As organisations prioritise sustainability, the traditional focus has been reducing the carbon footprint of data centres, servers and other core IT infrastructure. However, security devices can account for up to 20% of total IT energy consumption, according to a 2021 Energy Consumption by ICT and Cybersecurity at the Time of COP26 article from iotac.eu, forming a significant part of it. To achieve their sustainability goals, organisations must, therefore, consider the energy efficiency of their security systems and integrate them into their broader sustainable IT strategies.

By fostering collaboration between CIOs and CISOs, organisations can create a more unified and effective approach to reducing environmental impact. This partnership can then make meaningful change across a range of areas, one of which is applying a sustainability lens to the organisation’s security strategy. 

When assessing security devices, it’s natural to focus on their technical capabilities - processing power, throughput and protection against the latest threats. However, it's also essential to evaluate their energy consumption, lifespan and carbon footprint associated with their production, operation and disposal.

Newer generations of security devices, such as next-generation firewalls and security appliances, often offer the same or better performance as older models but with significantly lower energy usage.

Next-generation firewalls deliver enhanced energy efficiency, reducing power usage and carbon footprint. With improved utilisation and throughput, they handle increased bandwidth without needing additional hardware, cutting down on energy consumption. Smaller and more compact appliances are another environmentally friendly feature of advanced devices. Their reduced size means they require fewer raw materials to manufacture, consume less energy for cooling and have a lower impact on transportation. These factors contribute to a more sustainable security infrastructure, making next-generation devices an environmentally responsible choice for any organisation looking to optimise security and sustainability.

But how can organisations accurately measure the environmental impact of their security devices and make informed comparisons to choose the most sustainable options?

At BT, we understand that achieving sustainability in your IT and security infrastructure requires more than just incremental changes - it demands a comprehensive approach. That's why we offer an end-to-end journey that begins with our Digital Carbon Calculator, a tool that provides a clear view of your current security devices' carbon footprint. Fortinet devices are integrated into this calculator, so we can generate baseline estimated carbon emissions for these devices as part of an overall view of how your existing devices contribute to your overall environmental impact.

Once you've assessed your current setup, we guide you to the next step: identifying and implementing more energy-efficient alternatives. For instance, if you're currently using a Fortinet D series device, we can recommend newer models like the F series, which delivers the same or even enhanced performance while reducing energy consumption by an average of 66%.

Additionally, our Carbon Network Dashboard enables real-time monitoring of your network’s carbon footprint, giving you continuous visibility and control over the environmental impact of your Fortinet infrastructure throughout its lifecycle. 

We’ve partnered with Fortinet for over twenty years, and together, we develop comprehensive solutions to reduce your carbon footprint, lower your operational costs and secure a sustainable future for your business.

Our joint expertise combines Fortinet’s wealth of industry experience and leader status with the global reach delivered by our 3,000 security professionals, making us one of the world's largest security and business continuity practices.

Both our organisations have made significant progress towards increased sustainability. At BT, we’ve been committed to change since setting our first carbon reduction target in 1992. Since FY17, we’ve cut the intensity of our operations’ carbon emissions by 61% and reduced supply chain emissions by 25%. Fortinet's 2023 Sustainability Report shows it is proud to now use 100% renewable energy.

Our sustainability drive continues: Fortinet is improving the power efficiency of its FortiGate appliances - their 2023 Sustainability Report shows 2023 models consume, on average, 62% less power than the previous generation of equivalent models. We have cut our global energy consumption by an extra 140 GWh this year – a 4% reduction from FY23.

With our Carbon Calculator showing your security devices’ carbon footprint and our Carbon Network Dashboard giving you real-time monitoring of your network’s carbon footprint, including the environmental impact of your Fortinet infrastructure, you can take a significant step forward.

Speak to your account manager today to make your security infrastructure more sustainable with our tools and expertise, or visit our dedicated webpages about security consulting and sustainability.