Tag: 3BL

Complimentary Webinar:

Understanding the EU CSRD: The Dos and Don’ts of Double Materiality Assessments

Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. CET (11:00 a.m. ET, 8:00 a.m. PT)

Register Here

For companies in any stage of their sustainability journey, a materiality assessment is critical to prioritize corporate sustainability efforts and expectations, as well as meeting external stakeholder expectations and ESG regulations. The EU CSRD regulation requires a double materiality assessment focusing both on financial materiality – how sustainability issues are impacting your company’s finances – and impact materiality – the actual impact of your company on society and the environment. The process includes benchmarking impacts to peers and top ESG performers, engaging with stakeholders and estimating relative impacts. The task is not easy, and the pitfalls are many! However, significant strategic benefits are expected from this exercise.

Join SCS Consulting Services’ Senior Project Manager, Stephanie Ellis and CSRD Program Manager, Marie Blazy on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. CET (11:00 a.m. ET, 8:00 a.m. PT) for a 45-minute debrief on the do’s and don’ts of Double Materiality assessments and lessons learned over the last year. We’ll focus on:

• Double Materiality: A pragmatic assessment of your business
• Impacts and Financial Risks and Opportunities: How they may be interconnected
• Scale, Scope, and Irremediability: Why value chain activities are important to consider
• Practical Applicability: Best practices for data collection and stakeholder engagement
• Integration with Business Strategy: How to align the results of your double materiality assessment with core business strategies
• CSRD Compliance: How to accurately convey your DMA data within your sustainability report for compliance with EU regulations

15 minutes will be allotted at the end of the presentation for Q&A.

Register Here

Every 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The Mary Kay Ash Foundation is committed to changing this reality by supporting initiatives that help women break free from abuse. This year, the Foundation awarded $100,000 in grants to four North Texas domestic violence shelters, furthering its mission to create a safe and healthy world for women.

Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support will utilize the funds to provide programming supplies and occupancy expenses at three local facilities, allowing them to continue providing lifesaving services and support to the over 2,800 women and children who will seek shelter in 2025. They continue to make great strides in not only providing life-changing services for women and children but also prevent and reduce future patterns of abuse.

The Family Place is the largest family violence service provider in Texas – providing shelter to 700 children, 616 women, 35 men, and 46 pets for a combined 42,140 nights of shelter in 2024. The Family Place provides comprehensive programs including two medical clinics, an animal shelter, counseling, and extensive community education. Funds will be used to further their mission and dedication to ending family violence through their work in prevention, intervention, and advocacy.

Denton County Friends of the Family is the sole provider of free, comprehensive services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Denton County, serving 5,527 clients in 2024 and providing advocacy services for 15,121 individuals. They will use the grant to expand their outreach efforts and enhance services such as emergency housing and counseling. They are deeply committed to helping victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse on their path to safety.

Hope’s Door New Beginning Center continues to serve Collin County with their 24-hour emergency hotline, two emergency shelters, individual counseling, legal support, and Battering Intervention and Prevention Program among other services. In addition, HDNBC educated over 7 million community members through education and training. They remain committed to creating safer families and healthier communities.

Through these grants, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation is helping ensure that women in need have access to vital resources like trauma counseling, emergency shelter, child and medical care, mental health support, and legal aid. With over $58 million donated to domestic violence initiatives across the U.S. to date, the Foundation continues to lead the charge in creating a safer world for women free from abuse.

Photos courtesy of The Family Place and Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support

LinkedIn

Thrilled to share that KFC Kshamata – KFC India’s Purpose Platform – has bagged 14 awards in 2024, both nationally and globally, for the groundbreaking #SpeakSign campaign!

This trailblazing sign language training program, developed with a sign language expert, has empowered 17,000 KFC employees across 1,200 restaurants in 240 cities to embrace inclusivity.

The campaign has been celebrated at prestigious platforms like Effies, SABRE South Asia, PR Awards APAC, Kyoorius, Exchange4Media, and more, including Fulcrum, e4M Do Good Awards, ET Digiplus Awards, and others.

Proud to see our purpose-driven efforts make waves and foster change.

