technology: secure hosting 25


Securing data centre networks


In today’s digital world, is data centre security the only logical choice? asks Matt Hawkins, chairman, C4L


We all now live in an information society where knowledge and therefore data, really is power. The Internet and IP networks are no longer just about email and web browsing, but are the foundation of for a wide spectrum of critical business services, the main transport mechanism for data, voice and video.


Colocation necessity


With the increasing importance to organisations of all sizes, in every sector, the resultant reliance on security and demand for storage is also growing by the day. It is essential for organisations to be able to reliably and securely connect with their customers, partners and employees; so that they can effectively and efficiently


share, store, process, secure and backup information. As the cost of building, maintaining and scaling an on-premise solution storage becomes prohibitive; many UK businesses are considering colocation as a logical and reliable alternative. But some businesses are still reticent to do this, citing concerns over security or having had their fingers burnt in the past by offsite hosting companies that confuse or worry them.


However, by selecting the correct colocation provider, businesses can realise significant benefits by migrating their critical business systems into a dedicated data centre facility, where the costs for space, power and security systems are shared, in a dedicated, resilient facility. Service providers and resellers that provide a wide range


C4L accredited as a Living Wage employer


C4L has become one of the first organisations in the sector to become an accredited Living Wage employer


The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually, based on the cost of living in the UK. The Living Wage campaign has been running for 10 years and has lifted over 45,000 people out of poverty.


C4L began the process by reviewing salaries and ensuring changes were made for any staff’s wages who didn’t meet the Living Wage rate, including investment in sub-contractors such as cleaning staff so that all individuals employed by C4L were covered under the accreditation. When you pay someone the Living Wage it’s about more than just the money, it’s about a life worth living.


An independent study of the business benefits of implementing a Living Wage policy in London found that more than 80% of employers believe that the Living Wage had enhanced the quality of the work of their staff, while absenteeism had fallen by approximately 25%. 66% of employers reported a significant impact on recruitment and retention within their organisation. 70% of employers felt that the Living Wage had increased consumer awareness of their organisation’s commitment to be an ethical employer.


Laura Swann C4L’s HR manager said: “C4L chose to pay the


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – MARCH 2014


of solutions have also recognised the importance of partnering with a colocation provider that has the infrastructure and expertise to support their services fully and be flexible with the solutions they provide.


The data centre solution


When it comes to choosing a colocation provider and location, businesses quite rightly place a great deal of emphasis on access security, but it is no longer enough to consider the basic safeguards, such as ID cards and password access. Instead organisations must ensure that data centre providers can offer multiple layers of security, such as on-site security personnel, unique swipe cards and pin numbers, HD cameras facing all directions, door alarms with police response, individually locked racks and biometric authentication that includes fingerprint or palm recognition. These are now essential precautions for all businesses, rather than luxuries, ensuring that if an entry card is lost or stolen, there is still no risk of unauthorised access.


Living Wage on a voluntary basis due to our high priority of C4L staff culture. We hire experts and choose to recognise the internal excellence at C4L by paying a wage which does not only meet the minimum wage requirements, but meets the Living Wage rate. The accreditation demonstrates C4L’s commitment to corporate social responsibility.”


Rhys Moore, director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “The benefits the Living Wage bring to staff and business are clear. I welcome the leadership shown by C4L on this important issue.”


To find out more about becoming an accredited Living Wage employer see details below.


Details: www.livingwage.org.uk


Physical security is of course a crucial requirement and one which must be fully considered and addressed, however, similar due diligence must also be taken with data security. Businesses are well advised to outsource this aspect as well; it is no longer enough to simply deploy a firewall and sit behind it. The reliance on Internet connectivity and the increasingly sophisticated nature of computer viruses and denial of service attacks presents a significant security risk, and one which the data centre environment is best placed to combat.


Of course the perfect solution is to identify a provider who can offer a bespoke solution which recognises the critical systems within a business and can deploy multiple layers of physical and data security that are appropriate for the risks that they face. The advantage of a coordinated single provider is the single contact, single contract nature of the agreement, which further reduces the complexity to a business and hence reduces security risks even further.


Details: Jade Yarham jade.yarham@c4l.co.uk www.c4l.co.uk


Virtus Data Centres joins C4L partner network


Virtus, the data centre specialist, has signed up to the C4L partner network to gain all the connected benefits of C4L’s global portfolio of services.


C4L’s partner team worked closely with Virtus on helping to fulfill its business plan. With market leading connectivity services C4L was able to commit to maximise Virtus’ service offering and Virtus’ Enfield data centre is now one of the 55 data centre’s on our coreTX network, benefiting colocation customers at the impressive site with coreTX connectivity.


www.businessmag.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36