Month: February 2024

Originally published on HARMAN Newsroom

For cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI) is both shield and sword. By implementing AI-driven tools, businesses are better protected against potential cyberthreats. By arming themselves with these same solutions, however, attackers are finding new ways to cut through defenses and compromise key systems. 
The result is a protective paradox: Even as AI cybersecurity risks grow, they represent the best defense against itself. Here’s what companies need to know about navigating the new reality of AI.

Slash and Learn: The Emerging Risks of AI

The past year has put AI in the spotlight as large language models (LLMs) and tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E have captured consumer attention. As noted by Thomas Schmitt, Global Director of security for Anheuser-Busch InBev and moderator of the recent CES tech conference panel, Our Newest Cyber Threat is AI and AI is Our Biggest Defense, “AI itself is not new, but LLMs and generative AI have sparked creativity.” This creativity, however, isn’t reserved for those with good intentions.

Just as AI makes it possible to write new stories or create new art, it also opens the door to new cyberattack vectors capable of circumventing current IT defenses.

According to Dr. Amit Elazari, Co-founder and CEO of OpenPolicy, “The biggest threat is not prompt injection or data poisoning. Instead, it’s going back to the foundation of defense and attack — the attackers are always ahead.” Attackers have the luxury of experimenting with new AI technologies to see what works and what doesn’t, while defenders are compelled to respond.

The evolving nature of new tools also creates AI cybersecurity risks. Put simply, these solutions can learn from their mistakes, meaning that when one attack fails, the next will incorporate data from that failure to improve the outcome. In practice, this can take the form of advanced social engineering. By utilizing available public data, knowledge of human behavior, and past defender actions, attackers can leverage AI to create advanced phishing and ransomware campaigns that are more likely to fool even experienced users.

Keep Humans in the Loop

According to Nicholas Parrotta, Chief Digital and Information Officer and President of Digital Transformation Solutions at HARMAN, “AI models are wrong a lot of the time. We need humans in the loop. For example, we just launched a large language model for health, and physicians are at the center of this model.”

In fact, without humans, risk increases. What we’re seeing now is the explosion of what AI means. It’s beyond an abstract computer solving problems, it’s a car driving itself or process automating itself. Ultimately, AI is a tool for humans. If we take humans out of the loop, we’re increasing the threat level.

Use the Right Tools

“From a HARMAN perspective, we’re seeing the rise of simple, smart, and secure experiences,” said Parrotta. This isn’t an either/or situation; users want all three components simultaneously. As a result, companies must deploy tools that meet these expectations. For example, HARMAN’s Digital Transformation Solutions can help businesses blend physical and digital resources to deliver dynamic results. HARMAN has also partnered with NVIDIA to develop AI-powered solutions for detecting and preventing cyberattacks.

Double Down on Defense

Companies need to double down on security by design and red-team exercises, which the National Institute of Standards and Technology defines as an exercise that can demonstrate real-world situations to better identify security capabilities. The technology is going to continue to evolve and businesses need to take part in the conversation.

Opposites Attract

AI has arrived. Generative tools have gone mainstream, and LLMs are making inroads into enterprise-scale business strategy.

But with benefits come drawbacks. Malicious actors are now using AI to compromise key operations and leveraging the learning capabilities of these solutions to stay ahead of security teams. The paradox? By reducing AI cybersecurity risks, enterprises can embrace intelligent technologies to spot potential problems, take immediate action, and give security professionals time to react.

Curious about the emerging role of AI security? Check out the full CES session here.

By Doug Bonderud

Originally published by wfla.com

They say technology is the workforce of the future and if you love to learn, build your skills in all things tech with a free online platform from IBM SkillsBuild. Lifestyle Expert Jennifer Bonner joins us to explain more and how you can get started. Learn more and sign up today at SkillsBuild.org.

Watch the full segment here.