CAMDEN, N.J., April 1, 2025 /3BL/ – Subaru of America Inc. today announced the official launch of its nationwide tree distribution program in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation^® (ADF), the largest such corporate effort in the non-profit’s history. As part of the automaker’s Subaru Loves the Earth^® initiative, Subaru retailers will give away established and regionally appropriate trees (up to four feet tall, in one-gallon containers) in communities across the country, which will have tangible benefits for generations to come.

Trees provide oxygen, filter water, clean the air, prevent flooding, and cool environments to help build healthier communities and a more sustainable planet. But every year, American cities lose millions of trees due to age, disease, infestation, and extreme weather. To help address this tree loss, Subaru, its retailers, and ADF will supply and distribute 100,000 trees this year, building upon a legacy of supporting environmental causes that includes the replanting of 1 million trees in western states to address post-wildfire reforestation efforts.

Alan Bethke, Senior Vice President, Marketing at Subaru of America, Inc.: “Subaru has a long history of helping to protect and preserve the planet through programs that reduce waste, safeguard natural resources, and care for our natural spaces. With the unmatched expertise of the Arbor Day Foundation and the support of our Subaru retailers, we are creating a lasting impact that will grow for many years to come. One tree at a time, Subaru is proud to help make a more sustainable future for all.”

Donation distribution events will take place throughout the regional 2025 planting season. Anyone can visit Subaru.com/earth to find a participating retailer and reserve a tree on a first-come, first-served basis, though quantities are limited. Once reserved, customers will be given specific instructions on when to pick up a tree and how to plant and maintain it on their property.

Dan Lambe, Chief Executive of the Arbor Day Foundation: “We are always trying to plant trees in the communities where they are needed most, and this program is helping extend that effort. Subaru’s collaboration and commitment to improving environmental and community well-being further exemplifies how powerful partnerships can be amid the urgent push to protect the planet. From helping address extreme weather events to improving overall community health, trees have the ability to infuse our communities with profound layers of benefits and help us grow a more resilient future.”

Throughout the campaign, two new advertising spots will run in English and Spanish on linear TV, streaming, digital video, and social media platforms in :30 and :15 second formats. The title campaign spot, Kids, includes fun and colorful artwork drawn by children to inspire us all, while Subaru Partners with the Arbor Day Foundation to Give Away Trees highlights the partnership between Subaru, its retailers, and the Arbor Day Foundation to address tree loss in communities nationwide. Paid media partners include CBS, ESPN, Hulu, Roku, Peacock, Telemundo, Univision, and YouTube, and the spots are available to view on the Subaru of America YouTube channel.

To learn more about Subaru Loves the Earth and the automaker’s commitment to protect, conserve, and help the planet thrive for future generations visit Subaru.com/earth.

About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts, and accessories through a network of about 640 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants, including Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc., the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company’s vision to show love and respect to everyone and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $320 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged over 100,000 volunteer hours. Subaru is dedicated to being More Than a Car Company® and to making the world a better place. For additional information, visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube.

About the Arbor Day Foundation® (ADF)
The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. They foster a growing community of more than 1 million leaders, innovators, planters, and supporters united by their bold belief that a more hopeful future can be shaped through the power of trees. For more than 50 years, they’ve answered critical need with action, planting more than half a billion trees alongside their partners. And this is only the beginning. The Arbor Day Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit pursuing a future where all life flourishes through the power of trees. Learn more at arborday.org.

###

Diane Anton
Corporate Communications Manager
Subaru of America, Inc.
(856) 488-5093
danton@subaru.com

Adam Leiter
Corporate Communications Specialist
Subaru of America, Inc.
(856) 488-8668
aleiter@subaru.com

Jeff Salem
Director, Communications & Public Relations
Arbor Day Foundation
(402) 473-2024
jsalem@arborday.org

One of the most effective ways to significantly boost the impact of an NGO is by supporting training programs that enhance their capacity to reach and assist more people. These programs empower NGO staff and local partners, ultimately leading to a broader and more sustainable impact.

The Power of Training Programs

Take International Medical Corps, a relief agency we’ve collaborated with for many years, as a prime example. By supporting their training initiatives, we help them expand their ability to educate and empower doctors, nurses, hospital administrative staff, and community health workers.

Training health professionals yields immediate benefits. It broadens their knowledge base and hones their skills, enabling them to address a wider range of needs and treat more individuals affected by various disasters.

