DNS Belgium sets the bar high for safety and sustainability. Like LCL
Security is the absolute top priority for DNS Belgium, which has been responsible for managing the .be, .vlaanderen and .brussels domains since 1999. “The commitment to security and sustainability is essential for us because our equipment is housed in LCL’s data centers and, as a non-profit organization with a socially important mission, we set the bar high,” said Philip Du Bois, General Manager at DNS Belgium.
The G in ESG – reliable service, compliance, data security… – is a given for DNS Belgium. “Security is our top priority,” says Philip Du Bois. “Suppose someone managed to divert our system through a popular domain name to servers with malware, you can imagine how many surfers would be infected in a very short time. We are a very coveted target, which makes us want to keep our own systems as secure as possible. If we are down, much of the Belgian Internet economy is down.”
“For fake web shops, we are not responsible, but we do make a proactive effort to detect them because we feel that is part of our responsibility and essential to create consumer confidence within the .be zone. Feel free to think of it as a competitive advantage that we want to build out for .be versus a .com that pays much less attention to that. Together with the FPS Economy, we are looking for such practices. When we get on the trail of major malware or phishing campaigns, we work with FCCU (Federal Computer Crime Unit).”
For DNS Belgium, it is of existential importance that the partners with whom they work demonstrate that same concern for data security. “That safety is linked to sustainability. We launched a sustainability strategy in 2016 and one of the four pillars is data security in our system and by extension the entire Belgian ecosystem.”
“LCL's first sustainability report puts the data center company at the front of the pack. An excellent position, because customers will expect more and more from their suppliers in terms of ESG.”
Philip Du Bois — General Manager DNS Belgium
Anticipate
DNS Belgium calls the publication of LCL’s first sustainability report “very commendable”. Philip Du Bois: “Sustainability is part of our decision parameters today when we look for a supplier. Now we have been LCL customers for a long time and there was no question of that when we partnered up, but sooner or later we would definitely knock on the door to see what you guys are doing in terms of ESG. In that respect, LCL anticipates the demand that is sure to come in the future.”
Philip Du Bois sees LCL’s efforts as a plus for its own ESG ambitions. Even if, at this point, he cannot assign a concrete number or KPI to it. “This year we are mapping our largest suppliers (based on the footprint we have with them as customers) very clearly to see what those parties are doing in terms of ESG. DNS Belgium is too small to include all suppliers in that exercise, which means we have to prioritize and LCL is not part of that materiality index for now.”
A must in the future
“I think all the steps we are taking now around ESG are going to become a must in the future. More and more customers will have increasing demands,” predicts Philip Du Bois. “We are a non-profit organization with a mission that serves society and so I think we should be a forerunner for all these sustainability expectations. DNS Belgium must lead by example. Not that we as a small player can change much, but we can inspire others. In that sense, what LCL is doing with the first sustainability report is also very pertinent.”
