As far as 'green' computing is concerned, the IT industry does not have a particularly good record. In the past, it has been poor in a whole range of 'green' areas, including power consumption, the use of toxic substances, over-packaging, air conditioning and product life cycle.
However, customer demand is now causing 'green' issues to become increasingly important in IT. Companies are looking more and more at implementing 'green' policies, both in their use of IT systems and in the design, manufacture and disposal of computer equipment. Those responsible for securing IT networks are also beginning to look at whether the solutions they choose live up to 'green' principles.
The first step is to look at suppliers and their approach to 'green' policies. Typically, a 'green' supplier would implement 'green' issues throughout the company and in product design and manufacture.
Does the supplier create designs that reduce materials usage and waste, minimise packaging, increase recyclability, lengthen life cycles, and minimise energy consumption, in all aspects of distribution and operation? Are the company's products designed to comply with specific environmental directives and legislation?
IT security staff might also consider the use of UTMs as a 'green' component of their security. According to IDC, the minimum requirement for a UTM is a firewall, VPN, antivirus and intrusion detection/prevention.
