Many companies have the capability of designing and building their own IT infrastructure and data centers. Management's not a big deal, either, However, rapidly evolving threats and the influx of new information makes it far more difficult to do than at any other time in history. Demands on IT staff are very high and the costs that come with additional workloads are increasing. A recent Forbes Magazine article suggested that out-sourcing some components of the data center to service providers may be in order. By aligning information with a large data center companies can assure safe storage and top-level security for vital data.

Find a provider with biometric technology
One of the key components of choosing a data center provider is what type of security are they using to protect the data center. Using keys or passcards is not going to provide the hard and fast type of security needed to keep internal attacks from taking place. If a provider is using biometric technology, though, the chances are their physical facility will be safer than one using the other protocols.

Fingerprints are unique markers
Biometric security uses a method called fingerprint scanning. An employee places their finger on a scanner and the machine reads the print and stores it in the database. When the worker wants to enter the data center they place their hand on a fingerprint reader. If the data matches what's stored in the system, the doors open and the employee is admitted to the facility. This allows security to maintain stringent access control of the entire data center.

More colocation in the years ahead
A recent CloudTweaks article quoted Forrester's findings that the colocation market around the world will see financial totals of $241 billion by the year 2020. That's a jump from $40 billion in 2010. Forbes advised colocation to a data center near company headquarters to ensure peace of mind for managers worrying that data too far away is information in danger of being lost or compromised.

A number of companies running their own data centers have been caught up in trying to chase the changing technology and threats and that becomes a revenue loser after a short period of time. Moving to a data center that is run correctly and stays abreast of all the new threats and protects all the data with biometric technology is quickly becoming a viable alternative to companies operating their own data center.

A Customer Experience article had some tips on what businesses should look for in choosing a data center along with biometric security. Make sure the company knows about government regulations and is in compliance with all local and federal requirements. Also check on how they store the data and under what security protocols they are operating. If not using a biometric solution then a company may not want to locate their proprietary information there. Knowing what the provider obligations to protection of personal data should dictate whether or not they have their clients' best interest at heart. 

In the United States there are a number of measures, technical, physical and within the organization that provide security options for personal data. Should a breach occur, civil penalties can be astronomical in cost providing incentive for operators to run a secure and efficient operation.

Operating a data center can be a revenue loser if companies don't understand the ramifications of data loss. Colocating to a data center operation that is laden with biometric security and multiple layers of protection is a way companies can actually save money, protect their critical data and re-position how their IT and security teams to better serve the company.

Download our whitepaper here to see how RSA achieved regulatory compliance with Digitus Biometrics.