5 Reasons Why Sustainable Cybersecurity Is More Business-Critical Than Ever Before

Julie Starr • May 4, 2022



Every business worth its salt today knows that cybersecurity is an important issue. Companies are more connected than ever before, and they rely more intensely on their digital assets than they did even five years ago. 

However, with the explosion in the digital economy has come ever-greater security risks. Cybersecurity is becoming less sustainable. Hackers, both private and state-backed, threaten companies across the board and can cause tremendous disruption. Even small players, such as kids in dorm rooms, can cause millions of dollars worth of losses if they get a lucky break. State-sponsored attacks can bring down entire power grids and Fortune 500 enterprises. 

Cybersecurity, therefore, is becoming more business-critical. Criminals are becoming more brazen in their attacks, and the losses are potentially higher than they ever were before. 

In this post, we take a look at some of the reasons why implementing sustainable cybersecurity is more business-critical than ever before. In this post, you’ll learn why it matters and, hopefully, why you should take action right now to bolster your defenses. 

Cyberattacks Affect Everyone

If you think that hackers only go after big business, you’re sadly mistaken. While high-profile brands have come under attack in the past, they’re not the only target. In fact, criminals attempt to compromise security at small businesses far more often, mainly because they are softer targets. 

Don’t fall into the trap of believing that you have nothing to offer hackers. Even though you run a small business, there is still value in your data, and accessing your network. If hackers can get user names, passwords, credit card details, or mission-critical data, they can easily profit from their attacks. 

Small businesses face around 4,000 hacks every day. The most common demand is ransom payments for the release of data. Companies wind up forking out hundreds of thousands of dollars, perhaps even millions, to get their money back. 

Even if your company isn’t attacked, you can still suffer the fallout. A digital attack on a nuclear power plant, for instance, could lead to a level of devastation that forces you to shut down operations for a time. In this scenario, it’s not just the loss of money that’s the problem, but the loss of life as well. 

Rapid Changes In Technology Are Leading To More Hacking Opportunities

The pace of digital change accelerated dramatically after 2010. Cloud computing and smartphones combined to produce a digital landscape that both firms and consumers enjoy today. 

However, this pace of development was a nightmare for cyber security companies . By 2009, they were just about getting to grips with protecting conventional operating systems from cyberattacks. However, after mass cloud computing, that all changed. New integrated technologies meant new vulnerabilities for hackers to exploit, and that’s exactly what happened. 

For instance, cloud computing grew by around 50 percent per year after 2012. During the build-out phase, hackers exploited a vast array of vulnerabilities and brought many companies to their knees. New frontiers now include IoT, which is yet to have a fully-fleshed out security architecture, and AI. Hackers are even developing machine learning tools that make it easier for them to identify and exploit weaknesses in company defenses. 

The Damage To Business Is Enormous

Hackers are causing tremendous damage to businesses and organizations across the world. Furthermore, it’s not just the direct cost of the attack, either, that’s the problem. That’s often manageable. Instead, it’s the brand reputation and the massive fines that governments impose on firms that fail to protect their data. It’s one of the few examples where the victim of a crime gets punished. 

Big companies across the globe have fallen foul of hacks. Facebook, for instance, saw more than 540 million customer records exposed because of a data breach on AWS. Equifax also lost 147 million customer records to hackers, costing the firm an estimated $439 million. Even the NHS in the UK was brought to its knees by hackers by an attack that resulted in the loss of patient records and difficulties in cleaning up afterward. 

Failed Cybersecurity Policy Is Leading To Increasing Regulations

Governments aren’t happy about the fact that companies are falling foul of hackers and are actively looking to punish those that do. From the standpoint of the authorities, it is the responsibility of firms to protect themselves and their customers against malicious entities, not the other way around. 

While these laws are unfair, they are likely coming, if they are not already here. Already there are laws that allow both consumers and governments themselves to litigate against firms that fail to adequately protect data. In the future, the laws are likely to become more draconian and firms are going to have to step up their cybersecurity efforts, whether or not they have the resources to do so. 

