Digital Trust in Practice: How to Transform Critical Processes Without Compromising Security, Legal Validity, and Trust
Summary of the Contisystems Executive Breakfast, held on June 18 at Nova SB
In a context where artificial intelligence, cybersecurity threats, and regulatory requirements are redefining the way organizations communicate, conduct business, and protect business relationships, Contisystems brought together a group of experts on June 18 at Nova SBE to discuss digital trust in practice. The Executive Breakfast brought together decision-makers from various fields for a practical discussion on how to innovate without compromising security, compliance, and legal validity.
In his opening remarks, Duarte Conceição, CEO of Contisystems, framed the topic by highlighting a paradox that is all too common in organizations: we’ve never had so many technological resources at our disposal, but it’s also never been easier to generate mistrust on digital channels. From fraudulent messages to suspicious calls, not to mention the proliferation of AI-generated content, the challenge is no longer simply about digitizing processes. It has become about ensuring that these processes are understood, secure, auditable, and trustworthy.


AI: Rapid Adoption, Trust Still in the Making
The first presentation was given by Professor António Nogueira Leite of Nova SBE, who also shared the key messages prepared by Pedro Brandão, Head of Digital Transformation at NOS. His presentation was based on a central idea: Artificial Intelligence is becoming the most significant driver of digital transformation, but scaling AI to have a real impact depends on more than just technology. It depends on data, metrics, governance, control, the ability to learn continuously, and, above all, trust.
Despite the widespread adoption of AI in organizations, the professor emphasized that many initiatives still fail to produce measurable results. The problem, in most cases, lies not in the tools themselves, but in how work is redesigned from start to finish. Digital trust, he explained, is not just a technical issue: it involves employees, customers, regulators, managers, and all stakeholders who need to believe that the system is secure and reliable enough to replace, improve, or complement existing processes.
António Nogueira Leite: “Anyone who fails to adopt AI—no matter how successful they may have been in the past—will end up with less of everything.”
NOS’s experience served as a practical example of an approach that combines strategic vision with incremental execution. Rather than waiting for a perfect strategy before taking action, the organization has been working with pilot projects, continuous learning, and “hub-and-spoke” governance models, in which there is central coordination but also the capacity for implementation across the various business units. Among the cases presented were virtual customer service assistants, intelligent automation in invoice processing, support for salespeople through integrated data, and mechanisms for human oversight of AI agents.
The message was clear: AI only creates value when it is accompanied by well-managed data, redesigned processes, ongoing auditing, risk analysis, and mechanisms for human intervention. The “human in the loop” does not disappear; rather, its role changes, often shifting from manual execution to supervision, correction, and continuous improvement of the systems.



The Legal Framework: Trust Is Also Built on Evidence
Following the discussion on AI, Joana Pinto and Ana Bastos, partners at Antas da Cunha ECIJA in the Digital Contracting & Compliance practice, outlined the legal framework for digital transactions, electronic signatures, and trust services. Their presentation began with a simple question—“Who still prints, signs, and sends contracts by registered mail?”—to demonstrate that the digitization of transactions is already the dominant reality. The key question is whether, in the event of a dispute, there is sufficient proof of identity, the integrity of the content, and the time of communication.
The experts explained that the eIDAS Regulation has harmonized, at the European level, the requirements applicable to electronic signatures, digital identity, and trust services. This harmonization allows digital documents and communications produced in one Member State to be recognized in others, provided they meet the applicable requirements and are supported by qualified service providers.
Several levels of electronic signatures were distinguished: the simple signature, which has the least probative value; the advanced signature, which allows the signer to be identified and alterations to be detected; and the qualified signature—such as the Digital Mobile Key or the Citizen Card—which provides a higher degree of assurance. The same reasoning applies to qualified registered emails, which may have enhanced evidentiary value when issued by recognized entities and meeting requirements such as identification of the sender and recipient, a qualified time stamp, protection against alterations, and a record of operations.
Joana Pinto: “When there is a legal presumption, it is up to the other party to prove that this is not the case.”
This point was one of the most important of the morning: the use of certified services is not just for digitization; it serves to alter the burden of proof for organizations in the event of a dispute. When there is a legal presumption, the burden of proof may shift to the opposing party, making the process more robust for the party presenting the documentary evidence.
Ana Bastos: “A registered email, if sent by a qualified partner and in compliance with the eIDAS requirements, is equivalent to a registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt.”
The speakers acknowledged that the courts are still in the process of adapting to this digital reality, but argued that this path is inevitable: as case law evolves and judicial actors become more technologically literate, the use of qualified digital evidence will tend to become increasingly commonplace.



