Data Centres Require Stringent Security Measures to Protect Sensitive Information
Banks and many other businesses accumulate sensitive digitised information and must make every effort to ensure their data centres remain highly secure. Typically, these facilities play a crucial role in the user’s operation, storing and processing client and staff data and hosting software, often shared via a wide-area network. Without suitable countermeasures, these establishments could be at risk from various security threats and might even lose data worth millions. It is, therefore, vital for IT managers to be aware of these potential risks and institute appropriate security strategies.
Common Threats Data Centres Face
Threats to data security can take several forms. The following are among the more common ones.
- Physical Intrusions: Break-ins are an everyday event in South Africa, and data centres are certainly not exempt from this kind of unfavourable attention. An intruder could get away with hardware worth thousands of rands and have no interest in any data they might hold, for which there should generally be a backup source. By contrast, if the intruder is a skilled hacker, the theft of sensitive information could prove disastrous.
A multifaceted approach will provide the best solution. For example, one could protect the premises with a secure access system, preferably linked to a unique biometric, as this will eliminate the risk of card theft. This can be backed up with video surveillance and a silent alarm linked to a local armed security service. Access to data should be limited, protected by strong passwords and the means to record the time and duration of each transaction and the identity of the person who performed it.
- Cyberattacks: The defence against cyberattacks relies as much on the skills and experience of a company’s IT personnel as it does on technology. Taking a course in ethical hacking could prove useful in helping them to detect and fix possible vulnerabilities in data centres. Nevertheless, effective anti-virus measures are equally essential and should be updated regularly.
- Environmental Factors: Not all data losses are due to interventions by intruders or hackers. Sometimes, they may appear to occur spontaneously. The most frequent explanation for such events is an unexpected system anomaly, such as a power failure.
A power outage whilst a server is receiving or processing data can cause it to become corrupted before it can be copied to backup servers. Fortunately, such events are rare as most businesses now cater for power failures by installing an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to provide a temporary AC supply before switching to a backup generator.
In practice, a marked rise in temperature and/or humidity is more likely to be responsible for a server malfunction. Despite a consistent supply of power, air conditioners, fans, and refrigeration units remain susceptible to mechanical failure. In addition to instituting a planned preventative maintenance programme, it will pay to ensure these environmental factors are monitored continuously and remotely so that personnel are apprised of significant changes and can attend to any problems or arrange third-party support as soon as possible.
In practice, many leading South African companies now choose to monitor these factors and more with the help of an iCE365 Visual Control Centre from CCI Technologies.
A Comprehensive Monitoring System for Data Centres
This innovative system combines real-time monitoring with essential management functions to deliver critical information on demand. When installing the iCE365 Visual Control Centre, users can enjoy the following features:
- Continuous monitoring of power levels
- Crucial environmental data, including access, temperature, and humidity levels
- Security monitoring via an IP camera
- Capacity planning
- Asset and change management
- A modelling and simulation facility
- 3D rendering of physical locations with the centre
Together with our professional support, these are compelling reasons for businesses to choose this system to protect their data centres. Why not get in touch to see how we can help secure your sensitive information?