The impact multiplies exponentially when an NGO implements train-the-trainer programs. Each newly trained individual can, in turn, train others, thereby magnifying the overall reach and effectiveness of the initial training.

Real-World Examples: Lebanon and Jamaica

Lebanon (May 2023): In Lebanon, International Medical Corps trained 135 individuals, including 79 people on Primary Trauma Care and 56 on Stop the Bleed. Participants included their country mission staff and officials from the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. Out of these trainees, 22 took part in an intensive 5-day Train-the-Trainer session.

Additionally, International Medical Corps conducted a 30-person workshop for their Lebanon country mission to discuss their Emergency Preparedness and Response Program (EPRP). This program is crucial for each country office as it helps anticipate and organize effective responses to likely emergencies. The workshop covered hazard mapping, risk analysis, supply prepositioning, and the organizational process for activating a response. After the workshop, the team in Lebanon reported feeling significantly better prepared to handle future emergencies.

Jamaica (April 2025): Looking ahead, International Medical Corps will implement a comprehensive training program in Jamaica. This program will target healthcare personnel from regional hospitals affected by Hurricane Beryl in July 2024.

The training will cover critical topics such as Stop the Bleed, Basic Emergency Care, and Mass Casualty Management. Participants will work together to develop triage and evacuation plans, assign roles for an incident command team, and simulate a mass casualty event. Over the course of nine sessions—three per topic—234 doctors, nurses, hospital administrative staff, and community health workers will be trained. This includes an estimated 14 individuals who will also participate in the Train-the-Trainer courses, further multiplying the program’s impact.

Why Support Training Programs?

The next time you collaborate with an NGO to enhance their capacity, consider funding training programs for their staff and partners. Investing in these initiatives not only strengthens the NGO’s immediate response capabilities but also ensures a multiplied return on investment through train-the-trainer programs. This approach will help you achieve your goal of amplifying their capacity by tenfold, creating a far-reaching and lasting impact.

By supporting training programs, you contribute to building a more resilient and capable global community, ready to tackle future challenges with confidence and expertise.

Click here to learn about FedEx Cares, our global community engagement program.

Originally published by Action Against Hunger.

One in 11 people are dealing with severe levels of food insecurity, which the United Nations reports poses “grave risks to their health and well-being.” But how can we prepare for – or better, prevent – further deteriorations in communities facing this chronic problem? Monitoring situations and forecasting where things are set to get worse is crucial to saving lives.

That is why Action Against Hunger is working to identify the early warning signs of rising hunger and malnutrition. By forecasting hazards and predicting likely emergencies, we can work with our partners to pinpoint when and where to focus our resources for the greatest impact.

Predicting hunger and malnutrition

In Eastern Africa, Modeling Early Risk Indicators to Anticipate Malnutrition (MERIAM) is Action Against Hunger’s latest early warning tool under development. It aims to forecast elevated malnutrition prevalence rates and caseloads up to 12 months in advance, significantly longer than the 3-4 months projection horizons offered by existing systems. It complements other analytical processes by zooming in on the condition of children under five, who are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition, and enabling more frequent updates of how the situation is set to evolve. Pilots are currently under development in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan.

In Central America, Action Against Hunger’s PREDISAN tool is monitoring and nowcasting food security across Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. The platform utilizes advanced machine learning tools, satellite imagery and remote sensing to identify the most vulnerable areas and estimate the number of people at various levels of food insecurity. Together with DATAface, it helps to better understand which populations are most affected by food insecurity so we can take targeted action.

Developing early warning systems 

Early warning systems are crucial tools that integrate hazard monitoring, disaster risk assessments, forecasting and communication to enable individuals, communities, governments, businesses and others to take timely actions to reduce disaster risks in advance of hazardous events (see e.g. REAP, 2022).

In South Asia, Action Against Hunger is focusing on new prediction capabilities in places most at risk. For example, an estimated 23.6 million people are food insecure in Bangladesh. Hunger is made worse by the country’s vulnerability to climate shocks. Cyclones and floods are a recurring threat to agriculture and livelihoods – and one that is growing worse due to climate change. By leveraging machine learning and predictive modeling, AI can detect early warning signs of potential hunger crises, such as those caused by extreme weather events in Bangladesh.