Cybercrime Damages Personal Privacy

Even though governments reserve the right to scrutinize your personal finances and install cameras that watch you wherever you go, they have different standards for private enterprise. Companies must protect personal privacy at all costs, or face fines. 

In today’s cybersecurity environment, that’s a problem. There are so many different types of potential attacks, including worms, phishing, viruses and malware. In some cases, simply fraud is sufficient to compromise a network. Better passwords won’t cut it. 

As such, personal data loss is a major issue. Yahoo, for instance, lost three billion customer accounts to hackers in a 2013 breach, an event that nearly wiped out the company and left Google unchallenged. 

What’s more, around one in fifteen people globally fall foul of cybercrime every year, meaning that if you’ve escaped it so far, you’re one of the lucky ones. Identity fraud is a major issue. 

Unfortunately, rates of cybercrime are increasing. Around 70 percent of business leaders believe that their organizations are vulnerable to an attack . Only a small percentage said that they had systems in place to defend themselves from the full array of potential attacks out there. 

Therefore, companies like yours need to act now to make network protection sustainable. If you can’t afford to bring cybersecurity in-house, outsource your networks and make them someone else’s responsibility.

5 Everyday Items That Can Quietly Boost Your Brand

By Julie Starr • July 17, 2025
The best branding doesn’t always come from big campaigns or expensive graphics. Sometimes it’s the smaller stuff that leaves the biggest impression. Things people actually use, touch, or carry with them. That’s where your brand can quietly make its mark without needing to shout about it. If you’re only focusing on social media and business cards, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Here are five overlooked ways to get your name out there that feel natural, useful, and more personal. Thank-you slips If you’re already sending out orders, there’s no reason not to include a short thank-you slip. You can easily get these made through any decent online print shop , and they’re usually pretty cheap to run off in small batches. Just a simple note that says thanks, maybe with a reminder to follow you online or a cheeky discount code for next time. It’s quick, thoughtful, and makes the whole order feel more finished. Customers notice that kind of detail, especially when everything else they buy online comes with zero personality. You don’t need a complicated design either. Just something clean with your logo, a message that sounds like you, and maybe a social handle. The point is to give them a reason to come back or remember your name without it feeling forced. Branded zip pouches If you sell physical products, offer services, or run events, small zip pouches are surprisingly effective. Think of the kind you’d use for stationery, receipts, or travel bits. You can get your brand printed on the side and hand them out with purchases or include them in welcome packs. People keep them because they’re actually useful. They get tossed in handbags, school bags, or glove boxes and your logo just keeps turning up. Cleaning cloths for glasses or screens This one works brilliantly if you’re in tech, health, beauty, or anything involving screens or eyewear. A simple microfibre cloth with your branding on it can go a long way. Everyone needs one. Whether they use it for glasses, a phone screen, or their laptop, it’s something they hang onto. It’s not the kind of thing people throw away, and that means your name sticks around too. Receipt envelopes You might already use little envelopes to hand over receipts or business cards. Branding those envelopes is a small change that makes a big difference. Instead of someone getting a scruffy bit of paper in a plain sleeve, they’re handed something that feels a bit more finished. You can even add a message inside. Doesn’t need to be anything dramatic. A simple “thanks for visiting” or “see you next time” is enough to add a personal touch. Wet wipes or mini hand gels If your business is in hospitality, food, or anything hands-on, branded wet wipes or pocket-sized hand gels are surprisingly popular. People actually use them, especially at festivals, food stalls, pop-ups, or kids’ events. They end up in handbags or cars and stick around longer than you think. They don’t scream “marketing” either. They’re practical, and when done right, they make your business feel thoughtful. That’s what good branding does, it shows you’ve thought ahead.

How Student-Led ‘Energy Audits’ Are Cutting School Costs (and Lighting the Way Forward)

By Julie Starr • July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.