The Cyberworld Is Changing The Workplace, But You Can Keep It Eco-Friendly

Julie Starr • Jun 10, 2021



Alongside the advantages and opportunities that work from home creates, it invites quite a few challenges, the most central of which is information security. The traditional cybersecurity concept, underlying the insight that the organization, campus, or data center can be protected internally, is no longer relevant. Today, organizations connect to their databases from the living room.  It is great in theory but other issues can easily arise. With the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a significant increase in phishing and identity theft-based cyberattacks, an increase in the number of remote users, and the constraint to expand the organization’s boundaries towards the Cloud. After all, the privacy of any company is the most important aspect. The Cloud is a sustainable way of managing data because it is sustainable and there is no carbon footprint. However, in order to keep it secure, companies are seeking to keep it protected. You may want to look at secure file sharing for access control so that you know your data is safe at all times. 

Digital Software is also available which is also a sustainable element for businesses, that verifies and monitors who connects to the organization or enterprise applications (users, suppliers, customers), verifies and monitors what connects to the organization (devices and components), and verifies and monitors who and what services and apps consume. This way you are protecting your business from outside threats as well as maintaining an eco-friendly approach to security.

This understanding of the need to change the protection approach begins to penetrate the consciousness of organizations and businesses. The “new normal” for businesses is not necessarily a bad thing, in fact it means moving forward in an eco-conscious manner, making life easier for all. It is vital to enable infrastructure, which secure work is at its core. 

Alongside the technological aspects, it is impossible to ignore the huge cultural changes that occur with the transition to work from home. The human interaction in the corners of the cafeteria, the hallway conversations, and chats over coffee breaks have been eliminated; however, working from home does in fact cut down emissions from cars, it stops people from using too much power at work such as coffee machines, printers, etc.

Innovation is on the cards

Most of the time innovation comes from all levels of an organization. We must enable the existence of the office atmosphere, and maintain security and communication safely and virtually from home. We need to allow workers to have the same amount of communication to avoid them feeling isolated. This is how we progress further and still maintain an eco-friendly workplace. When workers do return to the office in a staggered fashion, you must ensure that you are utilizing the technologies available to keep costs and emissions down. After all, technology is propelling sustainability forward. In modern times, the increasing use of digital allows us to be closer to Generation Z , who were born into the digital world, and connect better to employers who today enable a hybrid world. It’s time to make positive changes.

Simple Steps To Make Your Office Space More Eco-Friendly

By Julie Starr • 07 Oct, 2024
Becoming more eco-friendly and running a greener business is a responsibility that business owners really need to think more about. The good news is that if you spend a lot of time in your office, there are plenty of ways to make it more eco-friendly without having to overhaul everything and start again (which isn’t just disruptive, but expensive too). So, if you’re ready to get started, here are some simple steps to make your office space more eco-friendly; read on to find out more. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting This idea is a simple one that you can do no matter what else might be on your list of tasks - it’s quick, easy, and really makes a difference; change your light bulbs to something more energy efficient. If you’re still using traditional fluorescent bulbs, it’s time to upgrade to LED which doesn’t just last longer, but also uses a lot less energy. They’re easy to install and they’ll help you cut down on your office’s energy usage almost instantly. If possible, you should make the most of natural light too, so think about rearranging your workspace to let in more sunlight, which saves energy and can boost your mood - it’s a win-win that you can do right away. Prioritize Air Quality The air you breathe matters, and keeping it clean can do wonders for your health and the planet. One way to improve air quality is by adding plants to your workspace because plants are natural air purifiers, and as a bonus, they’ll make your office feel more inviting. Another great idea is to make sure your office’s HVAC system is working efficiently, and having air duct cleaning done by professionals is an easy step you can take to improve air quality and ensure your heating and cooling systems aren’t wasting energy. Clean air ducts mean cleaner air, less strain on your system, and even lower energy bills, so it’s a simple but really effective thing to do. Switch To Reusable Products If your office is still stocking up on single-use plastic items, it’s time for a change - swap your disposable cups, utensils, and plates for reusable ones and you’ll be surprised at how much waste to eliminate. And what about encouraging people to bring their own mugs and water bottles to work? Give them tea, coffee, and water to refill everything with, and you’ll be doing your bit to help the planet and have less waste to deal with as well. And don’t stop with these things either - there are loads of reusable products that could be useful in your office. You could have refillable pens and ink cartridges for your printer, for example. Go Paperless Speaking of your printer, is that an office machine you actually need? If you were to go digital and aim for a paperless office , you might be able to do away with the printer, which means less money spent on ink and paper, and less energy used altogether. You should be able to set up a system where documents can be shared online and stored electronically, and there are plenty of tools around to help you do exactly that (and much more). If you don’t need to print something and you don’t need a physical copy of a document, don’t make one - just use the digital version instead and you’ll be a lot more eco-friendly.

3 Most Unsustainable Industries & What They're Doing To Be More Eco-Conscious

By Julie Starr • 04 Oct, 2024
Sustainability often gets pushed on the common person. Joe Public is told to be more sustainable with their daily habits as the government pushes for more eco-friendly measures. This is all well and good - but does it really matter when 71% of greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 companies around the world? Small business owners are desperate to prove their sustainability, but what are bigger companies in some of the most polluting industries doing to help? We’ve taken three of the least sustainable sectors on the planet and explored the unique ways they’re trying to cut down on emissions and be more eco-friendly. Mining Any industry revolving around drilling underground will not be very environmentally friendly! Mining causes a lot of pollution, but its unsustainability often comes from the way it damages local environments and ecosystems. So, what is this industry doing to change things? It’s largely focusing on more responsible mining practices to reduce waste and mitigate the impact on local environments. This is done through mining dust suppression systems to prevent airborne pollution, reforesting mining sites when they’re no longer in use, and recycling as many materials as possible. Is it perfect? No, but it’s a step in the right direction. Fossil Fuels Shock horror; the fossil fuels industry is the most damaging to our environment. Finding ways to change the scope of this sector is the key to ensuring a better future for all. Some companies in this industry are trying to do this through carbon capture and storage. This is a technique where CO2 emissions are captured before they’re released into the atmosphere and stored underground. Realistically, the main thing fossil fuel companies should be doing is pushing for more renewable energy sources. Many are doing this - though reports suggest they’re not investing as much as they should. If fossil fuel companies dumped more money into developing biofuels and other renewable sources, pollution from this industry would drop dramatically. Fashion The most unbelievable stat to take from this post is that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of our global carbon footprint . That’s remarkable (and worrying), considering how most of us don’t view it as a “dangerous” industry. Fast fashion is the main problem; poorly-made goods are pumped out at a rapid rate, and consumers constantly buy new things. Fashion companies are trying their best to resolve this. Most big brands will now have sustainable lines using recyclable materials. Consumers also hold the key to solving this problem: stop buying new clothes all the time and wear yours for longer. Or buy pre-owned clothes to slow down the fashion production line. Companies can still do more as well: they are trying to adopt more eco-friendly production processes that use less water and energy. The moral of this post is that everyone can do their bit to fight for a more sustainable future. Keep this in mind for your small business . It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there will always be ways to promote eco-friendly practices.
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