With all the recent security breaches and data center incursions, company managers are scrambling to come up with best and strongest security possible for their vital outposts. Physical server cabinet protection is a vital operation and burgeoning technology has given security teams and their bosses many options from which to choose. A SANS Institute report recently outlined just what companies can do if they're looking to lock-down their server cabinets and data centers.
Determine the threats
There are many different threats company management has to address during the course of an average business day, but the ones that threaten a data center include natural disasters, which a company can only prepare for, emergencies, which have a protocol in place, and human malfeasance. In situations that can pose the possibility of a physical breach to the data center, having proper controls established, in place and ready to deploy are all critical strategies that company managers should have in case of an event.
Biometric technology
Traditional security disciplines like keys and passwords are slowly being replaced by significantly more difficult regimens to bypass. Biometric security employs singular and unduplicable employee templates that will allow or prevent access to critical areas of the business facility. If the server cabinets are in an older building, making certain the exterior access points are secured is vital to the successful protection of data, said the report. Along with cameras and recording devices, having the exterior of the building equipped with fingerprint scanners provides stronger and virtually foolproof way of access control. By using fingerprints as the sole means of entry procedure, company security can keep tabs on who is accessing any given area of the facility and can keep unauthorized personnel away from data that, if compromised, could cause huge headaches for the company. Regular security checks should be implemented and conducted correctly. Slacking off on routine security measures can lead to mistakes in access control putting company information in jeopardy.
Separate rooms
Increasingly, companies are keeping their data center and server cabinets separate for better security. A Utilize Windows report said that having server cabinets in high traffic areas is a disaster waiting to happen and keeping them in a secure room protected by fingerprint scanning will keep everyone away from the server room unless they are cleared for access.
Backing up data
A Seacoast Online story described how backing up data is perhaps the most proactive measure any company official can take. An email archiving program can protect some information that could contain proprietary information and Seacoast advised that a third party archiving solution will be solid protection. If a business wants to eradicate everything on the hard drive, finding a certified hard drive destruction company is a good idea, but make certain to have receipts for pick-up and disposal. That way a chain of command is established in case the data ever winds up where it's not supposed to be and establishes liability.
Biometric technology is a sure-fire way to protect a data center or server cabinet that is cost efficient, highly secure and cutting-edge enough that not many miscreants have been able to breach with traditional or conventional means. By using fingerprint scanning and biometric security company management can be assured that the server room and data center will be safe and protected, keeping company records and other vulnerable data out of the hands of people who would use it for black market profit or other malicious intentions.
Maintaining a secure physical operation is the first step toward ensuring the continued success of a well-run business.
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