The ISO Show

Working towards a sustainable future is going to require a joint effort from everyone if we’re to reach our 2030 and 2050 targets.  Several initiatives have come out in recent years to try and address one of our biggest challenges, energy consumption. Many of us in the UK will be familiar with ESOS (The Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme), which involves regular reporting from those that fit its criteria. It’s also recently updated to include a stipulation to include an ESOS Energy Plan, which requires you to detail a route to reduce your energy consumption. However, many businesses would prefer a more consistent approach to energy management, such as today’s guest – Daisy Corporate Services. Today Mel is joined by Damian Edwards, ISO Standards Manager at Daisy Corporate Services, to discuss why they Implemented ISO 50001, what they’ve learned from the experience and the benefits gained from implementing an Energy Management System You’ll learn ·      Who is Damian and who are Daisy Corporate Services? ·      Why did they decide to Implement ISO 50001? ·      What was the biggest gap identified during their Gap Analysis? ·      What lessons did they learn from Implementing ISO 50001? ·      What benefits did they gain from ISO 50001 certification?   Resources ·      Isologyhub ·     Daisy Corporate Services ·     Daisy Corporate Services ESG   In this episode, we talk about: [00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo. [02:30] Episode summary: Mel is joined by guest Damian Edwards, ISO Standards Manager at Daisy Corporate Services, to discuss their journey towards ISO 50001 certification. Daisy are not strangers to ISO Standards, already having achieved: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, ISO 45001, ISO 20000 and ISO 22301! They have also recently won the Sustainability and Tech Awards 2024 and the Green Shoots Awards too. [04:15] Who is Damian Edwards? – Damian has worked at Daisy as their ISO Standards Manager for the past year. A little known fact about Damian: He listens to classical music as a way to focus. [05:25] Who are Daisy Corporate Services? – The are primarily a provider of IT and Communications. They currently supply a range of services including: ·      Unified Communications ·      Connectivity ·      Modern Workplace ·      Cyber Security ·      Cloud services ·      Managed Services ·      Operational Resilience [06:25] What were the main drivers behind obtaining ISO 50001 Certification? – In addition to the office spaces Daisy controls, they also have a number of data centres, which use massive amounts of energy. Finding ways to monitor, measure and potentially reduce that energy use, and subsequently cost, was essential.  The second main driver is mainly for commercial reasons. Without Standards like ISO 50001, you can’t bid for larger contracts or Government frameworks. [08:30] Daisy’s commitment to ESG  – Daisy have a made a solid commitment to ESG, explained further on their website as they break it down into 10 key focus areas. Energy Management is one of the logical steps to tackle reducing carbon emissions. Data centres can be very inefficient, so being able to consistently monitor, measure and improve their energy consumption is a key part of tackling some of their ESG related goals. Also being certified means you have the certificate to back up your claims. It’s not you just making a statement, it has to be verified by a third-party. [10:30] How long did it take to Implement ISO 50001? – It took between 8 – 11 months. For a Standard like ISO 50001, it’s important to do it properly. Some organisations may request it in 6 months, but for larger organisations, that would be a tough ask, and you run the risk of rushing into certification without having those processes embedded in. [11:45] Did having existing ISO Standards make the process smoother? – Yes, as it was a case of integrating ISO 50001 with our existing systems rather than starting from scratch. Though, having so many ISO’s can water the message down a bit, to combat that we’ve got a single statement that gets across everything you need to know about Daisy. [12:55] What was the biggest gap identified during the Gap Analysis? – Because we already have so many ISO’s, we can be a bit big headed and say there weren’t many gaps at all, however, there were still some things we could do. One of the biggest areas for improvement was Clause 7, Documentation, as all ISO Standards have their own required documentation. Another was putting in place a plan for monitoring and measuring our energy usage. We have a Property Director who did do that, but he wasn’t really documenting it, so we’ve put in place some proper processes to help show that we’re actively monitoring it, looking at the trends and putting in actions to reduce and improve on that.   [14:55] Join the isologyhub and get access to limitless ISO resources  – From as little as £99 a month, you can have unlimited access to hundreds of online training courses and achieve certification for completion of courses along the way, which will take you from learner to practitioner to leader in no time. Simply head on over to the isologyhub to sign-up or book a demo. [17:10] Did closing those gaps make a big difference? – We did have a lot of help from Blackmores in order to address those gaps. Out consultant advised us to combine elements of out Management Review with out monthly Team Meetings, as our Director is involved with those, and we avoid another meeting for meeting’s sake. We now also produce a pack of all the monitoring and measuring that’s done throughout the month, which makes it easy for us to analyse and identify trends in energy use. Any actions from reviewing this are then recorded and followed up on. So, in essence it’s just made everything a lot smoother. [19:55] What did Daisy learn from Implementing ISO 50001? – It takes a team to achieve this – you can’t do it on your own. You also can’t rush it! Another key take away is that the whole project needs to be driven by top management, without all of those elements combined, it’s probably not going to work (or be a lot slower and more painful!) It’s also really helped with our commitment and messaging around ESG too. So within those monthly Management Review meetings we have a representative from the energy efficiency team, the ESG team and our bids team. They’re then all communicating what the customer message is, that they expect of us, in turn they’re kept in the loop about our energy usage and related actions and can communicate that outwards. [21:15] What other benefits are there from achieving ISO 50001? – Having our management system verified by a third-party means that we can confidently say we’re adhering to best practice. It also just validates that we are doing things correctly! It also means that we can monitor opportunities for improvement. If we identify more gaps in future, we have the processes in place to address them. ISO 50001 has also helped to put some context behind the energy data we’re collecting. Thanks to the new processes we can accurately identify key trends and explain why energy usage may be going up and down. [23:25] Damian’s top tip – Ensure that your project is driven by top management. They’re involvement means it’s a lot easier to communicate that message that you’re doing the right thing. Also, ISO 50001 helps with your regulatory compliance too. If you’re a larger organisation, then you likely have to adhere to schemes like SECR or ESOS. If you’re certified to ISO 50001, then you’re already complying with both. [24:35] Damian’s book recommendation – Beryl in search of Britain's greatest athlete. [26:45] Damian’s favorite quotes – “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard” and “You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.” If you’d like to learn more about Daisy Corporate Services, visit their website. If you’d like to book a demo for the isologyhub, simply contact us and we’d be happy to give you a tour. We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how: ●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin ●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

In February 2024, the ISO and IAF issued an unprecedented change to 31 commonly adopted ISO Standards, such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 27001.  This change saw the addition of a new ‘Climate Change Amendment’, which was applied in part due to the ISO’s resolution in support of the ISO London Declaration on Climate Change. So what does this mean for ISO certified businesses?  Join Mel as she discusses what this new ISO Climate Change Amendment is, why it was introduced, what are the consequences if you don’t address it and the benefits of its introduction. You’ll learn ·      What is the ISO Climate Change Amendment? ·      Why was it introduced? ·      What are the consequences if you do not address the change? ·      What are the benefits of the Climate Change Amendment?   Resources ·      Isologyhub ·      ISO Climate Change Amendment Workshop   In this episode, we talk about: [00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo. [02:30] Episode summary: We break down the new ISO Climate Change Amendment, including why it was introduced and why you should address it ahead of your next Certification Body visit. [02:55] Join our Workshop– If you’re not sure where to start with addressing this amendment, join our interactive workshop taking place on the 20th May (14:00 – 16:00 GMT). There we will explain how you can integrate the new changes into your existing ISO Management System. Register your place here.   [04:30] What is the new ISO Climate Change Amendment? – A key clarification before we go into more detail, this is not a new version of a Standard i.e. ISO 27001:2022, where you must transition to a new version. So, what is it? In February 2024, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) introduced a groundbreaking amendment to integrate climate change considerations into various management system standards. The amendment doesn't assign specific actions. Instead, it adds text to existing clauses in 31 standards (including ISO 9001, 14001, 27001) requiring organizations to consider: ·      Relevance of climate change: Organizations must assess if climate change is a relevant issue for their operations and context (Clause 4.1). ·      Stakeholder expectations: Note added: Relevant Interested Parties can have requirements related to climate change (Clause 4.2). As we’ve learned from our sister company, Carbonology, it is often Stakeholders driving forward that need to verify a business’s carbon footprint and take steps towards Net Zero. [09:30] Why was this change Introduced? – This change was in part due to ISO’s resolution in support of the ISO London Declaration on Climate Change. The aim is making climate change considerations an integral part of management systems, their guiding policies and practises – not simply as an afterthought. As we all know, climate change will affect everyone, and should be a concern that every business fully considers to ensure they are resilient and adaptable enough to deal with climate related risks. This amendment means businesss will need to address these risks where relevant, and integrate them into strategic objectives and look what can be done from a risk mitigation perspective. The global business community will be one of the driving forces for paving a way to a more sustainable future – It all starts with changing the way we work, making the shift towards embedding environmental consciousness into the very heart of your