Originally published in Qualcomm’s 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report

At Qualcomm, purposeful innovation drives us to take on some of the world’s biggest challenges, using technology to positively impact society. We pursue purposeful innovation through three strategic focus areas:

Empowering Digital Transformation 
We believe technology can transform industries, businesses, communities and individual lives. We invent solutions that are foundational to the advancement of the global wireless ecosystem to improve how we work, live and, ultimately, thrive.

Acting Responsibly 
We invest in our people, strive to always behave with integrity and implement governance standards that uphold our Company values. We are committed to responsible business practices, from upholding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) to aiming to protect privacy to providing leading development programs to fostering an ethical culture.

Operating Sustainably 
We aim to maintain safe, healthy and productive working conditions and conserve natural resources. Our environmental efforts center on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, optimizing energy consumption, managing water use and minimizing waste throughout our operations and the communities in which we work.

Paired with the ingenuity and dedication of our people, these focus areas guide our approach to addressing future challenges and to making the impossible inevitable.

Learn more about how Qualcomm is driving innovation, societal advancement and sustainability in the 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report

NEW YORK, February 22, 2024 /3BL/ -The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the global authority on advancing healthy buildings, organizations and communities, announced today a landmark achievement: the WELL Building Standard (WELL) is now being used across more than 5 billion square feet of space in 130 countries, signaling its rapid and widespread adoption as the leading healthy building standard in the world. WELL, which is also used by over 150 companies from the Fortune and Global 500, now helps support the health and well-being of an estimated 25 million people in nearly 74,000 commercial and residential locations around the world.

“WELL is empowering organizations everywhere to adopt a robust framework that fosters the health of their greatest asset, their people. WELL helps them improve employee well-being and performance, enhance recruitment and retention, strengthen their ESG strategy and improve outcomes related to diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI. “At the same time, WELL is supporting health resilience against climate change or other unforeseen circumstances. This past year, amid the backdrop of mounting health impacts due to heat waves, flooding, water scarcity and other extreme weather events, the imperative for health in all of our buildings has reached critical levels. We’re seeing more and more market leaders deploy WELL as an essential solution to fortify for health, laying the foundation for stronger, more resilient organizations.”

Since the launch of WELL in 2014, thousands of organizations have adopted WELL as an evidence-based roadmap for applying health strategies in their locations or across their organizations. Major companies and brands that are engaging with WELL include, among others, Accenture, American Express, Arup, Barclays, Beijing Guomao, Bloomberg, British Land, Brookfield, CapitaLand Group, CBRE, CIBC, Cisco, Citi, Clifford Chance, COIMA, Colliers, Cundall, Cushman & Wakefield, Deloitte, Dubai Police, Edge Technologies, Empire State Realty Trust, Enel, Estee Lauder, EY, Goldman Sachs, GSK, Hines, Honeywell, HSBC, IBM, JLL, Johnson Controls, JPMorgan Chase & Co, Landsec, Lendlease, LinkedIn, Mastercard, Merck, MillerKnoll, Milliken & Company, Museum of the Future, National University of Singapore, Nucleus Office Parks, PwC, Royal Bank of Canada, RXR, Shaw, Shearman & Sterling, Standard Chartered Bank, Starbucks, Sunrise Senior Living, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Taipei 101, T-Mobile,T-Mobile, Teknion, The Crown Estate, The UAE Prime Minister’s Office, Uber and Unilever.

This major WELL milestone also reflects the rising global focus on workforce well-being and deploying efforts to boost employee recruitment, retention and productivity. WELL has seen rapid adoption across nearly every sector, including financial services, building design and construction (AECD), real estate (including retail and residential), healthcare, hospitality, education, energy and utility, manufacturing, transportation, professional services, sports and entertainment, and the public and non-profit sectors. WELL adoption also saw a significant increase in its global presence in every region of the world.

In January, in response to the growing need for healthy homes, IWBI added to its WELL ecosystem the WELL for residential pilot program, an evidence-based, third-party verified certification designed to transform the way our homes are designed, built and maintained to support human health and well-being. The program was launched with 25 pilot participants from 10 countries and more than 30,000 enrolled homes.

