Trust and Responsibility in a Digital Age
SUMMARY
- HPE strives not only to identify the impacts to the environment and human rights caused by disruptive innovations like IoT or AI, but actively works to mitigate them
- Conducting business ethically is a core value that anchors everything we do at HPE
- Advancing new privacy enhancements for data processing is crucial to putting technology to work for the public good
- HPE leads the industry with policies and programs that protect the human rights of workers in our supply chain, and we factor these increasingly stringent social and environmental standards into our purchasing decisions
We live in an exciting time.
Technological innovations have the potential to solve some of society’s biggest challenges. But no advancement comes without unintended risks and adverse impacts. That is why even as people become increasingly dependent on technology in their daily lives, they are simultaneously growing more and more distrustful of that technology and those who provide it.
As a leader in the tech sector, Hewlett Packard Enterprise strives not only to identify the impacts to the environment and human rights caused by disruptive innovations like the internet of things (IoT) or artificial intelligence (AI), but actively works to mitigate them. We must prove that we are responsible corporate citizens by endeavoring to create sustainable and equitable outcomes for the world.
To do that, a company must be committed to strong ethics and governance in how it operates. Each year HPE reports on our policies, positions, and performance against environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues in our Living Progress Report – released this week. We are increasingly finding that our commitment to these issues is a key differentiator for our customers that helps us win business. Customers want to work with an organization that not only offers innovative products and services, but one that does so in the right way.
Starting with high ethical standards
In 2018, HPE was recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute – one of only four technology companies to be included in the list. Ethisphere considered criteria in five categories in their ratings: ethics and compliance programs, organizational culture, corporate citizenship and responsibility, governance, and leadership and reputation.
Conducting business ethically is a core value that anchors everything we do at HPE. We maintain the trust of our employees, customers, and business partners by operating responsibly and setting world-class standards throughout our supply chain to protect our planet and human rights.Protecting privacy and security rights
Protecting privacy and security rights
As technology becomes more complex, so do the threats against it. In 2017, the cost of cybercrime climbed 23% compared to 2016, averaging $11.7 million per organization. One estimate suggests that cybercrime will cost the world economy $6 trillion annually by 2021.
Our customers expect our products and services to be secure, protect their privacy, and facilitate their operations in a data-rich environment. Business is experiencing an explosion of data and, with it, increased needs for collection, sharing, and use of sensitive personal and business information. Because of this, HPE has integrated strong security measures and privacy controls into everything we do:
- HPE is a strong proponent of security by design. Our devices and systems address security up front during product/system design rather than as an afterthought, minimizing vulnerabilities and leading to greater protection for personal and sensitive data. And HPE is the only company to develop our servers following the high standards of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-53 controls.
- We work with our customers to future-proof their businesses: Through HPE Pointnext, we advise customers on privacy programs, providing risk assessment, systems design, and technology-implementation services.
- In 2018, we endorsed the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace, an international declaration between NGOs, companies, and governments to develop common principles for cybersecurity.
Advancing new privacy enhancements for data processing is crucial to putting technology to work for the public good. For example, health care providers need a huge database to determine which treatments are most effective- a life-saving application of technology, but one that is only feasible if the data behind it is secure and privacy is protected.
Advocating for human rights
Of course, technological disruption also has negative impacts on humans that must be addressed to ensure equity in the outcomes that new technology brings. One major economic concern, particularly for those in lower-skilled jobs and the socioeconomically disadvantaged, is the displacement of workers due to automation.
As we incorporate disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence and the internet of things into our products and operations, we must keep in mind the impact and potential for harm these changes could have on workers and the communities in which they live.
However, technology can also be part of the solution here: building the workforce of the future and closing the digital divide for the half of the world’s population that is still not online. At HPE we’re leveraging our unique strengths to drive positive change–from using AI to set girls on the path to STEM careers, to creating digital literacy classrooms reaching 50,000 students across India.
