Data centers are essential to the global economy’s future.

Certainly, as more people and organizations migrate to the digital realm, the demand for efficient information processing grows. Data centers serve as communication networks even remotely, enabling end users to access information quickly.

Data centers are more important than ever at a time when remote working environments are expanding and becoming more common.

Data centers are much more than they appear. They are central to a digital transformation movement.

The global data center market is expected to reach $105.6 billion by 2026.

The expansion of data centers shows no signs of reducing. On the contrary, there is an increasing demand for greater digital data access, processing, and storage.

Understandably, the combination of remote working trends and a tech-savvy culture indicates that the data center market size will continue to grow indefinitely.

Growth, however, has its challenges.

One of the most significant barriers facing data center expansion is how the sector can comprehend to manage its security issues.

Data security concerns 76% of business data centers.

Data security is the company’s first worry, as it can expose enterprises to unintended data loss, corruption, and exposure. However, security solutions can be time- and money-consuming for data centers that handle vast amounts of data.

Simply put, assume you have million dollars & you are responsible for safeguarding them. Would you leave it open for criminals to steal or lock it away?

This parallel applies to your data center, a virtual goldmine of information. Still, many businesses prefer to do the bare minimum regarding data center security. The data center of your organization, which consists of connected computers, servers, and devices that process, distribute, and store valuable information, is an integral part of its digital infrastructure. The mix of policies, methods, procedures, and technology that protect data centers from cyber attacks and other virtual dangers is known as data center security.

So, what data security standards should you be aware of to meet and maintain compliance?

Let’s talk about it.

Firstly what data can be found in the data center, and how can the data be exposed?

It should be no surprise that data security is critical for any business. It’s priceless information that can make or extinguish your business. Examples of data contained in a data center include proprietary information like intellectual property and trade secrets, as well as personal and financial information from clients.

• Customer trust and reputational harm: Why should your customers trust you if they know you aren’t protecting their data (or even your intellectual property)?

• Noncompliance fines from industry rules: PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, SAE 18 (previously SAE 16), and ISO 27001: 2013 are among the regulations that have data center security standards.

• Financial losses and revenue loss: Organizations are concerned about downtime because it could result in large revenue losses.

Tip for Datacenter Security in the Age of Cyber War

Tip #1: Data Center Security at Physical Level

When people evaluate the security mechanisms to secure their organization’s data, they often overlook the physical security aspect. Why? They are frequently focused on concerns about data loss hazards caused by cyber assaults and data breaches.

Businesses may need to realize that physical security threats can be among the most damaging.

If you’re building your own data center rather than using a cloud or colocation data center, it’s critical to plan out the physical space of your data center ahead of time. This includes selecting if your data center should be in a remote location or in a more crowded area.

But, in terms of security, what else should you consider when choosing a location for a data center? Keep an eye out for weather-related hazards and low-lying places. Keep an eye out for heated geological zones that are prone to earthquakes.

If you intend to build in a more densely populated region, you can conceal your data center by making it blend in with its surroundings.

Physical Security Measures for Data Centers

Aside from the location, there are numerous other physical security concerns. Datacenter hardening can comprise the following measures:

1. Walls and structures made of reinforced concrete can defend the facility from external attacks.
   
2. Server cabinets and cages that are anchored to the ground and locked.

3. Temperature and humidity variations are monitored and regulated via environmental controls.

Tip #2: Invest in the Right Tools to Protect Your Data and Network

Traditionally a solid data center security plan employed perimeter-based security solutions to monitor and protect your network from both internal and external threats. But, nothing is constant in security, and this is especially true when it comes to the basic approach and model that many firms are adopting.

Zero Trust cybersecurity is a term that isn’t necessarily new but has become increasingly relevant as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Zero Trust solutions are quickly becoming the norm for remote and scattered employees. The concept is that no person or device, whether inside or outside the system, should be automatically trusted.

If you wish to harden your data center’s cyber security even more, you can (and should):

• Audit your assets, security management processes, and access protocols regularly.
• You can protect data between endpoints via network encryption and on the server by using server-level encryption.
• To continuously monitor logs and report on security events and threats, integrate automation and security information and event management (SIEM) solutions (or use a third-party service).

Tip #3:  Monitor and Restrict Physical & Virtual Access

However, more than having door locks and cameras are needed to secure your data. It would help if you also kept an eye on digital access. Why? According to IBM and the Ponemon Institute’s 2019 Cost of a Data Breach Report, 49% of data breaches were caused by human errors and system malfunctions rather than cyber attacks.

Tip #4: Have Redundant Data Backups and Infrastructure in Place

No matter how often we discuss data backups, more is needed. As you’ve read in the news, ransomware and cyber attacks have impacted major municipalities, hospitals, and companies. However, for some reason, organizations prefer to refrain from taking the necessary safeguards to create redundant data backups.

Is it due to laziness? Perhaps it’s the “it won’t happen to me” mentality. Regardless of the reasons why they shouldn’t, having redundant backups – both data and secondary infrastructure — in place can save you a lot of time, money, and problems. When the crap hits the fan — and it will, inevitably — you’ll wish you’d taken the time to prepare.

Tip #5: Keep Your Servers and Systems Updated

Nobody enjoys taking time out of their day to run tedious updates and patch their systems. After all, you have far more essential things to attend to, don’t you?

When manufacturers offer patches, it is their means of plugging any security holes found in their devices. It’s similar to fixing a hole in your roof to keep rain from spilling or leaking through. It’s their technique of patching the flaw before a lousy man can exploit it and cause problems.

Final Thought

Your network computers, servers, and other critical components are kept in your data center. In a calamity, it serves as a safe refuge for your data.

You have less control over the physical security measures in place if you consider hiring a cloud or managed hosting service provider than you would with an in-house data center. However, you can request compliance reports from the service provider, giving you more confidence in their security capabilities.