While significant progress has been made on early warning systems for cyclones via The STEP Project, tidal surges can be equally destructive and lack warning systems. That is the focus of promising projects like SURF-It (Support for Spatial Surge Forecasting Using Artificial Intelligence and Community Knowledge for Inclusive and Transformative Early Actions). This project will use AI to anticipate tidal surges, which are responsible for coastal flooding. AI monitors are installed along vulnerable coastline communities to sense water velocity, height of the tidal surfs, and other key indicators. The system sends all of this data to a central server. Action Against Hunger monitors the real-time data and notifies people of potential threats through text messages.

The idea of SURF-It is to understand the scope of the loss and damage to be expected from tidal surges “so people can better anticipate that tidal surge event and then they take some action in advance to save their standing crops,” said Tapan Kumar Chakraborty, Action Against Hunger’s Deputy Country Director for Bangladesh. “[Communities] will get this information so they will have two or three days to save their productive assets, to harvest their crops a bit earlier, and to take their livestock to safer places.”

These early-warning measures can make a meaningful difference for marginalized communities. For example, when cyclone Remal made landfall, it was the worst storm to hit Bangladesh in over a decade. While it caused widespread damage, people were prepared. Action Against Hunger had sent out early warning messages to those living in at-risk areas and provided guidance on how to stay safe and protect assets from homes to animals.

With help from the European Union, Action Against Hunger also provided approximately $40 in cash advance to 2,000 of the most vulnerable people so they could buy whatever they needed most urgently to prepare before the storm made landfall. Cash assistance is one of the most effective ways to help families in need. One recipient, whose house is made of wood and corrugated metal on a dirt floor, used the funding to secure their home by tying parts of it to a nearby tree. They also bought mesh to protect their small fishpond so the fish wouldn’t be washed away and bought dried food to eat. These small steps made a big difference in helping the family weather the storm while lowering the risk that they would go hungry once the skies cleared.

With a continued focus on predicting hunger hotspots and providing early warning to those most impacted, we can intervene early to stop hunger in its tracks.

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Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 21 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 59 countries, our 8,900 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.

For a third year, members of the Whirlpool Corporation Global IT team teamed up with the Michigan Council of Women in Technology Foundation (MCWT) for the Girls Rock IT event supported by the Whirlpool Foundation. While parents and guardians attended a session on internet safety and careers in technology, local girls (grades 2-8) learned coding basics and game/app development.

View original content here.

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is a leading home appliance company, in constant pursuit of improving life at home. As the last-remaining major U.S.-based manufacturer of kitchen and laundry appliances, the company is driving meaningful innovation to meet the evolving needs of consumers through its iconic brand portfolio, including Whirlpool, KitchenAid, JennAir, Maytag, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, and InSinkErator. In 2024, the company reported approximately $17 billion in annual sales – close to 90% of which were in the Americas – 44,000 employees, and 40 manufacturing and technology research centers. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com.

DALLAS, April 1, 2025 /3BL/ – Kimberly-Clark has received the 2025 World’s Most Ethical Companies® recognition by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices.

This marks the seventh consecutive year that Kimberly-Clark has been named to this prestigious list and ten times overall. The company is one of only two honorees in the Consumer Products industry. In 2025, 136 honorees were recognized spanning 19 countries and 44 industries.

“This long-standing recognition by Ethisphere reflects the deep commitment of our global teams to lead with integrity and uphold our values every day,” said Grant McGee, General Counsel at Kimberly-Clark. “It is an honor to receive this award, which powerfully affirms the high standards by which Kimberly-Clark fulfills our purpose of providing Better Care for a Better World.”

“Kimberly-Clark’s inclusion on the World’s Most Ethical Companies list for seven consecutive years underscores the company’s steadfast dedication to corporate compliance and ethical culture,” said Erica Salmon Byrne, Ethisphere’s Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Chair. “The company’s long-standing, deep-rooted commitment to upholding the highest standards of ethics and integrity is a powerful example of leadership in business.”

Methodology & Scoring
The World’s Most Ethical Companies assessment is grounded in Ethisphere’s proprietary Ethics Quotient®, which requires companies to provide 240+ different proof points on practices that support robust ethics and compliance; governance; a culture of ethics; environmental and social impact; and initiatives that support a strong value chain. That data undergoes further qualitative analysis by our panel of experts who spend thousands of hours vetting and evaluating each year’s group of applicants. This process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify best-in-class ethics and compliance practices from organizations across industries and from around the world.

