Data Centre Security – Is my data safe?

If you are in the process of moving your data to a data centre, you are probably thinking that all data centres offer the same facilities, services and security. But with so many data centres vying for your business it’s important that the centre you decide to go with meets your expectations.

Data centres can store data for multiple companies or even just one dedicated company. As the information they hold on behalf of their client/s is extremely sensitive, they must have robust security measures in place to protect them from both physical and digital threats.

If you have never used a data centre before, here’s a very brief overview of some of the security best practices your potential data centre should have.

Location

For ease you may start looking for a data centre that is geographically located near you, but you may also want to consider the data centre’s physical location. If a data centre is in an area that is prone to flooding for instance or indeed an area that has frequent power cuts, you may want to reconsider using them as they may have reliability issues.

Physical Security

All data centres should have physical security comprising of several elements. External security should include perimeter fencing which may have razor wire, CCTV and 24/7 security guards. The building should have few external windows and limited door entry points. Internally there should also be CCTV as well as barriers and secure man traps along with bio-metric access features and a manual logbook.

Software Security

Malware, hacks and spyware threats are a constant threat to any data. A data centre will have a Security Information and Event Management tool (SIEM) installed to identify threats to identify any changes to normal operations. Depending on the system it may take action to counterattack the threat and will also send alerts and notifications, so that further investigations can immediately be undertaken. To find out more about SIEM follow this link: https://www.gartner.com/en/information-technology/glossary/security-information-and-event-management-siem

Access Control

All visitors to a data centre should be monitored. Internal staff will be cleared for security as they will have access to all areas of the building to undertake maintenance. You should check how stringent the checks are and how they are implemented. It may also be worthwhile finding out if the data centre you are considering ever uses outsourced companies to help with maintenance as this could easily create a security breach.

Environmentally Friendly

As we all become more environmentally aware, how energy efficient your data centre is could have a major influence on the one you choose. Data centres are one of the biggest industries that use a frightening amount of energy. However, there are things that can be done so why not check with your data centre to see how it is improving its carbon footprint. From turning off old servers to using solar panels, from hydro power to replacing old equipment with more efficient modern equipment, many data centres are taking steps to reduce their emissions and if not, then maybe they’re not the right data centre for you. Visit Green Grid (https://www.thegreengrid.org/) for further information of how data centres are becoming more environmentally friendly.

for more details: https://www.thegreengrid.org/