Everyone knows the data center is the hub of any business operation. Protecting the center is also a business strategy rooted in common sense. So, in order to make the data center the best it can be what do company managers and security staff need to have?
Security first and foremost
Making the center secure and inviolable is a no-brainer but how does a company ensure that they are safe? Singlehop is a high-tech blog and they suggested that hardening physical security in a 24/7 manner is a requirement for all Tier III and above data centers. Those companies with centers below the Tier III level should also make sure that their physical access points to the facility are very secure with camera usage as an added protection. Fingerprint scanning is a tested and true method of making sure access control is not compromised.
Controlling the environment
The equipment required to run a large data center takes considerable cooling to keep the machinery operating. Making sure that no humidity or water pools anywhere in the data center is crucial as any water impact on networks or wiring could be disastrous. Also having a back-up system, or redundancy plan is vital, said Singleghop, because if power goes out the potential data losses could be considerable.
Asking vital questions about the data center will also help to determine what needs to be in-place.The Data Center Journal said company executives should know the needs the security staff have for protecting the center. The Journal article suggested making notes on what needs staffers point out and knowing which suggestions are critical and necessary and which are fluff items that can be culled for later deployment.
An oft-cited concern of company management is the theft of data from inside the company. A recent Tech Target study showed that a large number of companies reported insider thefts fro their data centers. Loss of reputation not to mention the large financial losses incurred by such breaches have companies increasingly turning to biometric technology for some help. Hardening and locking down the data center and company server cabinets can be done easily and very securely with a fingerprint scanner.
Fingerprints can’t be duplicated
When a company deploys a biometric security system employees have their fingerprints scanned into a database. Those fingerprints are then read by points. The entire fingerprint is not read but a number of points collected from an employee print are and then entered into record. Because fingerprints are non-duplicable any person trying to gain entry to secure areas of the company facility must have a print that matches one in the system. Biometric access control prevents unauthorized access of the center by potential criminal elements and helps ensure private and otherwise sensitive data remains safe.
Singlehop also advised that because data operations are so vast things can quickly go awry in an unorganized data center. Having strict inventory control and a clean and dry center environment is vital and companies also need to focus on emergency procedures. In an emergency, said Singlehop, disaster is right around the corner if staff members are unsure about what to do or where to go should trouble arise.
Between biometric security, fingerprint scanning, good organization and teamwork company officials can pretty much cover all the angles of protecting a data center but once the infrastructure is in place it’s then up to personnel to ensure all safety and security procedures are followed. Making certain everyone in the data center is on the same page can help avert any potential disasters and keep big losses from occurring and impacting a company’s bottom line.