Environmental impact

Building sustainable practices is an increasing demand on businesses and individuals with many acknowledging that climate change is a developing risk.

Processes are more digitally connected than ever, however this can leave blind areas that are more prone to attack, which is why protection must be proportional to sustainable efforts.

What impacts are there?

Cyber criminals can target critical resource infrastructure (e.g. power plants, water processing, industrial control centres and smart grids) leading to equipment malfunctions. If not caught or prevented these attacks can lead to environmental hazards and damage.

Some examples of the type of damage caused include:
• Power surges, dips and blackouts
• Hazardous waste in ecosystems, harming wildlife
• Water pollution, affecting safe drinking water
• Disruptions in wildlife alert systems
• Increased energy usage and carbon footprint

With a focus on reducing carbon emissions, smart tech functionalities and automated systems for energy production, distribution and consumption are utilised however these devices (light bulbs, smart speakers, thermostats etc.) are often unsecured. This means that they are weak points of entry for hackers to exploit and steal resources which can negate energy efficiencies and result in overuse, increased energy consumption and increased carbon footprint.

IOT systems are also used to monitor environmental changes which can aid research and innovation projects. If this crucial data is intercepted and altered it can lead to misleading results causing delays and financial losses towards sustainable initiatives.