ENSURING DATA CENTERS' PHYSICAL SECURITY
Eric Ruschena
Security Expert Business Development Manager MEA & Asia @ CIAS Elettronica
VIRTUAL VALUES, REAL DAMAGES
We often realize how precious something is only when we no longer have it available. With the invisible digital data so strictly linked to our daily life, this is the case, for the individual as for all companies up to large entities. It is therefore right to include among critical infrastructures DATA CENTERS, i.e. the places where digital data are stored. As a matter of facts violation of those high-value intangible assets can create huge damages not only financially but also to the reputation of companies.
DATA CENTER, A SENSITIVE SITE
The heart of the Data Center is all the IT equipment needed to store data: servers, switches, routers, power and cooling infrastructures, and telecommunications equipment, usually housed in bulky cabinets. Depending on the size of the data center, at a simpler level this can occupy a single building, perhaps located in a shared space, or a cluster that covers a large area mostly located outside the town for greater security. Recently, to contain the environmental impact of these highly energy-intensive plants, the most sustainable data centers are powered by a photovoltaic field in the same area.?
SECURITY PROTOCOLS, NOT ONLY TO PREVENT CYBER ATTACKS
The securing of Data Centers cannot be limited to - perhaps more obviously - virtual network protection measures from cyber attacks aimed to steal sensitive data, such as hacking, malware and spyware, but must also include adequate physical solutions to prevent unauthorized access to infrastructure. Physical Security as a whole includes all protocols for the prevention of damage to electronic equipment, whether these derive from natural disasters or whether they are the result of sabotage, industrial espionage or terrorist attack aimed at service disruption.?
AN INVISIBLE BUT SOLID PERIMETER OF SECURITY
领英推荐
Among the physical attack prevention techniques there are structural measures such as the concentration of the entrance on a single access point, turnstiles, fences and other physical barriers, private guards and CCTV system. In synergy with these the measures it must be implemented a first line of defence, to intercept the attempted intrusion preventing it from succeeding, that is the perimeter intrusion detection systems. In the case of big data center deployed in many buildings located into a large outdoor area to be protected, environmental conditions must also be taken into account, for which microwave barriers are the ideal solution.
No doubt an integrated solution with various systems working in connection is the best option, preventing data theft or damages to equipment even before the software security is put to the test. The identification of the most appropriate defense technology will therefore start from the site’s risk assessment. SYNAPSES the new self-adaptive multisensor system offers perfect integration between CCTV video areas and perimeter sensors.
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