business. ISO Standards are widely adopted, and this change offers a catalyst for meaningful climate action on a global scale. [11:00] Join the isologyhub and get access to limitless ISO resources  – From as little as £99 a month, you can have unlimited access to hundreds of online training courses and achieve certification for completion of courses along the way, which will take you from learner to practitioner to leader in no time. Simply head on over to the isologyhub to sign-up or book a demo. [13:20] What are the consequences for not addressing this change? - Certification bodies will be asking you about these amendments effective immediately. If you’ve not addressed them ahead of your next certification body visit, you could run the risk of getting a non-conformity. The amendment added to Clause 4.1 especially states ‘Must’ – so there’s no getting away with simply ignoring it. [14:50] What are the benefits of this change? – Some of the benefits will likely already be felt by those with existing environmental standards such as ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 in place. So, let’s take a look at how you can benefit from addressing this amendment:  ·      Reduced Environmental Footprint: By integrating climate change considerations, businesses can identify and implement practices that lower their carbon emissions and resource consumption. ·      Enhanced Sustainability: Addressing climate change demonstrates a commitment to sustainability, which is increasingly important for attracting environmentally conscious customers and investors. ·      Cost Savings: Climate-conscious practices can lead to cost savings through improved resource efficiency, reduced waste, and potentially lower energy bills. ·      Resilience and Risk Management: By considering climate-related risks (e.g., extreme weather events, resource scarcity), businesses can proactively develop strategies to mitigate these risks and ensure operational continuity. ·      Innovation: Focusing on climate change can lead to innovation in areas like cleaner technologies or sustainable product development, giving businesses a competitive edge. ·      Positive Brand Image: Demonstrating proactive action on climate change can enhance a company's brand image and reputation among environmentally conscious stakeholders. This is a particularly important issue to younger generations who are becoming the dominant buying power from a commercial perspective. ·      Stronger Stakeholder Relationships: By considering stakeholder expectations around climate change, businesses can build stronger relationships with customers, investors, and regulators. ·      Holistic Approach to sustainability: Integrating climate change considerations strengthens a businesses’ overall management system by fostering a more comprehensive and future-proof approach. ·      Continual Improvement: The amendment emphasizes continual improvement, encouraging businesses to constantly seek ways to reduce their environmental impact, leading to long-term sustainability benefits. If you’d like to learn about what actions you can take to integrate the ISO Climate Change Amendment into your ISO Management System, join our live event on the 20th May – register here. If you’d like to book a demo for the isologyhub, simply contact us and we’d be happy to give you a tour. We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how: ●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin ●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

ISO 42001 was published in December of 2023, and is the first International Standard for Artificial Intelligence Management Systems. It was introduced following growing calls for a common framework for organisations who develop or use AI, to help implement, maintain and improve AI management practices. However, its benefits extends past simply establishing an effective AI Management System. Join Steph Churchman, Communications Manager at Blackmores, on this episode as she discusses the top 10 reasons to adopt ISO 42001. You’ll learn ·      What is ISO 42001? ·      What are the top 10 reasons to use ISO 42001? ·      What risks can ISO 42001 help to mitigate? ·      How can ISO 42001 benefit both users and developers of AI?    Resources ·      Isologyhub ·      ISO 42001 training waitlist   In this episode, we talk about: [00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo. [02:30] What is ISO 42001?: Go back and listen to episode 166, where we discuss what ISO 42001 is, why it was introduced and how it can help businesses mitigate AI risks.   [02:45] Episode summary: We take a look at the top 10 reasons why you should consider implementing ISO 42001. [02:55] #1: ISO 42001 helps to demonstrate responsible use of AI.  – , ISO 42001 helps ensure fairness, non-discrimination, and respect for human rights in AI development and use. Remember, AI can still be bias based on the fact that AI models are typically trained on existing data, so any existing bias will carry over into those AI models – an example of this is the existing lack of representation for minority groups. We also need to take care in the use of AI over people, as staff being replaced by AI is a very real concern and should not be treated lightly. We’ve already seen a few cases where this has happened, especially across the tech support field where some companies mistakenly think that a chatbot can replace all human staff. We also need to consider the ethics of AI content. It’s predicted that 90% of online content will be AI generated by 2026! A lot of this generated content includes things like images, which poses a real concern over the values we’re translating to people. The content we consume shapes the way we think and if all we have is artificial, then what message is that conveying? An example of this is Dove’s recent advert, which showed an example of AI generating images of very unobtainable ideals of a beautiful face. Which were predictably absolutely flawless, almost inhuman and something that can only be achieved through photo editing. If the internet was flooded with this sort of imagery, then that starts to become the expectation to live up to, which can be tremendously damaging to people’s self-esteem. They then went on to show actual unedited people, in all their varied and wonderful glory and stated that they will never use AI imagery in any of their future marketing or promotional material. Which sends a very strong message – AI definitely has its place, but we need to fully consider the implications and consequences of it’s use and possible oversaturation. [05:20] #2: Traceability, transparency and reliability - Information sourced via AI is not always correct – It collates information published online, and as many of us are aware, not everything on the internet is correct or accurate. Data sets carelessly scrapped from online sources may also contain sensitive or unsavoury content. We’ve had cases where people have managed to ‘break’ Chat GPT, causing it to spew out nonsense answers which also contained sensitive information such as health data and personal phone numbers. While not usually accessible when requested, it does not stop the risk of this data being dug up through exploits. AI is like any other technology, and is not infallible. So, it’s up to developers to ensure that the data used to train models is safe and appropriate for use. It should be expected that data sets will be scrutinised from a legal standpoint – either as a result misuse of AI or a mandatory exercise as a part of future legislation.  There’s also research that suggests data sets can be potentially poisoned to produce inaccurate results – which is another consideration for developers using live data sets, who will need to stay on top of these risks to ensure the integrity of their tools. ISO 42001 provides specific guidance that covers how developers can ensure transparency and explainability within sample training data. [06:45] #3: It’s a framework for managing risks and opportunities – AI, like any other new technology, is going to create new risks and opportunities. Risks include the likes of inaccurate data being used, existing bias in data training sets, plagiarism, information security risks and data poisoning. If you’re simply using AI to gather information, it’s also a good exercise to ensure that the information is coming from a reputable source. One easy way to so this is to simply ask for the source to be cited when pluging in a prompt into tools like Chat GPT and Gemini. You can then verify how legitimate that source is. For web developers and SEO specialists, Google has recently updated it’s algorithm to punish those with a lot of AI generated content on their websites. So those within the SEO space may see some interesting trends over the course of 2024.  Another unfortunate risk is that of more complex scams being implemented through the use of AI. An example of this involves those who may use an AI assistant in their systems, which can be affected by malicious emails that contain prompt injections which could be used to send data from a victims machine to outside sources. This is only touching on a few risks, but as you can see, there’s a lot to consider and I’ve no doubt that more complex risks will make themselves known as the technology evolves. However, there are a lot of opportunities to be found with AI use. There’s a huge potential for AI to be utilised to tackle mundane and routine tasks which could be automated. AI also has the capability to scan masses of data and provide suggestions based on it’s findings. Obviously, humans can’t possibly compete with the sheer volume of data that AI can process, and so we can utilise it to help us make better more informed decisions. A lot of commonly used software has already integrated various AI tools which offer great quality of life updates and help make a lot of tasks quicker. Which in turn means our time is better spent elsewhere on tackling the more complex issues that require a more human touch. ISO 42001 can help you balance out these risks and opportunities by helping you build a robust management system to manage and mitigate risks, and drive forward opportunities through continual improvement. [10:35] Join the isologyhub and get access to limitless ISO resources  – From as little as £99 a month, you can have unlimited access to hundreds of online training courses and achieve certification for completion of courses along the way, which will take you from learner to practitioner to leader in no time. Simply head on over to the isologyhub to sign-up or book a demo. [12:50] #4: Demonstrate that introducing AI is a strategic decision with clear objectives - Businesses looking to integrate AI should not make this decision lightly. I know it’s tempting to play with the newest toy, but we should take care to look at any possible risks, and that it aligns with both your company objectives and ethics before rushing to utilise something. For example, allowing your staff to use ChatGPT for content creation. You need to consider a few things: You need to make sure Staff aren’t putting in any confidential or sensitive information into publicly available AI tools. Also, ensuring that Staff understand that content provided by the likes of ChatGPT and Gemini could be plagiarised if used as is. You need to build, adapt and change the content so it’s something unique. It’s all well and good introducing AI technology if it truly is going to be beneficial to your employees and to the business as a whole, however if you’re just introducing it because everyone else seems to be, then you really have to question