“We also recognize that this milestone is very much a shared accomplishment,” added Hodgdon. “Reaching this moment is a testament to our vast WELL community, an incredible group of dedicated experts fighting for a future where all of our buildings support and enhance our health and well-being.

“To our 200-plus member organizations, our more than 13,000 WELL APs, over 30 WELL EPs and all our other WELL champions who join with us every day, we extend our deepest gratitude to you for your vision, leadership and indefatigable spirit.” Hodgdon also noted that the newly launched Works with WELL directory is becoming a practical platform empowering global WELL users with access to products and service solutions that have been verified to support WELL strategies.

WELL is the leading global framework for scaling health across buildings, organizations and communities. Developed over 10 years and backed by the latest scientific research, WELL outlines key building-level interventions and organizational strategies across 10 categories: Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Sound, Materials, Mind and Community.

The WELL ecosystem, which comprises WELL Certification, the WELL Health-Safety Rating, the WELL Performance Rating, the WELL Equity Rating, the WELL Community Standard and the WELL for residential pilot, has been adopted by organizations seeking to prioritize human health and well-being. WELL’s holistic, evidence-based approach has provided a roadmap for organizations to promote human and social capital performance and enhance their ESG strategy. As a result, leading companies are making decisions to use WELL at scale, extending the benefits of WELL across their entire organizations or real estate portfolios.

“WELL is now supporting thousands of organizations around the world, demonstrating its role as a highly trusted and widely-used standard for healthy buildings and healthy organizations,” said Prateek Khanna, COO, IWBI. “It’s humbling to know that, across multiple sectors and regions of the world, WELL is helping influence positive health outcomes for tens of millions of people.”

Looking forward, WELL is poised for even faster adoption, bolstered by signature partnerships, global policy advancements and an increased focus on social sustainability.

This past spring, as part of IWBI’s deeper strategic partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the two organizations developed a streamlined review and documentation process for projects pursuing LEED and WELL certifications simultaneously. Just months after introducing the streamlined LEED and WELL pathway, nearly 350 projects representing over 80 million square feet of space in 38 countries have opted in to use this pathway. “The collaboration between USGBC and IWBI is imperative to confront today’s challenges and shape a future that will benefit generations to come,” said Peter Templeton, President & CEO of USGBC and Green Business Certification Inc (GBCI).

In addition, last autumn, major public health leaders, led by six former U.S. Surgeons General, rallied around the importance of accelerating healthy buildings. In an effort to shift the paradigm of building policy, Rachel Hodgdon of IWBI, along with 11 other renowned leaders from many of the country’s top public health organizations, sent an open letter to policymakers urging significant change in how buildings and indoor environments are perceived—from mere structures to critical levers for public health. The sign-on letter drew attention to an often-overlooked policy opportunity—reimagining the nation’s buildings as a prescription for health. The letter outlined compelling evidence showing the outsized role buildings can play to enhance health outcomes, prevent disease and boost economic productivity, not only in the U.S. but around the world.

“From a health policy perspective, we have a huge opportunity to accelerate healthy building best practices and make sure all our places and spaces are better positioned to help protect and promote human health,” said Dr. Joycelyn Elders, 15th Surgeon General of the United States. “But it starts with rethinking how we craft building policy at all levels of government, which is made especially urgent in the face of escalating health threats posed by climate change.”

Social sustainability is also taking root as investors and regulators look harder at non-financial performance indicators to better understand risk and uncover growth opportunities. With a much sharper focus on the social pillar or the “S” in ESG, organizations are leveraging WELL to incorporate health considerations into various stages of their social sustainability or ESG strategy. Beyond formal reporting, WELL has also been included in over 200 ESG, CSR and sustainability reports since 2018.

