The Link Between Sustainability and Cybersecurity
With so many competing priorities for organisations to consider, especially in the current economic climate, working out the best way that we, as business leaders, can draw parallels between overlapping priorities is important. Two areas that aren’t spoken about enough in terms of their parallels are Sustainability and Cyber Security. In fact, cyber security is linked to the G (Governance) in ESG.
Sustainability and cyber security are deeply intertwined because they both recognise the interconnectedness of systems and require systems thinking to drive maximum impact. Both are about building a more resilient and responsible future for all.
From a sustainability perspective, this means understanding how actions in one part of the world or one aspect of society can have far-reaching effects on the environment and society as a whole. For cyber security, this means recognising that systems are interconnected and that vulnerabilities in one system can have cascading effects on others. Both involve considering our impact in what we can do to reduce negative impact in our immediate environments.
To ensure that both sustainability and cyber security are being looked at in parallel and any opportunities are being leveraged to overlay resources to drive both, here are four key questions to consider:
Have we built multi-level resilience into the organisation? From a cybersecurity perspective, this should be a relatively obvious consideration: are the correct systems in place so that we can withstand and recover from cyber threats and attacks?From a sustainability perspective, this means systems being able to withstand and recover from disruptions, whether they are environmental, economic, or social, as well as adequate transition plans in place should some of the worst case sustainability scenarios play out.
What’s our risk management strategy? Within both fields, building an effective strategy for risk management requires a comprehensive approach that integrates into all aspects of business operations including identifying risks - particularly around potential resource scarcity, skills shortage, supply chain disruption, regulatory changes, reputational damage and managing stakeholder expectations. Building out a strategy that addresses high-priority risks that pose the greatest threat to the business's long-term viability and reputation when it comes to both areas is critical.
What is our partnership strategy and where can we leverage expertise/insights that we might not have? Sustainability and cybersecurity both require collaboration across internal functions, disciplines and sectors. Collaboration is essential for sharing information, coordinating responses to threats, and developing common standards and best practices. Engaging with internal and external stakeholders, including employees, customers, suppliers, investors, and communities, is key to fostering open dialogue and collaboration to identify shared risks and opportunities for improvement. If the skillset for doing this effectively is not in-house, who are the experts in the market that we need to be partnering with to support this?
How do we monitor and report overall progress? As the old adage goes; ‘you can’t manage what you can’t measure’ so establishing regular monitoring and reporting mechanisms to track performance against both areas helps provide transparent and accurate disclosure of risks, actions taken, and outcomes achieved to build trust and credibility with stakeholders. Fostering a culture of continuous improvement by regularly reviewing and updating strategies, policies, and practices in response to changing circumstances and emerging risks will encourage innovation and learning to drive positive change and enhance overall resilience over time.
Needless to say for both sustainability and cyber security, setting clear objectives and targets aligned with the business's overall strategy and values is key. Defining key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress towards both sustainability goals and reducing cyber threats and holding the organisation accountable for achieving results.
By recognising these parallels, policymakers, practitioners, and researchers can work together to develop holistic approaches to addressing the complex challenges of sustainability and cyber security.
In our next blog, we’ll look at how cyber security is helping organisations with sustainability projects and transformation.
If you’d like to learn more about the World Wide Generation and CyberQ Group partnership, please get in touch with one of our experts via info@g17.eco or theteam@cyberqgroup.com