As more and more businesses invest in data centers to efficiently store and manage company data, its becoming increasingly clear that we need to have a discussion about data center integrity and what can be done to mitigate the risks that could potentially come into play at any given moment.
5 Ways to Protect a Data Center
A data center isnt something to be taken lightly. Whether you design your own, purchase a pre-fabricated data center, or lease one, advanced protection is an absolute must. Here are a few things to be thinking about:
1. Control Physical Access
While you could argue that controlling physical access is second to securing network and system access (in terms of priorities), its a good idea to start with the physical side of things. Thats because controlling physical access to your data center is a much easier challenge. It lets you get a small win from the start and gives you one less thing to worry about.
A common strategy is to look at your data center in terms of zones. IT pro Rutrell Yasin likes the idea of using three zones. As he explains, One zone would be for researchers to test and stage equipment, one would provide more control over which development work on applications and systems is performed before putting them into production, and a production zone, which only core systems administrators could access.
2. Limit Virtual Access
Once youre sure that there arent any on-premise threats whether intentional or accidental you can turn your attention to limiting virtual access and protecting your network. This is known as logical security.
Logical security includes securing your networks with firewalls, running antispyware and virus-detection programs on servers and network-addressed storage systems, says Greg Schulz of ComputerWorld.com No storage security strategy would be complete without making sure that applications, databases, file systems and server operating systems are secure to prevent unauthorized or disruptive access to your stored data.
3. Invest in Cooling Solutions
For many data centers, the biggest threat comes internally and it has nothing to do with employees. Data centers of any size can easily become overheated, which can literally destroy physical hardware and the data they store. Thats why every business needs to spend some time seriously considering their data centers cooling system.
There are a variety of cooling solutions available on the market. They all work differently and require varying investments. You should meet with a professional that specializes in data cooling and work to understand your specific needs.
4. Step Up Surveillance
Its important that you know whats going on at all times in and around your data center. Thats why many companies choose to install surveillance cameras at access points. There are a variety of cost-effective technologies available in this area, so theres really no reason not to add this extra layer of protection.
5. Plan for Natural Disasters
The final tip is to plan for natural disasters. You obviously cant fully plan for an act of god, but the point is that you need some sort of documented response ready for tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other storms that could cause power outages, water damage, and other ill-effects.
Leave Nothing to Chance
You may be thinking to yourself, Nobodys targeting my data center. Were just a small company without much to offer a hacker. And while that may be true, we arent just talking about criminal activity. Data center protection is also about preventing system failures, being prepared for natural disasters, and leaving nothing to chance.
Leading businesses take a proactive stance on data center protection do you?