if it’s worth it. If it’s not actively making your work lives easier and helping you to achieve your objectives, then is it really worth the potential cost and effort to implement? It may also be worth looking into how the AI tool you’re using was created. There is sadly still a lot of exploitation involved in the development of new technology, so it’s up to you to ensure that the tools you’re using were created in an ethical way. Ultimately, ensure that you are using AI safely, ethically and that it aligns with your businesses established objectives. This will need to be communicated clearly to everyone in the business. ISO 42001 is, at its heart, a Management system standard. Like many other ISO Standards, it includes guidance on setting objectives and communicating these to your wider business. [15:24] #5: ISO 42001 helps to implement safeguards – Certain features of AI may require safeguards to help protect businesses against the extra risks they pose, such as the increased potential of more sophisticated cyber attacks or compromised training data. This can be applied within a particular process or an entire system. Examples of features that may require these safeguards include: ·      Automatic decision making ·      Data analysis, insight and machine learning ·      Continuous learning Something you need to consider: Cyber scams are going to become a lot more complex with the help of AI, so you need to ensure you’re staff are both aware of this and how they can avoid falling prey to them. Safeguards may simply involve more training on these new risks, or updating to a more robust security software that is able to detect possible AI cyber scams. Developers are also going to need to keep on top of any data being fed into their tools. Public live data tools especially will be more susceptible to being poisoned and tampered with, so it’s up to them to monitor and ensure the integrity of their data. ISO 42001 provides guidance in it’s annexes for users and developers to implement these necessary safeguards. [16:30] #6: ISO 42001 Supports compliance with legal and regulatory Standards – More AI focused legislation is an inevitability, with the new EU AI Act being a perfect example. It’s important to ensure that you are prepared to comply with legislation as it’s released, or you may be held liable and be subject to fines. Currently, the UK has no plans to introduce a new regulator for AI, instead relying on existing technology based regulators like the Information Commissioners Office (ICO), Ofcom and FCA. ISO 42001 includes specific considerations for any potential applicable legislation. [17:06] #7: ISO 42001 Can enhance your reputation  – ISO Standards are internationally recognised and ensure you are complying with best practice. Gaining certification to ISO 42001 will show you are confident in your AI related claims, and are happy to have this verified by a third party. [17:30] #8: ISO 42001 Encourages innovation within your business – For as much as we’ve stressed the potential risks AI could expose your business to, ultimately AI is here to help make our lives easier. We just need to ensure we’re responsible when applying it. ISO 42001 ensures you can safety integrate AI tools and systems within your business. It’s there to help guide the adoption of this new technology, and drive continual improvement as your management system matures.  [17:55] #9: ISO 42001 Can be easily integrated with existing systems – ISO 42001, like many ISO Standards, is based on the Annex SL format and can be easily integrated with existing ISO Management Systems such as an ISO 9001 (Quality management) or ISO 27001 (Information Security management) system. Risks addressed in ISO 42001 include security, privacy and quality among others, and can help to enhance the effectiveness of your Management system in those areas. [18:25] #10: ISO 42001 Does not require an existing Management System to implement – While ISO 42001 would make a great addition to any ISO Management System, it’s important to note that this can be implemented independently. It is also not intended to replace or supersede any existing quality, safety or privacy Standards / existing management systems. We’ll be releasing a suite of ISO 42001 related training content on the isologyhub, if you’d like to get notified as soon as this becomes available, please register your interest on our waitlist. If you’d like to book a demo for the isologyhub, simply contact us and we’d be happy to give you a tour. We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how: ●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin ●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

Nearly 60% of businesses that are impacted by a cyber incident go out of business within the 6 months following. With our heavy reliance on technology to keep both businesses and services running, it’s imperative that everyone take cyber risk seriously. However, incidents will inevitably happen and it’s up to you to ensure that your business is prepared to ride out the wave, and hopefully make a full recovery! We invited Jack Morris, Account Director at Epiq, back onto the show to discuss the consequences of not being prepared for a cyber incident and the key steps businesses should take in the event of an incident. You’ll learn ·      Who are Epiq? ·      What does the current cyber incident landscape look like?  ·      What are the consequences if a business does not respond to a cyber incident effectively? ·      How can a business detect if they’re being attacked? ·      How should businesses respond in the event of a cyber incident? ·      What role does a legal team play in incident response?   Resources ·      Epiq ·      Isologyhub   In this episode, we talk about: [00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo. [02:05] Episode summary: Today Mel is joined by guest Jack Morris, Account Director at Epiq, to discuss how businesses should respond to a cyber incident. [03:00] Who are Epiq?  – Epic is a global leader in technology enabled legal services. In fact, it supports 90% of the top law firms globally! With over 8000 employees spread over 19 countries, it helps to support corporations, law firms and government agencies across the globe. [04:35] What constitutes a cyber incident and why is it so important to respond effectively? – A cyber incident refers to unathorised access or attempted access to an organisation’s IT systems. Types of incident include breaches, malicious attacks (e.g. Ransomware), and accidental events (e.g. Fire Damage). Responding effectively is crucial to minimize damage and protect sensitive data. [05:40] What does the cyber incident landscape currently look like, and what challenges will organisations face in responding to an incident? : The cyber incident landscape is ever evolving, but here are some key trends we saw in 2023: Attacks on the rise – the number of organisations posted on ransomware and data theft sites increased by over 70% year-on-year. Business Email Compromise (BEC) incidents surged by 67% in 2023 – these events are where people within an organisation fall victim to phishing or similar – clicking on malicious links which ultimately compromise your mailbox. For me, there are 3 main challenges that organisations face when responding to a cyber incident: ·      Day-to-day management – balancing the technical aspects of the incident with broader business continuity, communications, financial and legal considerations. This can be hugely difficult for an organisation, during and already high stakes situation. ·      Expertise and support – navigating the complex legal, technical and operational aspects of an incident ·      Data-focused impact – understanding and assessing the risk to data after resolving an incident. [10:00] What are the solutions to these challenges?  – Understanding the various external expertise and support available to a business, whether that be engaging with a law firm, a cyber incident response expert and cyber insurer will give you access to support with both the day-to-day management of an incident, as well as the legal, operational and commercial impact of said incident.  [12:10] What are the consequences for an organsiation that does not respond effectively to a cyber incident? – : Failing to respond effectively to a cyber incident often leads to a variety of sever complications for a business, such as; ·      Operational Issues: operational disruptions will occur due to prolonged exposure of sensitive information, and if Ransomware has infected systems, the organization will not have access to potentially crucial business information. Financial losses and higher costs to incident response can come as a result of poor planning. ·      Additional Data Breaches: if an organization doesn’t respond effectively to a cyber incident, taking steps to gain control over their systems, additional data breaches can occur from threat actors gaining further access to the organisation’s systems. ·      Financial losses: cyber incidents affect a business’ bottom line. Costs including incident investigations, recovery, legal fees and potential fines. Further, knock on effects such as lost business opportunities and damaged investor confidence come from poorly managed cyber incidents. ·      Damage to Reputation and Trust: Public perception matters for a business. A poorly handled cyber incident damages an organization’s reputation. Customers, partners and stakeholders lost trust, affecting long-term relationships and market position. ·      Legal Consequences: Regulatory fines and potential follow on litigation arise from non-compliance with data protection laws. Organisations failing to report breaches promptly face penalties. Legal battles can be costly and time consuming. [16:25] How can organisations detect if they are being attacked? – signs will vary depending on the type of cyber incident, but organisations and end users could expect to experience; slow systems, locked accounts (no access to mailboxes etc), inability to access documents or shared drives, ransom demands and unusual emails from organisation domains are all tell-tale signs of a cyber incident. If an organisation has invested in Managed Detection and Response software for their end-points, this will proactively scan your environment and provide alerts to potential and actual cyber incidents. [17:40] What are the key steps an organization must take in responding to a cyber incident? – It’s a great question, and these key steps will be implemented during a cyber incident response plan – an impacted organization should: ·      Triage: Assess the severity and impact of an incident (organisations can instruct a first response organization to shut the doors, and assess the damage) ·      Identify: Understand what is happening to a business post incident? Things like locked accounts, no access to business systems etc. ·      Resolve: take technical actions to mitigate the incident – shutting off access to accounts – closing the door ·      Report: Notify relevant stakeholders, including legal obligations. ·      Learn: analyse the incident to then take retrospective action to prevent further incidents. [21:23] Join the isologyhub – Don’t miss out on a suite of over 200+ ISO tools, templates and training, sign-up to become a member of the isologyhub  [23:48] How does Cyber Insurance play a pivotal role in Cyber Incident Response? – like with most walks of life, insurance plays a crucial role in supporting organisations in effectively responding to disasters. ·      Response Funding: Insurers cover costs related to incident response, including professional