Security Trends At Co-location Centers
One reason companies choose to locate their mission-critical software and hardware
in third-party co-location centers is because they have higher physical and procedural security measures. Security procedures at co-location centers encompass physical access to servers and hardware, protection against floods, power outages, fire and other environmental disasters. In addition companies can get local and remote access to applications and data stored on the hardware.
As technology has changed, the risk factors affecting security and monitoring have changed. This article will discuss how co-location centers have kept up with these new security risks.
Industry experts recommend individuals or businesses monitor co-location centers security efforts in areas of access control, power and temperature control
Access Control
Co-location centers house the critical infrastructure all companies rely on to enable their business. As a result, physical security is of the utmost importance for all data centers. In addition, physical control of who can access the data center is critical for companies to establish and maintain key industry certifications, minimize risk and ensure data protection.
In the co-location arena, physical security goes well beyond just protecting the customer's assets. Security processes will determine a customer's ability to pass SAS-70, Sarbanes-Oxley audits, and meet PCI and HIPPA requirements. Passing such audits is greatly dependent on the effectiveness of the access control systems and related processes employed by the co-location provider.
A co-location provider's ability to meet a customer's control requirements is critical to the selection process. The factors to consider are threefold:
- Techonology (Seen and Unseen) - What technology is deployed to monitor and control access
- People (Seen and Unseen) - What personnel are deployed to oversee the security posture of the facility
- Processes - What are the processes followed to administer effective security by the provider.
Effective security relies equally on each of these three areas. Customers considering co-location centers should ensure they thoroughly understand these three areas. Proper access control for each facility will help ensure important standards can be met and maintained by the provider.
Power
Power outages and fluctuations are bound to happen in businesses, but they are anticipated and planned for by co-location centers. Co-location service agreements commonly specify the co-location facility will provide back up power sources to protect against power related problems.
In the past, utility companies were relatively reliable. Power levels could be expected to fluctuate but total power outages were rare and brief. Power-conditioning equipment was used to provide steady frequency and voltage to equipment handled fluctuations in power supplied by utility companies. Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) powered by batteries was furnished in case of outages and provided enough time to either conduct an orderly showdown of numerous servers or restore utility power.
However, because any shutdown of servers today is likely to have significant negative impact on a business's revenue, it is essential the co-location centers supply power continuously under all circumstances.
Co-location centers compete for clients in part by providing a guaranteed uptime. Additional protections against power outages and fluctuations have also become normal business practices.
Power outages appear to last longer and are more frequent than in previous years because the demand for electricity has increased faster than the utility companies ability to generate energy. This situation is partially due to the decades-old infrastructure of power companies. These factors have driven co-location centers to implement longer-running backup generators to provide redundant power source in case of a utility power outage.
Co-location centers can no longer rely on a single generator to guarantee the high levels of uptime needed by today's colocation client. Two or more sources of alternative power have become the industry standard.
Temperature Control
Early co-location centers depended on standard air conditioning systems to maintain the ideal operating temperatures. However, today processor heat generation and rack density have grown and co-location centers now require more sophisticated cooling systems.
New co-location facilities are designed from the ground up to promote and ensure efficient airflow throughout all racks. Air-powered cooling systems cool the entire rack from the top to the bottom evenly and supply higher levels of cooling to hotter areas. Modern day cooling systems also reduce electricity bills and lower customer costs by working to make more efficient use of cooling energy.
Liquid-driven cooling systems have become increasingly more common in co-location centers. They are capable of transferring heat from processors at a higher rate and offer more point-specific cooling efficiency.
by: Michael Duckett
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