DATA CENTRE MANAGEMENT FEATURE
The importance of taking data centre security all the way to the cabinet door W
hy should we take security all the way to the cabinet door? This is the
million dollar question - or more literally, the 7.2 million dollar question, considering the average cost of a data security breach. According to the most recent studies,
only about 20 per cent of data centres are secure, leaving an overwhelming 80 per cent at risk of security breaches. While a high priority is given to the outside threats of hacking into systems to steal information, actually physical security proves to be one of the highest risk areas a data company faces in terms of actual removal of data storage devices. A perfect example of this is what happened to Switzerland’s Intelligence Service when it was revealed that an employee, who had been with the Service for eight years, was able to simply download anti-terrorist information onto thumb drives and walk out of the building with them in his backpack. With that in mind, here are three reasons to take security all the way to the cabinet door.
1. MOST MALICIOUS ATTACKS ON THE DATA CENTRE ARE BY INSIDERS The usual myth is that most threats of physical attacks come from outside the data centre. However, according to the Gabriel Consulting Group, more than 60 per cent of all malicious attacks on the data centre are carried out by insiders. The Swiss Federal Intelligence Service is a perfect example of this type of risk, based perhaps on dissatisfaction, revenge or simple bribery, and with high staff turnover this is a mode even more difficult to foresee.
intervening years. The people who are the biggest threat are insiders who have access to authorised cards and so can simply walk-through each protective perimeter. Additionally, an authorised person can misplace their card or have it stolen so spreading the risk.
by Andy Billingham, EMKA (UK)
New 3500 program biometric locking system from EMKA offers greater personnel and data protection
2. INEFFECTIVE PERIMETER BASED SECURITY SCHEMES The traditional thinking from the early days of data centre methodology is based on a militaristic perimeter mindset to control physical access. The idea is to control access at the perimeter and then replicate the access control in reduced concentric circles. The principle being to slow the perpetrators as they try to make their way into the data centre so that security can intervene before any damage is done. While this appears strategically sound, one loophole has revealed itself over the
3. UNDERESTIMATING THE THREAT Management often believes existing security schemes and systems reduce the vulnerability of the data centre to an acceptable level – and so often have a false sense of security. The Global State of Information Security Survey 2013 by PwC, CIO Magazine, and CSO magazine found that 42 per cent say their organisation has “an effective strategy in place and is proactive in executing the plan.” However, on closer analysis, the same study found that only 8 per cent of those respondents rank as truly secure. Management’s assessment of vulnerability is often skewed and the resultant risk assessment consequently flawed. In most cases this is derived from a cost avoidance mentality. This also leads to poor communications between IT staff and management. To truly protect their servers, companies require physical security at the cabinet. Investment in this must be a top priority. EMKA BioLock cabinet security, for example, is able to protect at this level by ensuring that access is only granted to approved people who are who they say they are.
EMKA
www.emka.co.uk
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