services. ·      Response Time: Insurers bring in experts promptly, improving incident resolution. ·      Affordability: For small to medium businesses, insurance may be the only way to afford a response team. [26:10] What role do vendors like Epiq do to support the incident response lifecycle? – Just like Law firms providing legal advice and support in responding to a cyber incident, cyber incident response providers support with the operational response to a cyber incident. Initially, vendors like Epiq support with the incident identification and forensic investigations. Essentially finding the open door and closing it. Further investigation on how the threat actor (baddie) got into the open door is conducted to prevent other doors from opening too. Following this, the operational partner will support in understanding the extent of the incident, whether that be identifying impacted entities, notifying them of the incident and providing remediation, as well as supporting with any follow on litigation or mass claim. [27:25] What are the legal obligations that exist after a cyber incident, especially in related to personal data breaches? – the legal obligations are clear – an organisation must report personal data breaches within 72 hours of awareness, unless the risk to individuals’ rights is unlikely. This quick turnaround is why it’s imperative that organisations have an established cyber incident response plan, and know who they should be talking to regarding the legal and operational implications. [28:45] What support is there out there for organisations that are victim to a cyber incident? – On the previous episode, we discussed what organisations can do to be proactive in mitigating the risks associated to a cyber incident, we discussed the important of Cyber Incident Response plans, as they outline what external support an organisation should seek in the event. Having playbooks and relationships with law firms, cyber providers like Epiq, and cyber insurance coverage are 3 key focuses for every business. [30:35] What role does a legal team play in incident response? –  Legal support and advice is critical during an incident. As mentioned, they will help support with report the incident to the regulatory bodies required. ·      Breach Notification – legal support ensures compliance with data breach disclosure laws and regulatory requirements. ·      Breach Counsel – law firms act as a breach counsel for organisations, enabling them to support and advise on the legal implications of a cyber incident. Most law firm cyber practice groups will have relationships with external vendors, like Epiq, to support with the operational response. They can co-ordinate with these external vendors to ensure compliance. ·      Privacy Law Compliance – they guide handling of personal data and privacy implications to ensure no further issues. [32:30] What role do vendors like Epiq do to support the incident response lifecycle? – Just like Law firms providing legal advice and support in responding to a cyber incident, cyber incident response providers support with the operational response to a cyber incident. Initially, vendors like Epiq support with the incident identification and forensic investigations. Essentially finding the open door and closing it. Further investigation on how the threat actor (baddie) got into the open door is conducted to prevent other doors from opening too. Following this, the operational partner will support in understanding the extent of the incident, whether that be identifying impacted entities, notifying them of the incident and providing remediation, as well as supporting with any follow on litigation or mass claim. [36:00] What should an organisation do in future to prevent further incidents? – Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote is so true here – ‘by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail’. The key point here is to learn from your mistakes. There may have been numerous reasons that the organisation wasn’t ready for a cyber incident, but they should learn from what led to the incident previously, and proactively address this to prevent further incidents. 67% of organisations that get hit by a cyber incident are subject to further attacks within 1 year. It’s important to reduce your attack surface, and ensure you have cyber security themes running throughout the business. [37:45] What are Jack’s top 3 tips to take away from this session to help them respond effectively to an incident? – ·      Establish an Incident Response Plan – we spoke through IR plans during the first episode, but creating a plan that outlines roles, responsibilities and communication channels during an incident is key. Once implemented, regularly testing the plan and simulating these incidents is key to ensuring effective response. ·      Engage external experts early – during this session we identified 3 critical external support pillars to an incident – having legal advice, operational and response support and insurance is key. ·      Prioritise business continuity – enabling the external experts to support you through the incident will free your bandwidth to ensure that you minimise damage and downtime to your business.  If you’d like to learn more about Epiq and how they can help you, visit their website. If you’d like to book a demo for the isologyhub, simply contact us and we’d be happy to give you a tour. We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how: ●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin ●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

Cyber incidents are on the rise as data shows there was a 20% increase in data breaches from 2022 to 2023.  Technology has become an integral part of most businesses, especially post pandemic where many who may have avoided this reliance on tech had no choice but to adapt to survive. As a result, the question of businesses being affected by a cyber incident has become ‘when’ rather than ‘if’.  However, there are a number of steps you can take to mitigate risks ahead of any potential incidents.   We invited Jack Morris, Account Director at Epiq, to discuss cyber incidents, the importance of being proactive in reducing cyber incident risk and the steps you can take to mitigate these risks.  You’ll learn ·      Who are Epiq? ·      What is a cyber incident? ·      The importance of being proactive in reducing the risk of an incident ·      What can organisations do to be proactive in mitigating cyber incident risk? ·      What are forensic tabletop exercises, and how do they enhance preparedness? ·      Why might an organisation need to get an incident response retainer? ·      What role do Information Governance consultants play in reducing cyber risk?   Resources ·      Epiq ·      Isologyhub   In this episode, we talk about: [00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo. [02:05] Episode summary: Today Mel is joined by guest Jack Morris, Accoutn Director at Epiq, to discuss how to mitigate cyber incident risk. [02:40] Who are Epiq?  – Epic is a global leader in technology enabled legal services. In fact, it supports 90% of the top law firms globally! With over 8000 employees spread over 19 countries, it helps to support corporations, law firms and government agencies across the globe. [04:31] Who is Jack Morris? – Jack joined the industry relatively fresh out of university, starting at an organisation called Kroll where he was focused on data management – including overcoming ransomware infected devices and essentially allowing organisations to get access to data that was previously taken away from them. Kroll was later acquired by Duff and Phelps and went through a turbulent time of many name changes before settling on Kale Discovery. He ended up leaving a year ago and joined Epiq as an Account Director. Jack’s role at Epiq includes being a facilitator, introducing law firms, corporations and cyber insurers to best in class people and technology. [06:40] What is a cyber incident?: A Cyber Incident is any unauthorised or unexpected event that compromises the confidentiality, integrity or availability of an organisation’s information systems, data or network. Incidents can range from data breaches and malware infections to single mailbox compromises and insider threats. Organisations looking to combat information security risks should consider ISO 27001, as it’s key principles include the confidentiality, integrity or availability of your businesses information. [08:29] Why is it important for organisations to be proactive in reducing their risk of an incident, no matter the size of your business?  – Let’s look at some startling statistics: In 2022, 39% of businesses in the UK identified a cyber attack in the previous 12 months. Of this 39%, 31% of those businesses experienced attacks at least once a week. 48% of Small to Medium Businesses, globally, experienced a cyber incident in the last 12 months, with 61% of all cyber-attacks specifically targeting small business. This is the most shocking of the statistics, and why it’s so important for us to be having these kinds of conversations around how business, no matter the size, need to be proactive in mitigating the impact of a cyber incident. 70% of small to medium businesses in the UK believe that they are unprepared to deal with a cyber attack (which excludes those who think they have proper processes in place but ultimately don’t). Nearly 60% of businesses that are impacted by a cyber incident go out of business within 6 months following!  [12:10] Are there any particular industries that are most at risk from a cyber incident? – Cyber Incidents are not siloed to particular industries, but there are some trends that we see in the market. Looking at Q1 2024: January saw a rise in cyber incidents predominantly affecting retail, education and local government. In February we saw a significant number of breaches, impacting organisations across the full spectrum of markets. All of this to say that regardless of the size of your business and the industry you operate in, the number of cyber incidents are increasing as well as the severity of said incident. [13:35] ISO Standard trends – At Blackmores, we’ve seen an increase in demand for ISO 27001 and related data privacy standards across the board for all sectors. A stark difference to 10 years ago where it would mostly only be adopted by those in the managed services or tech based industries.    [15:30] What can organisations do to be proactive in mitigating cyber incident risk? – Things such as implementing a proactive incident response plan, engaging with law firms and consultancy organisations to become aware of the organisation’s requirements and compliance issues arising from a cyber incident. If you were hit with an incident today, you must report any personal data breaches to the relevant regulators within 72 hours of becoming aware of an incident or there can be fines that are implicated. To deal with these types of situations, it’s imperative that your organisation has established, sound relationships with law firms and consultants. [17:25] What is the importance of an incident response plan? – Implementing an incident response plan is crucial because it allows organisations to prepare for potential cyber incidents before they occur. By identifying risks, implementing preventive measures, and conducting exercises, organisations can significantly reduce the impact of incidents. Organisations should be aware of both the legal and operational issues that arise from a cyber incident – from regulatory compliance and liability concerns right the way through to loss of systems/data and brand reputation are all key considerations that have an effect on the whole of a business. [18:35] What are forensic tabletop exercises, and how do they enhance preparedness? – Forensic tabletop exercises simulate cyber incidents in a controlled environment. They involve key stakeholders discussing and practicing their roles during an incident. These exercises improve coordination, communication, and decision-making, ensuring a more effective response when a real incident occurs. The workflow here is clearly defined; implement an incident response plan, and then test that plan for robustness – engaging with external providers, like Epiq, to further add to the existing plan and to test how the organisation will manage an active incident. [19:35] Join the isologyhub – Don’t miss out on a suite of over 200+ ISO tools, templates and training, sign-up to become a member of the isologyhub  [21:45] Links with Business Continuity – Response readiness plans and forensic tabletop exercises both tie into aspects of ISO 22301 – business continuity. In Blackmores’ experience, a lot of organisations don’t actually test their plans, so when going through the process of implementing ISO 22301, where testing these response plans are a requirement, it’s a bit of an eye opener when they realise they’re not as resilient as initially thought. It’s always better to test these plans in a simulated environment vs a live one, so you can be assured that your plans are up to the task. [23:40] Why might an organisation need to get an incident response retainer? – We're starting to see a number of industries, particularly in regulated verticals, requiring businesses in their supply chain to meet a number of different cyber security requirements.  One, which keeps popping up, is to have a plan in place for responding to security incidents. Having a retainer can help meet these compliance requirements. [26:05] What role does Managed Detection and Response (MDR) software play in proactive incident response? – MDR solutions continuously monitor networks, detect threats, and provide real-time alerts. They enhance proactive response by identifying suspicious activities early, allowing organisations to take preventive action before incidents escalate. [27:50] What role do Information Governance consultants play in reducing cyber risk? – : Information Governance (IG) consultants specialise in helping organisation define their Information Governance Strategy encompassing data security and defining compliance policies.. They support organisations in defining: ·      Data Classification: Identifying Sensitive and PII data and categorising based on their confidentiality or regulatory requirements. ·      Retention Policies: Defining policies on retention period of records and method of disposition aligned with compliance requirements. ·      Legal Holds: Ensuring necessary data is preserved for potential litigation, internal investigation or as part of audit process. ·      Privacy Compliance: Aligning with regulations such as  GDPR, DP, DPA, CCPA. [33:30] What are Jack’s top tips that the listeners can take away from this podcast session and implement today to begin mitigating their risk? – : Unfortunately mitigating cyber risk isn’t a one-size-fits-all response, however I like seeing cyber risk as 3 buckets, that businesses should be aware of and measure their organisation against: Technology & Infrastructure – outdated systems, unpatched software and not fit for purpose IT infrastructure pose risks. These types of vulnerabilities are exploited by attackers, leading to data breaches, malware infections and system disruptions. So, making sure that your technology and infrastructure is fit for purpose, and up to date is a key takeaway. We spoke about Managed Detection and Response solutions earlier in the session, which is a great, cost effective way of adding an additional layer of technology security. Human Factor – for me, this is the number 1 frailty to a business. Business Email Compromise incidents increased by 67% in 2023, with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) being bypassed in 29% of these cases. Over recent years, cybersecurity awareness has been the aim of the game. However it is crucial that, as our understanding progresses, we switch our focus to fostering a culture of cybersecurity responsibility among colleagues and employees. Ensuring that your people are aware of cyber incident (perhaps listening to this podcast), and their role in mitigating the risks associated to a cyber incident are crucial in ensuring that your business is secure. Preparation – in just about all walks of life, preparation is key for preventing almost anything. We have spoken today about some of the key preparation themes I’m seeing in the industry, from Response Readiness plans, to MDR, to Incident Response Retainers. Getting sufficient Cyber Insurance coverage is of paramount importance to ensure that your business can respond effectively to an incident, should one occur. If you’d like to learn more about Epiq and how they can help you, visit their website. If you’d like to book a demo for the isologyhub, simply contact us and we’d be happy to give you a tour. We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how: ●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin ●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

Businesses looking to tackle their environmental impact will need to look at how they can reduce their carbon emissions and offset any remaining emissions to ensure that they reach Net Zero. One of the most common ways businesses offset their emissions is through the purchasing of carbon credits that typically go towards planting trees or re-wilding. However, there are a number of new emerging trends following on from the current commodification of nature, resulting in an attitude shift from businesses who are looking to get a lot more involved in the offsetting process. We invited Luke Baldwin, Co-founder and CEO of Nature Broking, back onto the show to explain the latest trends in the carbon market.   You’ll learn ·      What are the latest trends in the carbon market? ·      The importance of high integrity within carbon offsetting ·      Looking for impactful solutions ·      Why education around carbon offsetting is key for long-term sustainability commitment ·      How buying carbon credits now can lead to significant savings   Resources ·      Nature Broking ·      Isologyhub   In this episode, we talk about: [00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo. [02:05] Episode summary: Today Mel is joined by guest Luke Baldwin, Co-founder and CEO of Nature Broking, to discuss emerging trends in the carbon market that help businesses tackle their carbon offsetting.   [02:50] What are the key trends in the Carbon Market  – As of 2024, Luke states the leading trends as: ·      High Integrity ·      Impactful solutions ·      Education ·      Purchase carbon credits now and save later [04:10] High Integrity – There’s now a lot of carbon credits available and due to the nature of the unregulated carbon markets, it’s led to an increase in bad actors generating revenue in a bad way. Once example of this is Kariba, a project in Zimbabwe that aimed to tackle deforestation, which was recently exposed in the Guardian and The New Yorker for having incorrect calculations. Credits purchased towards that programme were then called into questions and any associated companies were accused of greenwashing. To avoid this, businesses are now putting a greater focus on high integrity solutions, which involves considerations such as: ·      Are the credits durable? Will the carbon be stored long term? ·      Are their significant CO2 benefits? ·      Are the credits contributing anything besides just removing carbon? i.e. regenerative agriculture or woodland plantation [06:20] Impactful Solutions: The carbon markets offers a lot of fantastic solutions and businesses are moving away from the quick commodification of those solutions, and are instead looking to really understand the impact of how they chose to offset their emissions. It’s becoming more of a question of buying carbon credits that align with your values, whether this be social values or sustainability values. They’re looking to invest in projects that will have a tangible outcome. Which is exactly what Nature Broking sets out to assist businesses with by tailoring bespoke solutions that adhere to their specific values. [08:10] Education  – The need for more education around the carbon markets is crucial. Luke remembers the quote “you can't love what you don't know”, which applies as how can a business truly invest in something that they don’t fully understand. Sustainability is a mindset, and a cultural shift towards more sustainable practices starts with an education. Carbonology uses an ISO framework, but also provide an education around the carbon reduction plan provided to inspire a mindset shift change towards sustainability. [09:05] Blackmores experience – Blackmores have been implementing environmental and energy Standards for over 18 years, but it’s only been in recent years that we’ve seen a mindset shift in leadership towards sustainability. While people may be aware of Standards such as ISO 14001 or B Corp, but may not be aware of other governance frameworks that can help businesses to manage their carbon footprint and carbon neutrality. [10:20] Join the isologyhub – Don’t miss out on a suite of over 200+ ISO tools, templates and training, sign-up to become a member of the isologyhub   [12:25] How can you make significant savings when purchasing carbon credits? – A lot of carbon solutions currently are very cost effective, in particualr forestry credits and carbon removal credits. Some of the more technological ones such as direct air capture or bioenergy and carbon capture and storage can be more expensive now because the technology utilised is still so innovative and in it’s infancy. However, that will change in time.  If you're looking at building a carbon portfolio for your net zero journey, for example, say are going through a science based targets initiative and you've decided that you cannot avoid the 10% of remaining emissions your net zero journey and you need to buy carbon removals - you're much better purchasing carbon removals now than in the future. This is because there will be a supply shortage in future, especially when we see more enforced regulations come into play between 2030 and 2035. This will mean that the price of those carbon credits will rise significantly. What may cost £20-£30 per tonne for carbon removal now may go up to anywhere between £100 - £150 per tonne! So it’s worth investing in your carbon portfolio now, especially in the case of tree planting as those tress are going to take a while to grow and actually start storing carbon. If you finance projects now, you will have already made an amazing impact from the start, and will potentially save yourself a lot of trouble and money in future by planning ahead.    If You’d like to learn more about Nature Broking and their solutions, check out their website. If you’d like to book a demo for the isologyhub, simply contact us and we’d be happy to give you a tour. We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how: ●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin ●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

