Sustainability of the Cybersecurity and Climate: A Review of the Interconnectivity

Abstract

Climate change is a global issue common to the whole world regardless of continent, nationality, tribe, sex, or age. The temperature is rising due to the greenhouse effect as the greenhouse-gas emissions in the atmosphere are increasing. The average global temperature is increasing continuously and is predicted to rise by 2oC until 2100, which would cause substantial economic losses at the global level. Cybersecurity is likewise a global issue common to everyone, just as climate change and its interaction with the physical world phenomena (e.g., weather, climate, water, and oceans) is mostly not found in modern information technology systems. The ability to relate the current climate change impact with the latest cybersecurity scenario, calls for scrutinization and making necessary recommendations. Many aspects of the cyber-security system are not known to relate to climate change and are highly fragmented. The connection between the cybersecurity system and climate change needs to be studied through a multidisciplinary approach to recommend the best way to manage these systems for sustainability, thus making both cyber laws, climate laws, and policy more effective to address any impacts they might pose to humanity. This report presents the relationships between climate change and cybersecurity while identifying their positive and negative impacts, as well as recommending ways to mitigate the impacts. Keywords: Climate change, Cybersecurity, Sustainability, Cyberattack, Interconnectivity