DS-JUNE23-PG30_Layout 1 16/06/2023 11:59 Page 1
SUPPLEMENT ENCLOSURE & SAFETY SOLUTIONS
RACK-LEVEL ACCESS TECHNOLOGIES ENHANCE DATA CENTER SECURITY
Sonny Van Ngo, business development manager, Electronic Access Solutions, Southco, Inc, examines the importance of data center security and explains how EAS platforms enable intelligent locking to easily be incorporated
bandwidth, major growth in cloud computing applications, and the massive growth of video conferencing platforms. As the industry invests in expanding its capabilities – adding more floors to existing locations, and building new facilities – investments in data security, and physically securing these new facilities reliably, must be a top priority. It’s not just data centers that are rapidly
D
growing either. The costs of data breaches of all kinds are rapidly increasing. The average cost of a breach in the US is $9.4M, according to IBM Security’s ‘The Cost of a Data Breach’ report. There’s a strong incentive for those in the data
center industry to make significant investments in protecting their facilities from all kinds of risks. One area the leading data centers are investigating – one that remains a vulnerability in some locations – is rack-level security. To help, there are now ranges of electronic
locking, access control devices, and systems designed to ensure that every server cabinet and rack that needs to be secured from unauthorised access can be easily and fully protected.
APPROACHES TO RACK-LEVEL SECURITY Responsibility for rack-level security can differ depending on the type of data center. Some are wholly owned and operated by one company or entity, so responsibility for securing server racks and cabinets is with one organisation.
ata centers are undergoing significant expansion, driven by factors including the work-from-home demand for
In co-located data centers, with multiple users owning and operating one or several racks or cabinets with many other owner/operators, it is typically the server owner who defines how to secure those racks and how sophisticated that locking and access management solution will be. Under these conditions, it’s important for all data center users to appreciate the range of options available for rack-level security. Cabinet manufacturers are transitioning
from traditional lock-and-key mechanisms to integrated solutions that combine electronic locking and monitoring capabilities for optimal security. Electronic locks are actuated by external
access control devices, which validate user credentials and produce a signal that initiates the unlocking cycle. Leading suppliers now offer modular electronic locks that can be combined with any access control device, including keypads, radio frequency identification (RFID) cards, biometric readers, or wireless Bluetooth systems. These modular electronic locks can provide the
sponsored by
linchpin for rack-level security that can be modified or adapted to the unique requirements of each server and cabinet owner – offering greater flexibility to accommodate an individual company’s security and access control processes. Leading electronic lock retrofit kit suppliers have also developed multiple variations to make it easier to install electronic locks on a wide range of cabinet door formats and configurations.
ADVANTAGES OF COMPLETE EAS PLATFORMS EAS platforms allow data center managers and rack owners to easily incorporate intelligent locking throughout the facility – from its perimeter down to its servers. This can be accomplished by either leveraging the data center’s existing building management system (BMS) and integrating with newer electronic systems, or through a separate, fully networked system. An electronic access solution is composed of
three primary components: an access control reader or input device, an electromechanical lock, and a controller system for restricting, monitoring, and recording access. When designing an electronic access solution, it is important that the appropriate electronic lock is chosen for the specific enclosure, and that it provides the intelligence, flexibility and security needed at the rack level. EAS platforms allow for very specific access
control. For example, a technician would receive an electronic key through an app on their company smartphone or tablet equipped with Bluetooth. That key would actuate only a single cabinet door and only for a set period of time to let them carry out a specific service task. Each time an electronic lock is actuated, an electronic ‘signature’ is created and recorded to monitor access – either locally with visual indicators or audible alarms, or remotely over a computer network. These signatures can be stored to create audit trails that can be viewed at any time to forensically reconstruct a series of access events, keeping track of location, date, time, duration of access, and specific user credentials.
Southco
https://southco.com/en_gb
For more information on smart enclosure solutions, please visit:
https://southco.com/en_gb_int/resources/category/enclosures
30 DESIGN SOLUTIONS - SUPPLEMENT JUNE 2023
Feature
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 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
