Your data center houses the most crucial information about your business and its optimum security is essential for its very existence. Loss of data can have severe implications for your business and result in the re-allotment of valuable resources to retrieve, reconstruct or repair the said data or even replace the existing faulty security measures with enhanced ones. Also in danger is your business’s name if a breach in security becomes generally known and you have to take measures to re-establish your reputation.
Threats to the Security of a Data Center
The data center of a business faces a variety of potential hazards. There is of course an ever-present risk imposed by natural disasters. In recent times there has been an increase in terrorist activities all over the world some of which have also targeted important businesses. But the most prevailing and universal risk that data centers world over face every day is from corporate espionage. Your data center and its IT apparatus is at a constant risk of unlawful theft if not well secured to the best of your abilities by utilizing the most advanced security and encryption tools.
Securing Your Location
The most effective security measures are the ones that are incorporated into the initial design of the data center instead of being put in place as addendum. First and foremost you should take external measures that will ensure safety and privacy for the data center’s site and keep intruders at bay. Here are 5 key points to keep in mind when selecting the location of your data center building to physically safeguard the property.
- Select an appropriate location. The site of your data center should be far away from any main road and should ideally not be situated near chemical plants or airports and in areas that are highly prone to recurrent episodes of hurricanes, floods or earthquakes.
- Build resistant walls. Appropriate consideration should be given to the walls enclosing your data center. Solid concrete walls are not only inexpensive but can even endure explosives.
- Discard any windows. Windows can compromise the security of your data center and should generally be avoided. However if you need windows in the break room then install resistant bullet-proof glass.
- Utilize landscape features. Tall trees and thorny bushes are very effective from blocking passing eyes and thieving intruders. Bollard planters can also be placed around the property.
- Stick to two entrances. A main entrance and an entry for loading at the back are safe, sufficient and also cost effective. This way you limit the access points to the interior of the center. As for fire exit doors, do not put in handles on the outer side.
Electronic Locking Mechanisms
The cabinets in your data center contain the entire equipment crucial to the workings of your business. Secure them with electro-mechanical locking mechanisms that prevent unauthorized access. These electronic locking systems when coupled with access control devices like digital card readers or fingerprint recognition software can ensure the security of your hardware.
Data center managers can also monitor activity by keeping track of the time and duration of access as well as note the credentials of the employee who has accessed the mechanism. All data pertaining to the locking mechanisms is recorded on the network and aids in speedy identification of breaches in security.
Data Monitoring and Encryption
Protection of the company’s personal information saved on the network is highly imperative. In order to prevent unwanted and corrupt data from entering your network you have to monitor what comes in and what goes out. Firewalls should be installed to prevent entry of harmful components while data encryption should be religiously practiced to shield data from prying eyes and prevent its manipulation.
Every data center manager is fully aware of just how important their job is to ensure the survival of a company and how critical the data that they are tasked with protecting is. Loss of data is an invariable source of worry as is any kind of physical damage the hardware on the data center may undergo. It would not be out of line to call the data center your company’s most important sector. Every day business activities can be carried on normally due to fully secured data centers without which any business could be in jeopardy.
About the Author
This is a guest post by Mark Bennett of OnlineComcast.com, a site that offers savings and current information on Comcast cable. Go to website and check out the Comcast Offers.