sovereignty: Emerging Challenges for International Business

Abstract

Amid accelerated digital transformation and mounting geo-economic turbulence, the challenges of safeguarding digital security in the real economy and achieving technological sovereignty have become critically important for international business. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the key risks and strategic challenges faced by multinational corporations in the digitisation of global economic relations. The authors examine a broad spectrum of threats – from the rising frequency of large-scale cyberattacks targeting critical information infrastructure to the progressive fragmentation of digital space driven by protectionist barriers, technological sanctions, and policies of digital isolation. Particular attention is devoted to the methodological foundations of information security and conceptual approaches to establishing technological sovereignty, which serve as interconnected factors in ensuring long-term competitiveness and sustainable business development in an era of global instability. Drawing on an in-depth study of leading Russian companies successfully adapting to these new realities, the paper formulates concrete recommendations for building effective cyber defence systems, localising digital assets, and developing strategies for technological independence. The findings hold significant value both for academia – particularly researchers examining the evolution of international business models – and for corporate practitioners, including senior executives, cybersecurity specialists, and digital policy developers, who face the pressing need to rethink conventional approaches in light of profound shifts within the global digital ecosystem.