The UK is the first major economy to achieve it’s 50% reduction target for Greenhouse Gas Emissions (between 1990 and 2022). However, we’ve still got a lot of work to do to reach our 2023 target of a 68% reduction. Many businesses are already making great strides to reduce their Impact, and while you can reduce, achieving true carbon neutrality will involve offsetting a certain amount of emissions. One of the biggest challenges for businesses in terms of completing their offsetting is finding a credible carbon offsetting scheme. Mel is joined by Luke Baldwin, Co-founder and CEO of Nature Broking, to discuss credible nature-based solutions for carbon offsetting. You’ll learn ·      Who are Nature Broking? ·      What is Natural Capital? ·      How can we restore nature at scale? ·      Financing transition regenerative agriculture through the sale of natural capital ·      How have Nature Broking worked with clients to complete their carbon offsetting? ·      How can you demonstrate a credible carbon offsetting scheme? ·      What projects are Nature Broking currently working on?   Resources ·      Nature Broking ·      Isologyhub In this episode, we talk about: [00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo. [02:05] Episode summary: Today Mel is joined by guest Luke Baldwin, Co-founder and CEO of Nature Broking, to discuss credible nature based solutions for carbon offsetting and explore some of the wonderful projects Nature Broking have been involved with. [04:10] What is natural capital?  – Natural capital is the idea of creating value from nature. What natural capital does is, it encompasses all the things that we get from nature that we rely on. That could be the shelter in your house all the way through to carbon offsets. [04:55] Who are Nature Broking? – Nature Broking’s story starts off on a somber note. Sadly, Luke lost one of his friends in a mountaineering accident, and in his memory, Luke and another friend rewilded one acre of Scottish Borders Woodlands. This is something they make a point to visit every year, to pay tribute and to keep their living, breathing monument of his friends memory alive and well. The experience was an eye opening one. For as lovely as the process was, it was incredibly expensive, and not very easy to do. Luke then realised that philanthropy alone wasn't going to be able to cover the costs of what we required to restore nature. Looking into the matter further he found that 50% of the world's GDP is moderately or highly dependent on nature and that the UK, whilst green and beautiful, sits in the bottom 10%. And so, an idea was sparked. Together his friend and Co-founder Andy started down the nature restoration path and created Nature Broking. [06:20] What is Nature Broking’s mission?: Nature Broking have 2 major missions: #1: Help restore nature at scale #2: Help finance a transition to regenerative agriculture [06:34] How can we restore nature at scale?  – The UK Government has set targets of halting nature decline by 2030, with a view to increase nature by 2045. The Green Finance Institute has calculated that there is a funding gap of about 56 billion in order for us to achieve our legally binding environmental targets. That’s a hefty sum to put on public money and philanthropy, which is where private markets and business can make a big impact. Frameworks like PAS 2060 (ISO 14068) help businesses invest in nature, and with the creation of carbon credits, carbon has been commodified to make it more accessible for businesses to contribute to carbon offsetting. [08:20] How can we help finance transition regenerative agriculture through the sale of natural capital? – Regenerative agriculture is about restoring the soils, restoring nature back to its original level. Modern farming techniques, while fruitful, use tools such as fertilisers and mechanised farming that have damaged the soils biome. That’s going to take time and a concerted effort to fix. Now obviously, we can’t just stop farming, we need food, so not all land can go back to nature. Currently, 70% of the UK is farmed, so the agricultural sector will play a big part in being more regenerative. However, the current incentives aren’t great, so there’s a lot of work that needs to be done in terms of financing the mechanisms behind it, i.e. funding and subsidies ect. One way we could do this is by ulitilising the carbon markets, as regenerative agriculture can lead to significant carbon sequestration. [12:20] How do Nature Broking work with clients? – They make sure to work within the bounds of the business itself, as every business is different.. They don’t do off the shelf solutions, preferring to work closely with their clients and help them to really spend time in nature at the place where their carbon credits are being implemented. It’s ultimately about education on the different solutions available, including asking important questions like: ·      What impact do you want to have? ·      What are the challenges with each solution? ·      What do you need to watch out for? Each solution is tailored to your business. So, if you’d prefer to work in woodland restoration over regenerative agriculture, then Nature Broking would be happy to work with you to achieve that. Carbon credits include their own set of challenges, one of the main ones being that science changes, so the solutions offered through carbon credits will also change. It may be a case of purchasing credits that tackle different solutions over a large area rather than pooling them all into planting trees for example. Nature Broking are here to help advise and facilitate this. [15:30] Join the isologyhub – Don’t miss out on a suite of over 200+ ISO tools, templates and training, sign-up to become a member of the isologyhub [17:45] How can Nature Broking demonstrate credible carbon offsetting? – Nature Broking are at their heart transparent with how they operate. By taking clients to see the actual physical results of their carbon credits, they can educate and help others form a genuine connection to nature. They want clients to truly understand the full impact of their efforts.  The second element is due diligence, which can be displayed by utilising one of the many carbon related frameworks now available, such as B Corp and Sylvera. Though these don’t always work within a UK setting, so Nature Broking are working towards creating frameworks that do fit within the overall market view. Lastly, they ensure that the standard they’re using is of high integrity, using frameworks such as the Integrity Council for the voluntary market, which analyses different standards. The 2nd is understanding the quality of the project developer, so looking at their technical expertise, looking at their financial ratings, and then evaluating the individual project itself in terms of potential risks. [21:50] What are some of the projects that Nature Broking are currently working on? – A broad view of what’s available in terms of schemes include: ·      The Woodland Carbon Code ·      The Peatland Carbon Code – This is run by the IUCN, which is the International Council for the Conservation of Nature. They are both defined and funded by DEFRA. These are some of the first carbon codes to move into the UK, however there is a lack of available carbon credits, which should change in future. Other’s include: ·      Wilder Carbon – A carbon code focused on rewilding, run by The Wildlife Trust. ·      Carbon Code of Conduct - A regenerative agriculture code, so it focuses on analysing the full sequestration and full emissions potential of a whole landholding. [25:00] Carbon Credits in practice – There’s a current project called Bank Farm in Kent, which is being used as a test site for regenerative agriculture. This includes the likes of agroforestry, which is where you integrate trees into fields which provide shade for animals and store carbon. So, you’re not removing those fields from production, simply adapting them to be more sustainable. They’re also practicing mob grazing, which is all about using herbivores to maxmise the amount of carbon stored in the soil. You can do this by moving, say cows for example, around a field to graze quickly on small areas before moving them on. [27:05] Mel’s conclusion – There’s a huge opportunity in the management of agriculture that can be utilised within carbon credit schemes. In addition to helping our economy by creating new jobs within this new approach to tackling emissions and storing carbon. Hopefully we’ll see larger corporations investing in these sorts of schemes both here in the UK and abroad. If You’d like to learn more about Nature Broking and their solutions, check out their website. If you’d like to book a demo for the isologyhub, simply contact us and we’d be happy to give you a tour. We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how: ●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin ●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

The UK recently hit a huge milestone, according to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the UK have reduced their Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 50% between 1990 and 2022.  The UK are the first major economy to achieve this, however we’ve still got a lot of work to do to meet our 2030 target of a 68% reduction. Over the past few years there have been a number of schemes aimed at businesses to help tackle their impact, specifically their energy consumption. Here in the UK, ESOS (The Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme) was introduced as an implementation of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive and has been a mandatory undertaking for large organisations that fit the criteria. Recently, that scheme has been updated and a number of changes have come into effect for Phase 3.  Ian Boylan, Chief Executive Officer at ISO Baseline, joins Mel to explain the recent changes to ESOS, how they affect organisations in the UK and EU and how ISO Baseline’s software can help businesses consistently manage their energy consumption in alignment with ISO 50001 (The Energy Management Standard). You’ll learn ·      Who are ISO Baseline? ·      What is the Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme (ESOS)? ·      What are the changes to ESOS? ·      How do the changes affect those who currently comply using ISO 50001 ·      What are the changes to the ESOS eligibility requirements? ·      How can ISO Baseline help businesses with their ISO 50001 and ESOS compliance?   Resources ·      ISO Baseline ·      Isologyhub ·      ISO 50001   In this episode, we talk about: [00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo. [02:05] Episode summary: Today Mel is joined by guest Ian Boylan, Chief Executive Officer at ISO Baseline, to discuss the changes to The Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme (ESOS), and how the changes will affect the European Directive on energy management and energy reporting. [03:20] Who is Ian and ISO Baseline?  – Ian has been involved with ISO Standards for a number of years, starting with the technical aspects of building Management Systems, to working with Certification Bodies as an auditor for Management Systems. From this experience, Ian really got to understand the challenges that organisations face when implementing ISO Standards. Challenges such as maintenance to ensure they are achieving their requirements and objectives. Which is where the concept for ISO Baseline was born. Targeted specifically towards the Energy Management Standard ISO 50001, ISO Baseline’s software allows organisations to manage their energy processes and provide evidence that you are meeting your energy objectives. [05:30] What features are included in ISO Baseline’s software? – Features include: Energy reporting: Information can be displayed in graph or Sankey diagrams to help visualize your energy performance. Identification of opportunities: Any opportunities for improvement found in the provided energy report will be recorded in an ‘Opportunities Register’ Financial Assessments: Work out life-cycle costs for assets, which can be used as a guide to establish possible savings by implementing suggested improvements. [07:25] What is ESOS?: ESOS was introduced when we were still a part of the European Union, when there was a European Directive on energy efficiency. It placed a requirement on member states in the EU to put together schemes for ensuring that large organisations undertake energy audits on a regular 4 yearly basis. In the UK this was adopted as the ESOS regulations. For many years, if a business’s ISO 50001 certification scope covered all of its energy usage, then your business was considered compliant with ESOS. If you didn’t have an ISO 50001 Management System in place, you would have to undertake energy audits once every 4 years, and have that reviewed, approved and signed off by a lead ESOS assessor. At the time, this had to cover 90% of your energy usage. One of the more updated inclusions into these regulations was the introduction of transport as a source of energy consumption. ESOS also included the requirement to identify significant energy consumption and propose a logical way to reduce energy consumption to improve energy performance. [11:30] Main changes to ESOS: Accounting for your energy consumption  – Instead of accounting for 90% of your total final energy consumption, you're now required to account for 95% of your total final energy consumption. The de minimis component of it has been reduced by 50% [012:30] Main changes to ESOS: Activity Metrics – All organisations will be required to develop activity metrics and as part of your audits you'll be required to submit those activity metrics. The aim of this is to allow the UK to effectively assess organisations over established periods (i.e. from Phase 3 to phase 4) to see if and how they are actually reducing their energy consumption. This could potentially lead to benchmarking, where organisations can be measured against each other. [14:45] Main changes to ESOS: Submitting Actions Plans – Previously, you just had to submit your completed audits and overall savings potential, now you will be required to submit a proposed Action Plan to improve your energy performance. You will also be required to report annually on your progress towards that Action Plan. So no longer can companies coast on simply paying to complete an Energy Audit exercise once every 4 years, now you will have to produce publicly available information that will hold organisations to account. Essentially a name and shame for organisations that choose to do nothing. [16:55] Making Actions Plans publicly available – Incidentally, it always has been a requirement that everything that has been reportable regarding resources should be accessible, but previously you were not required to produce Action Plans. So essentially now that will also become part of the publicly available information. [17:30] Making ESOS fit for purpose – When ESOS was introduced, there was already so much other legislation around in the UK, so the main focus then was to align them with one another and to ensure that they were all working towards a common purpose. In this update, it hasn't ultimately required you to determine your energy savings potential in carbon reduction, but quite obviously that would be a little bit ludicrous if an organisation went down this route and not to look at it from a carbon perspective, as It's only a tiny little additional step when you're doing it from a money perspective and an energy perspective to figure out what the carbon impact is. [18:30] Do you need help with your Carbon Reporting? – If you need assistance with GHG emission or SECR reporting, contact our sister company Carbonology®. [19:20] Join the isologyhub – Don’t miss out on a suite of over 200+ ISO tools, templates and training, sign-up to become a member of the isologyhub [21:25] Main changes to ESOS: Confirming your compliance – There are different approaches that you will need to be aware of when submitting your evidence of compliance, and which one you use will depend on which route you’re taking. For the full ISO 50001 route, you will need to complete the Annex 1 approach, which is a reduced reporting requirement where you do not need to use an ESOS lead Assessor to submit it on your behalf, the organisation can do it themselves. If you going down either the energy audit route or do not have 100% of your energy consumption covered by ISO 50001 – you will be reporting using the Annex 2 approach. This is where you still require a lead ESOS Assessor to work with you and provide final sign-off on that reporting. [24:15] Are there any changes in the eligibility requirements? – There aren’t any major changes in ESOS’s eligibility requirements. They have now updated the turnover amounts from Euro to Pound Sterling following our exit from the EU. [25:35] How will these changes impact organisations? – Organisations will have to adapt to a more proactive approach towards their energy reporting and management. No longer can you get away with doing an energy audit once every 4 years and then forgetting about it until the next Phase. You need to start looking at it from the perspective of annual reporting, as all this information is going to be publicly available every year, which is going to be scrutinized if you’re seen to not be taking any significant action. Large organisations will be compared against each other, and if one is taking action every year to reduce its impact and another is doing nothing for 4 years, which do you think will gain a more favorable reputation? This level of accountability is long overdue, and will be of benefit to organisations in terms of potential cost savings through reduction of energy use, and also more importantly to the environment.   [30:00] How can ISO Baseline ISO 50001 help organisations with their ESOS compliance? – ISO Baselines tools and software are going to be the most benefit to organisations that have a real objective to improve energy performance. If you’re just doing the bare minimum to meet requirements, then it’s no for you. ISO Baseline ISO 50001 is a tool to help systemise your organisations approach to energy management. It can help to avoid a lot of the bureaucracy that can hold up progress, so you can spend your time focusing on the objectives and what the Management System is meant to lead to. Their software will guide you through the required processes involved with ISO 50001 Energy Management, including Internal Audit planning and completion, Management review, logging and addressing non-conformities and corrective actions. If You’d like to learn more about ISO Baseline and their software, check out their website. If you’d like to book a demo for the isologyhub, simply contact us and we’d be happy to give you a tour. We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how: ●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin ●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

According to the ISO Survey, there’s been a 82.9% increase in worldwide ISO 22301 certificates issued following 2020. Business Continuity is a must have for businesses who want to ensure long-term survivability following a disruptive event. Many turn to ISO 22301 to help put a framework in place, including today’s guest – Lifelong Learner. However, what usually takes businesses a minimum of 6 months, Lifelong Learner managed to accomplish in just 4 months across an international organisation! That is no small part due to the tremendous effort of Lifelong Learner’s Manager of Information Security, Governance, Risk and Compliance, Lauren Taylor. Lauren joins Mel on this weeks’ episode to share her journey and explains the challenges associated with implementing a Business Continuity Management System in just 4 months. You’ll learn ·       Who are Lifelong Learner? ·       Why did they decide to Implement ISO 22301? ·       What did they learn from implementing ISO 22301? ·       What was the biggest challenge with Implementation? ·       What are the benefits of implementing ISO 22301?   Resources ·       Isologyhub ·       Lifelong Learner ·       PSI Testing Excellence ·       Talogy   In this episode, we talk about: [00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo. [02:05] Episode summary: Today Mel is joined by guest Lauren Taylor who is the Manager of Information Security, Governance, Risk and Compliance at Lifelong Learner Holdings LLC. Lifelong Learner and it’s brands represent a fusion of comprehensive workforce solutions, with a human-first focus of changing lives through assessment. This includes helping people advance in educational and career aspirations, earning or maintaining licensing or certifications, or providing the tools to develop future leaders. Lauren has helped Lifelong Learner accomplish a massive milestone, and that’s the implementation of the Business Continuity Standard ISO 22301 across an international organisation, which she managed to do in just 4 months! She’s here to share her journey and lessons learned from implementing ISO 22301. [03:30] Not many people know this about Lauren  – She had previously trained to be a mental health counsellor. [04:05] Who are Lifelong Learner LLC? – Lifelong Learner is the parent company of two subsidiaries: PSI Testing Excellence: a leading provider of assessment solutions for the licensing and certification markets, to Educational Testing Services. Talogy: A market leader in the talent management space whose core purpose is helping organizations achieve their potential. They manage the talent management side of the business. So what they'll do is they'll put together psychometric tests that help companies find the right person for the right job, and will assist with skills development. [05:00] Adding to Lifelong Learner’s ISO Collection: Lifelong Learner already have an impressive ISO Library, being certified to: ·       ISO 9001 – Quality Management ·       ISO 14001 – Environmental Management ·       ISO 27001 – Information Security Management [05:20] What was the main driver behind obtaining ISO 22301? – The main driver, as with most companies, is usually a client contractor requirement, but business continuity has been something that we've wanted to look further into for a while, just because there's elements of ISO 27001 that cover the business continuity. While we were able to get through the audits with what we had, we just felt that it just needed a little bit more building out. Business Continuity is a requirement in part of ISO 27001, but for Stakeholders that want assurance that a business has robust business continuity plans in place, ISO 22301 is the next step. [06:10] The Implementation Timeline  – In October 2023, we began with the context workshop where we could kind of get a better idea of the scope of the management system. This was followed by a number of SWOT and PESTLE workshops to help identify what the perceived risks would be. Next came the Business Impact Analysis (BIA) - So essentially what you're needing to find out from these workshops is, the core activities that each of the teams perform on the day-to-day basis. You also need to understand what their systems are that they use, if they have any dependencies, and essentially it all comes down to understanding that if the business cannot perform those activities, what would be the impact overtime if those activities were to stop. Once you have all that information, the next step was to map it across into a risk assessment, which really helps you to understand the granular risks to your business when it comes to business continuity planning. This risk assessment helped to highlight some weaknesses that we hadn’t considered before, and gave us a point in the right direction as to what we needed to work on to bridge those gaps. Next was the creation and revamping of documentation inline with ISO 22301 requirements. Thankfully, due to the other ISO’s we hold, we already had a lot in place. Same goes for Internal Audits, so this was more a case of integrating ISO 22301 into our existing Management System. Once we had all the documentation, we conducted a ransomware test exercise, which we also documented all the findings from. Then we were we were ready for stage 1! [09:15] What were the biggest gaps Lifelong Leaner needed to address?: Following the BIA and Risk Assessment, we were able to see where we needed response plans because business continuity is always your Plan B. So in our minds, we had an idea of what kind of response plans we would need in terms of i.e. a malware response plan, a ransomware response plan, those sorts of things. But until we actually looked at the BIA we released we needed a few more. [10:25] What difference did addressing those gaps make? – For us it was understanding the real risks to our business. We already had ISO 27001 in place, and we figured if there were to be another pandemic for example, that we’d be covered. However, it wasn’t until we did those exercises did we realise that there was a lot we could improve on.   [13:25] What did Lauren learn from Implementing ISO 22301? – How much people underestimate the importance of a good business impact analysis. After going through this in a very, very short space of time, I realised that it is actually the driving force behind a good business continuity management system. Also, it highlighted just how many people believe business continuity is just all about IT and physical security, they completely loft out the human element. An example of this is having a single point of failure, which is where if somebody left there would be a gap. [14:40] What benefits have Lifelong Learner experienced since implementing ISO 22301? – Lauren has noticed that more clients are requesting to see their Business Continuity Plans. It’s helped with the introduction of the latest ISO 27001:2022 controls – as these too also focus on elements of business continuity. [15:50] Lauren’s top tips for implementing ISO 22301 – Definitely give yourself longer than 4 months! Logically think about how everything links together, the clauses all have purpose and flow in a logical pattern to help create a Management System. Your Management Review can be your best friend. It's your opportunity to really engage with senior management and help them understand what your risks are to the business, how your internal audit is coming along, how you manage your nonconformities and it can be all neatly wrapped up in that nice management review bow. [18:00] Lauren’s book recommendation – The Matthew Perry Autobiography, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. [19:30] Lauren’s favorite quote – “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” If You’d like to learn more about Lifelong Learner, check out their website. If you’d like to book a demo for the isologyhub, simply contact us and we’d be happy to give you a tour. We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how: ●      Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin ●      Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

There’s no escaping it, AI is here to stay. Over the course of 2023 we’ve seen more general and public use of popular AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini (previously Google Bard). It’s now even being integrated into everyday applications such as Microsoft Word and Teams. There is no doubt that there are a lot of benefits to using AI, however, with new technology comes new risks. So how do we address the growing concerns around AI development and use? That’s where the new Standard for AI Management Systems, ISO 42001 comes in! Join Mel this week as she explains exactly what ISO 42001 is, who it’s applicable to, why it was created and how ISO 42001 can help businesses manage AI risks. You’ll learn ·       What ISO 42001 AI Management Systems is ·       Who it’s applicable to ·       Why it was created ·       How ISO 42001 can help businesses manage AI risks   Resources ·       Isologyhub ·       ISO 42001 Webinar registration   In this episode, we talk about: [00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo. [02:05] Episode summary: Today we’re touching on a very topical subject – AI, and more specifically the brand new AI Management System Standard – IS0 42001. We’ll also be exploring who it’s applicable to, why it was created and how it can help businesses manage AI risks. [03:30] What is AI? – AI – otherwise known as Artificial intelligence, as it’s most simplest description is the science of making machines think like humans. We’ve seen a lot of AI tools be released to the public over the last year or so, tools such as ChatGPT and Google Bard. It’s already being integrated with some of the most commonly used apps and programs like Microsoft word and Teams. In short, AI integration is here to stay, so we may as well get to grips with it and make sure we’re using it responsibly. [05:10] What is ISO 42001? – , ISO 42001 is the first International Standard for Artificial Intelligence Management Systems, designed to help organisations implement, maintain, and improve AI management practices. It was jointly published in December 2023 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The emphasis of ISO 42001 is on integrating an AI Management System with an organisations existing management system – i.e. ISO 9001 or ISO 27001 compliant management systems. Interestingly, a lot of the specific mentions of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are within the Annexes rather than the body of the Standard. The Standard itself is very similar to ISO 27001 in that it’s mostly about what organisations should be doing to manage computer systems regardless of any AI components. [08:00] The 4 Annexes of ISO 42001: Annex A: This acts as a Management guide for AI system development, with a focus on trustworthiness. Annex B: This provides implementation guidance for AI controls, with specific measures for Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning – if you’d like to learn more about the difference between the two, go back and listen to episode 135. Annex C: Which addresses AI-related organisational objectives and risk sources. Annex D: This one is about the domains and sectors in which an AI system may be used. It also addresses certification, and we’re pleased to see that it actively encourages the use of third-party conformity assessment. This just ensures that your AI claims have more validity. [09:15] Who is ISO 42001 applicable to? – Those annex descriptions may have you assuming that this Standard is only applicable to organisations developing AI technology but in actuality it’s applicable to any organisation who is involved in developing, deploying OR Using AI systems. So if you’re a company who is only utilising AI in your day to day activities, it’s still very much applicable to you! [10:20] Join the isologyhub and get access to limitless ISO resources  – From as little as £99 a month, you can have unlimited access to hundreds of online training courses and achieve certification for completion of courses along the way, which will take you from learner to practitioner to leader in no time. Simply head on over to the isologyhub to sign-up or book a demo. [12:25] Why was ISO 42001 created?: ·       To address the unprecedented rapid growth of AI and all the risks that come with this new technology. ·       To ensure that AI development and use are trustworthy and above all, ethical. ·       The public are also reasonably wary of this new technology, so ISO 42001 aims to help build more public trust and confidence in the future use of AI . ·       ISO 42001 acts as guidance for organisations on exactly how to integrate AI Management controls with their existing systems. [14:05] AI risks you should be aware of – This isn’t an exhaustive list, as the technology develops, more risks will become known. However, as of the start of 2024, you should be aware of: Inaccurate information – Many of the chat bots and public AI tools are trained on publicly available information, and as we all know, not everything on the internet is true. So the output from these chat bots will need to be checked and verified by a person before being used or published. AI bias – Studies have proven that AI results can still be bias. As all the data fed into it is all based on existing information, it still presents the issue of a lack of information from underrepresented groups, or existing bias based on existing data. Time sensitivity – Not all AI use live data sets. Google Bard does, however Chat GPT is only accurate up until 2021. So double check whichever tool you’re using to make sure the information it produces is up-to-date. Plagiarism – Data gathered using AI came from somewhere! If you simply copy and paste information provided by AI platforms, there’s a chance you may be plagiarising existing content. Be sure to just use AI as a starting point! Security risks – Use of AI can expose you to additional security risks, For example, malicious actors could send someone an email with a hidden prompt injection in it. If the receiver happened to use an AI virtual assistant, the attacker might be able to manipulate it into sending the attacker personal information from the victim’s emails. Data Poisoning – AI uses large data sets to train its models, and we currently rely on these data sets being relatively accurate. However, researchers have found that it’s possible to poison data sets – so in future, AI may not be very reliable if preventative measures aren’t put in place by AI developers. [17:45] How can ISO 42001 help business manage these risks? – Above all, it provides a structured approach to identify, assess, and mitigate AI risks. ISO 42001 includes the guidance needed to put this in place from the start to ensure you don’t fall prey to the risks mentioned, with a view to monitor and update to address new risks in future. It promotes transparency and accountability throughout the AI life cycle. It helps ensure fairness, non-discrimination, and respect for human rights in AI development and deployment. It will help minimise potential legal and ethical liabilities associated with AI. The UK’s current GDPR and Data Protection Act can loosely cover aspects of AI, depending on how the terminology is applied, but there are already dedicated AI based regulations being developed within the EU which will likely be adopted by the UK.  It can foster innovation and accelerate adoption of responsible AI practices. And lastly, it provides a common language and framework for collaboration on AI projects. [21:35] Don’t miss out on our ISO 42001 webinar – We’re partnering with PJR to bring you a 2-part webinar series on ISO 42001. Catch the first part on the 5th March 2024 at 3pm GMT, register your interest here. If you’d like to book a demo for the isologyhub, simply contact us and we’d be happy to give you a tour. We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how: ●      Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin ●      Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List