The Universo Case: Going Digital Without Sacrificing Robustness
The practical application of these principles was demonstrated by Pedro Monteiro, Director of Collections Operations & Strategy at Universo, in a conversation led by Filipa Castela. The case study presented focused on notices of contract termination, a critical process in the context of consumer credit and debt collection. Before digitization, these notices were sent by certified mail, with all the associated costs, delays, and archiving challenges.
Pedro Monteiro explained that, upon termination of the contract, the financial institution makes significant changes to the customer’s payment plan and begins demanding payment of the entire debt. Therefore, it was essential that any digital solution be able to prove that the customer had been properly notified and that the communication met legal and regulatory requirements.
The decision to choose Contisystems’ solution was based on three factors: European certification, legal and technical support, and previous positive experience with other mass communication processes, such as sending statements. The project was described as a process-oriented initiative—not merely a technological one—requiring a rigorous mapping of the steps, critical points, and business requirements.
Pedro Monteiro: “It was probably the technology project that caused us the fewest problems after it went into production.”
Among the most significant benefits, Pedro Monteiro highlighted the streamlining of record-keeping and information retrieval, particularly in later stages of debt collection, legal proceedings, regulatory requests, or the sale of NPL portfolios. Documentation is no longer scattered, difficult to locate, or dependent on manual processes.
Pedro Monteiro: “We’ve seen unexpected benefits, particularly in terms of filing this information, which used to be a nightmare before this implementation.” (…) “The cost savings from this process are incredible.”
Universo’s final advice to other organizations was straightforward: move forward. Not because digital will immediately replace all traditional channels, but because it allows for the creation of more robust hybrid processes, with lower costs, greater speed, better traceability, and the ability to maintain physical alternatives when necessary.



Digital communications as end-to-end certified processes
João Feliciano de Oliveira, a Business Consultant and Trust Services specialist at Contisystems, shared his operational perspective and the most common use cases. His presentation was organized around three key words: risk, impact, and evolution. His first piece of advice was to involve compliance teams from the very beginning, so that risk assessment, regulatory interpretation, and business objectives can progress in tandem.
In terms of impacts, João Oliveira highlighted very concrete financial and operational gains. Processes that can take days or weeks via physical mail can now be tracked in seconds, with records of sending, receipt, link clicks, OTP usage, authentication via Digital Mobile Key, signatures, and other relevant interactions. In this context, Contisystems acts as a “digital notary for the transaction,” ensuring traceability and proof of content.
João Feliciano de Oliveira: “Bring your compliance team to the table on the first day. (…)”
The presentation covered several possible channels—email, SMS, WhatsApp, and push notifications—and emphasized that the choice should depend on the customer journey, legal requirements, and the desired level of security. In some situations, the recommendation is to combine channels; for example, following up a notification in the customer portal with a certified communication via email or SMS, in order to ensure future proof of the content and the interaction.
João Feliciano de Oliveira: “We’re talking about trading at least a week for seconds.”
Examples were also presented in the banking, insurance, and utilities sectors: opening accounts, credit agreements, default notices, contract amendments, disconnection notices, claims processing, and the collection of confirmations or signatures. In all cases, the logic is the same: to integrate certification into the existing process, ensure legal validity, and make future searches simpler, faster, and more auditable.



A common conclusion: digital trust is strategy, process, and evidence
In his closing remarks, Duarte Conceição revisited some of the key ideas from the morning: scaling with confidence is not just a technological challenge; it is a challenge involving processes, data, governance, testing, and user experience. The technology already exists, but its value depends on how it is integrated into organizations’ critical processes.
The event’s main message was this: digital trust cannot be built through innovation alone. It is built through a legal framework, informed technological choices, the involvement of the right teams, clarity in processes, audit capabilities, and a commitment to the future of information. From AI to registered emails, from digital signatures to certified workflows, the goal is the same: to enable organizations to communicate, conduct business, and evolve in the digital realm with security, efficiency, and credibility.