Honorees
To view the full list of this year’s honorees, please visit the World’s Most Ethical Companies website, at https://worldsmostethicalcompanies.com/honorees.

About Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) and its trusted brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Fueled by ingenuity, creativity, and an understanding of people’s most essential needs, we create products that help individuals experience more of what’s important to them. Our portfolio of brands, including Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise, Depend, Andrex, Pull-Ups, GoodNites, Intimus, Plenitud, Sweety, Softex, Viva and WypAll, hold No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in approximately 70 countries. We use sustainable practices that support a healthy planet, build strong communities, and ensure our business thrives for decades to come. We are proud to be recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere for the seventh year in a row and one of Fortune’s Most Innovative Companies in America in 2024. To keep up with the latest news and to learn more about the company’s more than 150-year history of innovation, visit the Kimberly-Clark website.

About Ethisphere
Ethisphere is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that strengthen corporate brands, build trust in the marketplace, and deliver business success. Companies turn ethics, compliance, and culture into a business advantage by leveraging Ethisphere’s data-driven program and culture assessments featuring the latest guidance and the practices of hundreds of global organizations across the 8 pillars of an ethical culture, and 240+ ethics, compliance, social, and governance data points delivered through a proprietary software platform. Ethisphere also honors superior integrity programs through World’s Most Ethical Companies® recognition, brings together a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA), and advances ethical business practices through the Global Ethics Summit, Ethisphere Magazine and the Ethicast podcast. For more information, visit https://ethisphere.com.

SOURCE Kimberly-Clark Corporation

View original content here.

AMSTERDAM, HONG KONG, and OAKLAND, Calif., April 1, 2025 /3BL/ – Today, Cascale launched the ninth annual Better Buying Purchasing Practices Index (BBPPI) ratings cycle, a significant milestone in the organization’s integration of key Better Buying Institute (BBI) assets and confirmation that BBI’s positive impact on purchasing practices continues to thrive.

A cornerstone of Cascale’s Support Decent Work for All strategic pillar, the BBPPI is a comprehensive deep dive into purchasing practices across the apparel industry. The survey’s unique methodology enables suppliers – Cascale members and non-members alike – to feed back on their customers’ purchasing practices anonymously and deliver actionable insights. Widely recognized for its credibility, the BBPPI is a trusted benchmark for purchasing practice transparency. In 2024, the BBPPI showed that 70% of participants improved their purchasing practices scores.

“Gone are the days when buyer companies can claim ignorance of responsible purchasing practices or excuse inaction by asserting that there is no way to measure progress on decent work for all,” said Colin Browne, Cascale CEO. “Cascale‘s Better Buying tools are a tried-and-tested, safe way for companies to measure their purchasing practices and track progress, year over year. And we know they work.”

By championing fair purchasing practices, Better Buying tools like the BBPPI help address challenges such as last-minute order changes, delayed payments, and pricing practices that undermine supply chain resilience. These efforts ultimately contribute to improved labor conditions and more sustainable supply chains.

“BBPPI is a secure and anonymous feedback channel, allowing us to share insights that drive meaningful industry improvements,” said Nikhil Hirdaramani, Director, Hirdaramani Group. “This collective input fosters better manufacturing practices and empowers us to build a fairer, more sustainable future together. As a manufacturer, we have experienced how BBPPI supports us, and it is great to see our customers engage constructively and take result-driven actions based on the surveys we have participated in.”

“VF Corporation has long recognized the value of Better Buying’s ratings cycles,” said Sean Cady, VP Global Sustainability, Responsibility, Trade and Government Affairs at VF Corporation, and Cascale Board Director. “The enhanced supply chain, visibility, ability to improve purchasing practices, and tangible business benefits make it a powerful tool for advancing our responsible sourcing efforts.”

Suppliers can submit ratings and access step-by-step guides, supplier testimonials, and FAQs on the Better Buying website. All ratings must be submitted by the deadline of May 31, 2025.