Late last year, IWBI announced a strategic partnership with GRESB, the global ESG benchmark for real estate and infrastructure, committing to an ambitious effort to accelerate social sustainability by improving reporting and disclosure capabilities across key social factors. “Through the rapid global adoption of the WELL Building Standard, the world’s leading standard focused on advancing people’s health and well-being, IWBI is at the vanguard of helping organizations around the world deliver on strategies to strengthen social sustainability,” said Chris Pyke, Chief Innovation Officer, GRESB. “Our new partnership will allow us to create new tools to help investors understand and advance the social sustainability of real asset companies and funds around the world.”

“With so many global trends pointing to the need for an even greater focus on human health, WELL has become the market’s most-trusted standard for healthy buildings, setting the bar for industry and spurring rapid enterprise adoption,” said Paul Scialla, Founder of IWBI. “Reaching this 5-billion-square-feet milestone with such incredible speed, WELL stands as the unparalleled driver of market transformation, igniting leadership and innovation in health.”

About the International WELL Building Institute 
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the world’s leading organization focused on deploying people-first places to advance a global culture of health. IWBI mobilizes its community through the administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) and WELL ratings and certifications, management of the WELL AP credential, the pursuit of applicable research, the development of educational resources and advocacy for policies that promote health and well-being everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here.

International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL EP, WELL Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Performance Rated, WELL Equity Rated, WELL Equity, WELL Residence, Works with WELL, WELL and others, and their related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries.

Media Contact: media@wellcertified.com

View original content here.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, February 20, 2024 /3BL/ – Tetra Pak has been recognised for leadership in corporate transparency and performance on forests by global environmental non-profit CDP, securing a place on its annual ‘A List’.

Based on data reported through CDP’s 2023 Forests questionnaires, Tetra Pak is among the 2% of companies that achieved an ‘A’ score out of over 21,000 companies assessed.1 The company also reported on Climate Change and, for the first time, Water Security. Having recorded an ‘A-‘ score on both cemented Tetra Pak’s inclusion in the CDP leadership band once again, as the only company in the carton packaging sector to do so.

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) warns that nature is deteriorating at unprecedented rates, mainly due to human activities.2 Global food systems are the lead driver of nature loss,3 despite these systems depending on the services provided by nature.4, 5, 6 But it is not just about food security, it has been estimated that more than half of the world’s total GDP – $44 trillion of economic value generation – is moderately or highly dependent on nature and its services.7 Recognising the urgency of action to halt and reverse nature loss and achieve a water-secure world, Tetra Pak is committed to take action for nature, supporting the achievement of the targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Gilles Tisserand, Vice President Climate & Biodiversity, Tetra Pak, said: “We rely on nature to provide us with the necessary building blocks for life: from clean air and water to material goods such as food. We believe that companies such as Tetra Pak need to act urgently, based on the currently available information, to reduce the impacts of our value chain, to restore landscapes and to contribute to the wider transformation of food systems.”

He continues: “Our approach to nature is closely linked with our ambitions on climate, circularity, social sustainability and food systems. Delivering on this requires certain enabling factors across the business, including people and processes, for example, capacity development, monitoring, reporting, and disclosure. As we strive to lead the way in corporate transparency, we are extremely pleased to be included in the CDP Forests A List for the eighth year running, as well as to be the only company in the carton packaging sector who is in this year’s leadership band across all the CDP areas of disclosure.”

Sherry Madera, CEO of CDP, said: “Congratulations to all the companies on CDP’s A List, and those companies that started or accelerated their journey towards environmental transparency in 2023 – we saw a 24% increase in disclosures last year and that trajectory is welcomed. It is only by laying the groundwork of disclosure that companies can show they take seriously the vital part they play in safeguarding the future.

Earning a place on the A List is about more than the score. It’s an indication of high quality and comprehensive data that equips companies with a holistic view of their environmental impact, serves as a baseline for transition plans and – crucially – enables them to follow through on their stated ambitions. As CDP continually raises the bar for what represents environmental leadership, the work of all companies should be celebrated, but is never complete. We must see corporate ambition ramp up on climate and nature-positive action. This has never been more crucial.”

