Insights

Cyber security is of the utmost concern for organizations of all kinds.

From the Presidential debates to the front page of the local newspaper, you're seeing it everywhere: a data breach here, an email leak there, thousands of credit card numbers stolen, hundreds of identities compromised.

With the Internet playing such a huge role in global commerce, it's no wonder there's such an intense focus on keeping the data that powers that commerce engine safe from prying eyes and nefarious characters.

Organizations of all kinds spend millions of dollars securing networks, locking down accounts, fending off hackers and more, all in the name of keeping valuable data safe.

If your organization does any kind of business online, from e-commerce sales to email communication, chances are you're taking some steps to protect that data. 

However, there's an unsettling truth to all of these security measures: many organizations completely forget about securing the physical locations where this data is stored and processed.

We're talking, of course, about servers, the backbones of the Internet and keys to any web page visit, Facebook post, online transaction or Tweet.

 

Server rack security protects your customers, company and reputation

Companies have millions upon millions of servers sitting on racks in warehouses and offices around the globe. In fact, some say Google and Microsoft had more than 2 million servers combined in recent years!  

That number has certainly increased, and will only continue to increase as the Age of the Cloud continues.

The frightening reality is that many of these servers are completely unprotected, guarded by nothing more than a card reader on the door to the server room, or even worse: a physical lock and key.

Simply put, such lax security is unacceptable in the modern age and is inviting trouble. Stronger security measures are essential for the following reasons:

 

1. Inside threats are an ever-present, hard-to-control variable.

The vast majority of security attention is focused on outside threats. Organizations are determined to stop hackers or shut down identity thieves, and rightly so, as outside actors are usually the perpetrators.

However, you need a way to ensure that the people in your own organization don't have the opportunity to commit any acts of cyber crime on their own.

We know: the thought leaves a bad taste in your mouth. These are your employees, people you know and trust.

But the reality of the situation is that circumstances and relationships can change, and you don't want to leave your servers vulnerable to a disgruntled employee.

A key to physical server security is a process known as the two-man rule (click the link to view a post on the subject).

Basically, the two-man rule is a rule that requires two access cards to be scanned or swiped in order to open your server racks. 

What's the benefit? 

Physical server security using the two-man rule helps lower the risk of "lone wolf" worker incidents by requiring two parties to be present. 

By taking access away from individuals and instead requiring parties of two, you increase the likelihood of another employee spotting the nefarious action and stopping it in its tracks.

 

2. Your customers' data is the lifeblood of your business.

In the digital world, data is king. 

Data powers every aspect of an organization, from using online databases to keep in touch with customers to processing credit card payments for e-commerce sales.

That's what makes any sort of data breach so crippling: data theft robs you of the lifeblood of your business, and can do irreparable harm to your organization's reputation.

When a customer uses your website to place a order for the latest tech gadget or signs into your customer portal to check on inventory levels, he or she is trusting that the data being entered is secure.

And while you may be doing all you can to keep it digitally secure, it doesn't excuse leaving that same data physically unsecured. 

A data breach can destroy a business. Customer trust is eroded, insurances may have to be paid out and tons of money will be spent trying to discover the source, when it could be as simple as someone walking out of your server room with a hard drive.

What's the benefit? 

By securing your physical data centers, you're placing the welfare of your customers at the forefront of your business and taking steps to ensure you never have to deal with a disastrous data breach.

While they may never know that you're taking these steps, putting the customer first is a common business practice and a great way to make sure your organization is doing the right thing.

 

3. Data centers aren't immune from physical vulnerabilities

While they may be pretty high tech and equipped with the latest in cooling technology and surveillance cameras, most data centers are, at their core, just giant rooms or buildings.

And like other physical structures, data centers aren't immune to unauthorized entry due to physical vulnerabilities.

Simply put: the fact that it's a data center doesn't mean a bad guy with a crowbar can't try to force his way inside.

In fact, there are blog posts written for security professionals on various ways their physical data centers can be "hacked."

You can do all that you can to make sure no one gets into your data center without authorization, but simply assuming your external security is sufficient is not good enough.

What's the benefit? 

By taking steps to secure your server racks with tools like the two-man rule, surveillance video that launches when a rack door is open and more, you're ensuring that even if someone does get unauthorized access to your data center, there isn't much he or she can do inside without you knowing about it.

This serves as a second layer of security, and will help your IT people sleep at night.

 By now, you can see why securing your servers and physical data centers is important. The perfect tool for the job? Rack Armor^™ physical data center security.

Rack Armor offers the two-man rule with multi-party control, integration with leading surveillance video providers, detailed reporting, dynamic mapping and more. 

This award-winning solution is like having eyes on your servers at all times, keeping your data safe and secure.