How to Secure a Data Center

I’m always on the hunt for relevant info and I loved this - one of the best articles I’ve seen on this topic for a while. Here are a few paragraphs as a taster...

Elements of a secure data center

Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) – Backup generators and UPS systems allow you to keep your infrastructure up and running when you have a power outage – important (for one thing) so that you maintain the uptime listed in your service level agreement (SLA) with customers.

Environmental controls – Cooling is essential to data centers: if you have too much heat, your hardware will be more likely to become defective and will need to be replaced more frequently. Servers create an enormous amount of heat, so they are essentially a threat to themselves. Environmental controls keep them cool and safe. Fire suppression is another control that is needed.

Steps to improve the security of a data center

Step 1 – Phase out legacy equipment.

Both your security stance and your ability to deliver services efficiently will be negatively affected by the use of legacy hardware. Aging servers and networking components must be maintained for protection (through updates/patches) but often are not. While an older machine may seem worthwhile to keep because it is functional, it actually is a threat to the business because it is an exploitable attack vector – so while the system may function in isolation, it could lead to dysfunction for the entire business. As an indication of that vulnerability, Bill Kleyman noted for data center cooling firm Upsite, “I’ve seen both security incidents as well as data center failures happen because of older gear.”

This is what TotalServerSolutions says. If you want to keep reading with any of that content, by all means, click here.

Please feel free to contact TechFlow if you want something in Sydney, or talk to me as TechFlow has adopted similar strategies for customers in Australia.

Contact me on (0433) 906-366 or send an email at [email protected] for any thoughts and perspectives.

Thanks,

Shah