How are companies scored?

A detailed and independent methodology is used by CDP to assess these companies, allocating a score of A to D- based on the comprehensiveness of disclosure, awareness and management of environmental risks and demonstration of best practices associated with environmental leadership, such as setting ambitious and meaningful targets. Those that don’t disclose or provided insufficient information are marked with an F.

CDP’s scoring for forests is conducted through the lens of four commodities: timber, cattle products, soy, and palm oil. Companies need to score an A on at least one of these forest-risk commodities to earn a place on the Forests A List.

The full list of companies that made this year’s CDP A List is available here: https://www.cdp.net/en/companies/companies-scores

MEDIA CONTACTS

Lucia Freschi 
Tetra Pak 
Tel: +39 347 2632237 
Lucia.freschi@tetrapak.com

1The full methodology and criteria for the A List is available on CDP’s website at: https://www.cdp.net/en/companies/companies-scores 
2IPBES. (2019). Global Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity. p. 1109 In E. S. Brondízio, J. Settele, S. Díaz, & H. T. Ngo (Eds.), IPBES secretariat. IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. Source: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3831673 
3Benton, T.G., et al. (2021). Food system impacts on biodiversity loss: Three levers for food system transformation in support of nature. Chatham House. Source: https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/2021-02/2021-02-03-food-system-biodiversity-loss-benton-et-al_0.pdf 
4FAO. 2019. The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture, J. Bélanger & D. Pilling (eds.). FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Assessments. Rome. 572 pp. 
5IPBES. (2019). Global Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity. In E. S. Brondízio, J. Settele, S. Díaz, & H. T. Ngo (Eds.), IPBES secretariat. IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. 
6Johnson, J.A. et al. (2021). The Economic Case for Nature : A Global Earth-Economy Model to Assess Development Policy Pathways. World Bank, Washington, DC. 
7WEF, 2020

Del Monte Foods is proud to partner with Alliance for a Healthier Generation in its America’s Healthiest Schools national recognition program. This annual award recognizes and celebrates schools for implementing best practices that support the physical, mental, and social-emotional health and well-being of students, staff, and families.

Schools can apply for recognition in one or more topic areas — up to nine total.

Improving Nutrition & Food AccessSupporting School Health ServicesImplementing Local School Wellness PolicyBolstering Physical Education & ActivityStrengthening Social-Emotional Health & LearningPromoting Tobacco-Free SchoolsCultivating Staff Well-BeingIncreasing Family & Community Engagement. 

For the 2023-2024 school year, Del Monte Foods is sponsoring one of the topic areas, Improving Nutrition & Food Access, to promote and increase healthy eating and food access through school nutrition programs and nutrition education.

To be recognized, schools must exemplify best practices in these topic areas, as measured against criteria in the Thriving Schools Integrated Assessment — a collaborative tool that provides actionable steps and credible resources to schools and districts to advance their wellness and educational goals.

The deadline to apply is April 16, 2024. Schools that are awarded will be featured on Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s website and the most-recognized schools will also be invited to the America’s Healthiest Schools Leaders Summit in Washington D.C.

Improving Nutrition & Food Access Award presented by Del Monte Foods

Del Monte Foods is proud to sponsor the Improving Nutrition & Food Access topic area, which recognizes school teams that implement strategies to maximize school meal participation, meaningfully collaborate with teachers on nutrition education, and partner with community organizations to improve families’ nutrition security.

This sponsorship is part of Del Monte Foods’ $5 million, ten-year commitment to nourish the physical, mental, and social-emotional well-being of youth and communities across the U.S. This commitment furthers the company’s Growers of Good™ purpose to grow a healthier and more hopeful tomorrow by making nutritious foods more accessible to all.

For more information on Del Monte Foods’ commitment to fostering goodness for people, communities, and the planet, please refer to its Sustainability Report.

For more information on Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s work to support healthy homes, healthy schools, and healthy communities, please refer to its 2023 Impact Report.