ABOUT CASCALE

Cascale is the global nonprofit alliance empowering collaboration to drive equitable and restorative business practices in the consumer goods industry. Formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cascale owns and develops the Higg Index, which is exclusively available on Worldly, the most comprehensive sustainability data and insights platform. Cascale unites over 300 retailers, brands, manufacturers, governments, academics, and NGO/nonprofit affiliates around the globe through one singular vision: To catalyze impact at scale and give back more than we take to the planet and its people. LinkedIn | X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Mastercard

These days, there’s nothing small about small business. The global economy has always stood on the shoulders of small businesses, and the digital revolution is enabling them to grow beyond Main Street into the world marketplace.

But a larger digital footprint brings risks as well as opportunities — risks that small business owners, who long considered themselves beneath the notice of cybercriminals, are now painfully, and in many cases, personally, aware of.

A forthcoming Mastercard survey of more than 5,000 small and medium-sized business owners across four continents reveals that 46% have experienced a cyberattack on their current business, and nearly one in five that suffered an attack then filed for bankruptcy or closed their business.

The impact of these attacks — most commonly hacking, malware and phishing, according to the survey — puts a financial strain on businesses. Productivity suffers. Reputational damage lingers: Following an attack, 80% said they had to spend time rebuilding trust with clients and partners.

Upping their cyberthreat posture is now a priority for small businesses, and 86% of small and medium-sized businesses have conducted an active cybersecurity risk assessment and have a cyberattack prevention plan. But only 23% are very satisfied with their plan, and only 23% again are very confident in their ability to identify threats. In other words, they know enough to know they don’t know enough.

And cybercriminals know this. With budget and other resources typically dedicated to growing their business rather than protecting it, owners are often their own IT experts. Among their biggest challenges — their own workers, who are the front line in cyber defense and sometimes the weak link as well. In the survey, 73% of these business owners say getting employees to take cybersecurity seriously is a challenge, and only a quarter are very confident in their ability to educate employees on cybersecurity best practices.

They need support. This is an increasingly large part of our mission to help small businesses securely pay, get paid, access capital and digitize their operations. Since 2020, Mastercard has brought more than 50 million small businesses into the digital economy. But only trust will keep them there.

That’s why we’re partnering with other cybersecurity experts and investing in innovation that simplifies yet strengthens cybersecurity approaches so small business owners can focus on what they do best — serving their customers. For example, we’ve customized our flagship RiskRecon vulnerability scanner for small businesses through My Cyber Risk, enabling them to pinpoint, prioritize and act on cybersecurity threats to their websites or apps.

Launched in February, the Mastercard Business Builder program offers credit and debit cards for small businesses with cybersecurity services that help them protect themselves from fraudsters and provide enterprise-grade security technology and expertise. It includes, among other benefits, ID Theft Protection, which provides monitoring, alerts and resolution services to help protect against identity theft.

Though most people associate identity theft with the misuse of personal information, it can and does happen to businesses. Fraudsters can use the identities of business owners or employees to falsely apply for loans, file fake tax refunds or even steal rights to a company’s intellectual property. That’s why we’ve focused the power of open finance on small businesses, with tools that can confirm ownership of accounts, verify account holder identity and even validate the device being used when a small business opens and funds a financial account.

We’re also bringing scale to cybersecurity through new partnerships. For example, with global cyber company VikingCloud, we’re combining Mastercard’s own highly developed risk scoring and evaluation capabilities with VikingCloud’s cybersecurity remediation solutions for its millions of merchant locations worldwide. With CyberMonks, we launched a marketplace for businesses of all sizes to easily find and seamlessly implement tailored cybersecurity and risk management solutions.

As technology evolves and threats change, ongoing education that meets businesses where they are is also crucial. The Mastercard Trust Center is a platform that helps small business owners access research, resources and tools for free in collaboration with our longstanding partners the Global Cyber Alliance, Cyber Readiness Institute, and National Cybersecurity Alliance.

By working together, we can create a safer ecosystem for small businesses. After all, security isn’t just about defense — it’s about enabling growth. The trust it creates is what helps small businesses operate with confidence and thrive without fear.

Johan Gerber is Mastercard’s executive vice president of Security Solutions. Jane Prokop is Mastercard’s global head of Small and Medium Enterprises. 

Originally published by Mastercard

Follow along Mastercard’s journey to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere.