Earth Day 2022’s theme is Invest in Our Planet, collectively putting our governments, businesses, and people in charge of how they should be investing in our planet so it’s here for generations to come. Last year, during the COP26 in Glasgow, diplomats of almost 200 countries reached a deal to fight against climate change. Limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), phasing-down coal, as well as reaching climate neutrality in 2050 under the Paris agreement have been some of the key takeaways.
Sustainability plays a big role in the strategies of many global corporations, as promoting and running an environmentally friendly business reduces the impact on the environment and society. It also attracts a new customer base, appeals to new employees and partnerships, and shapes the perception of a brand.
A cyber attack can equate to an attack on our environment
The Coronavirus pandemic has shown us that cybercriminals take advantage of any situation—even those that destabilize an entire population—through related scams and malware campaigns. We’ve seen state-sponsored cyberattacks run rampant, and just recently with the Ukraine war, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) posted a warning titled “Understanding and Mitigating Russian State-Sponsored Cyber Threats to U.S. Critical Infrastructure.” If you think about U.S. critical infrastructure, our water consumption and energy grids require a cyber infrastructure for command and control. If our infrastructure here in the U.S.—and elsewhere around the world—does not have the best-in-class cybersecurity practices, then an environmental incident could cause an environmental crisis as well as a cyber incident.*
The internet uses energy, and so do our cyber solutions
Believe it or not, the internet has a carbon footprint. While still considered smaller in comparison to other contributors of gas emissions—such as agriculture, energy, or transportation—there is no denying, the growing use of the internet and everything associated with it will increase its carbon footprint. According to an article in 2020, the internet, the gadgets, and the systems supporting it account for 3.7% of global greenhouse emission, or as much as what the airline industry produces globally.
Focusing on the digital landscape, what are the opportunities and the pitfalls, and how should organizations prepare?
If you really mean it, make it a part of your brand
If businesses are thinking about or already planning how to contribute to a more sustainable future for our planet, they also need to think about transferring this into their brand name. The new generic top-level (new gTLD) program, launched back in 2012, resulted in approved applications focusing on environmental causes. Domain extensions such as .bio, .earth, .eco, .energy, and others are available to businesses or non-profit organizations that want to make a positive change to the planet.
A strong domain name not only adds credibility to your businesses, but it further builds your brand.
Below find a list of possible extensions:
.BIO
.EARTH
.ECO
.ENERGY
.GARDEN
.GREEN
.ORGANIC
Registration rules for those extensions differ, therefore we recommend you speak with CSC representatives so they can advise and help you with the registration.
Selecting the Right Vendors as Part of Your Zero-Trust Security Model and a Sustainability Mindset
Our data consumption will continue to increase as the digital landscape is evolving—from the Internet of Things to artificial intelligence, the metaverse, and blockchain. But we can be more selective about choosing our vendors who are committed to renewable energy and the environment. It’s important to ensure this is on your radar with set goals and timelines. This will avoid you having to switch vendors quickly when being challenged by more and more clients. And what your vendors do will count towards your company’s overall carbon footprint calculation.
*https://cybersecurityguide.org/industries/environmental-protection/
