Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now a key strategic priority, with cybersecurity playing a key role in this respect. Recent initiatives such as Cyber4Tomorrow and the work of the Cyber Campus are promoting a conversation on environmentally friendly cybersecurity practices. These approaches highlight the importance of combining digital security and sustainable development, aligning technological choices with environmentally responsible goals to ensure a more virtuous approach to governance.
After all, digital investments on enhanced cybersecurity come with their own consequences for companies’ carbon footprints. The increase in IT infrastructure – such as datacenters and advanced protection solutions – leads to increased energy and resource consumption. To align these initiatives with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) goals, organisations must therefore focus on environmentally responsible solutions that pay attention to areas such as their carbon footprint. Furthermore, such investments provide a chance to incorporate sustainable practices, such as more effective energy use in equipment or the implementation of processes in support of the circular economy. By approaching cybersecurity from this perspective, companies are not only protecting their critical systems, but also contributing to more virtuous governance.
Aligning technological choices with CSR commitments in cybersecurity
Companies are now required to align their technology decisions with their CSR commitments. In cybersecurity terms, this means making decisions that protect not only sensitive data but also the entire business ecosystem, including customers, partners and employees. Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) must incorporate ethical and environmental indicators into their decision-making processes in order to minimise environmental impacts while boosting the confidence of stakeholders.
As a first step, the organisation must manage its own digital pollution – a key challenge in ensuring its environmental credibility. This involves recycling obsolete products, reconditioning equipment, reducing energy consumption and managing data. Initiatives should also be undertaken with employees to encourage them to adopt more responsible digital practices. Lastly, data hosting needs to be redesigned in order to promote more local management, and thus reduce the environmental footprint.
At the same time, as part of a comprehensive CSR strategy, the company must also incorporate the environmental footprint of its partners and suppliers’ activities as a key criterion. This requires the choice of eco-designed technological solutions which minimise CO2 production. A good performance/energy consumption ratio, the transportation of products by sea freight and the use of lower-polluting components are all ways in which the carbon footprint of these solutions can be reduced. In addition, it is important to collaborate with suppliers who can demonstrate a practical real-world environmental strategy, which may extend to waste recovery practices or sustainable management of their business activity.
Incorporating social and ethical issues into cybersecurity and partner selection
However, CSR goes beyond environmental issues. It encompasses key social aspects, including ethics. As with other services, companies must ensure that their selection of suppliers is in compliance with applicable laws, regulations and ethical principles. It is crucially important to associate with partners who share values of integrity and social responsibility, thereby ensuring compliant solutions and promoting a corporate culture that upholds social standards.
In this respect, the CISO has a key role to play in protecting sensitive assets and data. This involves not only implementing robust security systems and efficient infrastructure, but also raising employees’ awareness of good cybersecurity practices. This awareness goes beyond encouraging responsible behaviour; it actually improves their understanding of essential practices to be adopted. The goal is to effectively protect the company, its employees and its partners, while at the same time building trust within the global ecosystem.
Responsible solutions for secure, user-friendly systems
Lastly, a CSR strategy must include responsibility for user comfort. With the rise of teleworking and the use of multiple devices, it is becoming vitally important to offer simple, transparent and non-intrusive solutions while maintaining a high level of security. Tools must address employees’ requirements for agile working, be easy to use and not compromise data protection.
Every year, cybersecurity and sustainability expectations continue to rise, as evidenced by the US Department of Energy and the European Commission’s code of conduct. These requirements provide guidance for environmental approaches, and are incorporated from the specification definition phase onwards during product development. In addition to technical innovations aimed at reducing energy consumption, these standards play a crucial role in improving the efficiency of the external power supplies used, particularly on network security devices.
Next-generation firewall solutions offer effective protection while complying with European directives, such as RoHS, which regulates the use of hazardous substances in electronic equipment. Opting where possible to work with partners which offer sustainable and scalable solutions – which enables continuous adaptation without the need to frequently renew equipment – supports a cybersecurity strategy that is aligned with ethical and environmental requirements.
In short, CISOs have a key role to play in reconciling cybersecurity and societal responsibility. They ensure the security of information systems while choosing solutions that are aligned with the company’s ethical and environmental values, thus enhancing data protection and the credibility of the organisation. This trend is reflected in calls for tenders, where CSR becomes paramount. CISOs require guarantees on the sustainability and compliance of solutions, encouraging suppliers to combine performance and societal responsibility while maintaining strict ethical and environmental standards.
