How to Ensure the Operation of Systems Used by Millions of Ukrainians: The Case of the SE “ICC of the Ministry of Social Policy”

The State Enterprise “Information and Computing Center of the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine” is a critical government institution. 

It develops software used every day by dozens of government services and millions of Ukrainians. To support this, the Center relies on a complex telecommunications infrastructure, part of which is provided by GIGAGROUP companies. 

In this article, we explain how the team at the State Enterprise “ICC of the Ministry of Social Policy” manages to ensure the operation of such important systems, what challenges they face, and what role telecommunications play in this process. 

Software for every Ukrainian 

The state enterprise is part of the Ministry of Social Policy, the government body responsible for various types of support for Ukrainians. In particular, it manages pension and scholarship payments, social benefits, subsidies, and assistance for families with children and people with disabilities. 

The Ministry also organizes support systems for people in difficult circumstances — when they lose their jobs, housing, or need additional assistance. At the same time, it is responsible for programs for vulnerable groups, including older people, children without parental care, and internally displaced persons. 

As a result, thousands of Ukrainians interact daily with this government body to receive assistance. 

All services work for our population. If a person does not receive a benefit on time, does not receive a payment — how can that person feel? Or if they cannot receive a certificate on time, for example, regarding disability or certain medical restrictions. If the system does not work, the lives of our citizens may depend on it, says Serhii Voronchuk, Head of the Digital Technologies Department at the State Enterprise “ICC of the Ministry of Social Policy.” 

One example is the Unified Information System of the Social Sphere. Its architecture is designed with redundancy and distribution across four locations, one of which is a data center, while some components operate in standby mode. This makes it possible to maintain system resilience and ensure continuous 24/7 availability of services even under difficult conditions. 

Multi-level infrastructure 

To provide such important services, there is the Information and Computing Center that supports the operation of various databases, portals, and registers. 

To ensure their efficient and stable operation, the enterprise has built a complex, multi-level infrastructure. In particular, it uses a wide range of telecommunications services: 

• secure L2 channels;
• internet access;
• out-of-band management channels;
• data centers;
• cloud infrastructure. 

This complex infrastructure is supported by a team that includes network and server administration departments, DevOps, and a dedicated cybersecurity and Security Operations Center team.

The critical nature of the Ministry of Social Policy and the services it provides makes it one of the targets for hostile hackers. Its systems and traffic are constantly exposed to various types of attacks and hacking attempts. 

Cooperation with the GIGAGROUP group of companies 

Cooperation with GIGAGROUP plays an important role in the stable operation of the Center, both at the infrastructure level and in cybersecurity. 

According to Serhii Voronchuk, Head of the Digital Technologies Department, the implemented solutions allow the team to monitor the state of systems and respond to risks before they turn into problems. 

The software that provides security covers our network perimeter, our software, information leaks, and monitoring systems. It allows us to see potential vulnerabilities, system reboots, and detect anomalies. You provided us with the necessary resources on which the tools operate, helping us monitor and properly handle potential vulnerabilities, says the Head of the Digital Technologies Department. 

Cooperation with GIGAGROUP began when the SE “ICC of the Ministry of Social Policy” decided to connect an additional provider. At that stage, the team needed to find a telecommunications operator that met the requirements of the Comprehensive Information Protection System, had reliable infrastructure, a clear SLA, and accessible support. This is how cooperation with GigaTrans began. 

At the start, we spent several days deciding how to build the first L2 connection because of certain specifics of our building. Many scenarios were proposed: over the air, somehow running cables. In the end, the GigaTrans specialists did a great job — they found and offered us some options, and we laid these channels underground and got them connected, says Serhii Voronchuk.

This solution became the basis for further stability. This was especially evident during the blackouts: according to the Center’s team, GigaTrans remained the only provider that ensured connectivity even during a three-day power outage. 

The next step was infrastructure expansion — the search for a cloud provider that met the CIPS requirements. Since public institutions must store personal data exclusively within Ukraine, using global public clouds was not possible. As a result, an open tender was announced, and GigaCloud won. 

With GigaCloud and GigaTrans, we feel confident. We can be calm about our servers, firewall, and equipment monitoring. There is confidence that it will not fail us and that everything will be fine, says Serhii Voronchuk, Head of the Digital Technologies Department at the SE “ICC of the Ministry of Social Policy.” 

The Center separately emphasizes not only technical expertise, but also experience working with the public sector — a factor that significantly affects the speed and quality of interaction. 

We have a construction manager, Kateryna, who quickly resolves issues — from reconfigurations to the timely signing of contracts. We are a state enterprise, and we have our own nuances, but GigaTrans understands this. So we are grateful to such partners. Let’s keep on working together, concludes Serhii Voronchuk.