Explore why data centre security is the backbone of digital infrastructure worldwide
Imagine waking up to a message from the bank showing your bank balance wiped out clean, your medical records altered and personal details floating around in the deep web. The situation seems very likely given the nature of recent sophisticated cyber-attacks.
Result? A chaotic world
A silent breach in a data centre nestled in a city far away from you can have a significant impact on the security of your data. In the digital world, data centre security is the first and last line of defense.
A data centre is highly guarded, closely monitored, and digitally secured. However, in today’s world, lines between cyber, physical, insider, and environmental threats have been significantly blurred. Data centres worldwide are prone to a range of threats – drones, deepfakes, social engineering attacks, insider sabotage, undersea cable attacks, and hybrid warfare. Cybercrimes alone could cost the world $10.5 trillion in 2025.
There is an urgent need for data centres to incorporate “security by design”, rather than as an afterthought.
How to Incorporate Data Centre Security?
Data centre security refers to a holistic set of policies, protocols, technologies, and physical safeguards designed to secure from physical intrusion, cyber-attacks, natural disasters, insider threats, and compliance failures.
Physical Security Measures:
Key physical security measures including biometric authentication systems at entry points, dual-door systems restricting tailgating, continuous surveillance, motion detection systems and security personnel deployed at perimeters prevent unauthorised access, sabotage, and insider threats.
Network and Perimeter Security:
Measures including next-generation firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems [IDPS], data loss prevention, and encryption mechanisms fortify the digital infrastructure. Zero trust architecture is gaining prominence in data centre security which ensures each and every user or device needs to be authorised and authenticated to access data.
Access Control
Controlling access to digital assets is essential to ensure that critical information does not fall into the wrong hands. Key security measures such as role-based access control, multifactor authentication, and endpoint detection and response ensures access control and enforces accountability.
Environmental and Disaster Preparedness
To secure data centres from environmental disasters and extreme climatic events, a few measures can be implemented. Measures such as – ensuring uninterrupted power supply by accounting for redundancies, fire detection, and suppression systems, and conducting environmental site assessments can ensure business continuity during adverse climate disasters.
- Regulatory Compliance
Ensuring compliance with global frameworks such as ISO 27001 for information security management systems results in superior data security and data privacy. In India, it is mandatory for data centre operators to follow Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act and local data norms.
Security now is a business differentiator and no longer just a checkbox. Increasingly, customers, stakeholders, vendors, and partners are going to ask, “How secure is the data at your facility?”. The answer to this question lies in robust data centre security which is a mix of proactive security design, intelligent technology, vigilant operations, and regulatory alignment.
Your Partner in Security – MitKat
At MitKat, we believe that security needs to be incorporated by design and not as an afterthought. We help businesses in designing secure data centres which are resilient, secure, and compliant. We conduct a range of services including Threat-Vulnerability-Risk Assessment (TVRA), Environmental Site Assessment, Preliminary & Detailed Security Design, Project Management & Oversight, Commissioning, Documentation & Handover, and Managed Security Services.