By Michael Fisher*
Australia's data centre capacity is projected to more than double from 1,350 megawatts (MW) in 2024 to 3,100 MW by 2030. This expansion will require $26 billion in infrastructure investment.
It will also contribute strongly to a new generation of tech jobs, with a report from the Tech Council of Australia (TCA) revealing Australia is on track to meet the Government's goal of 1.2 million such jobs by 2030.
More people working with greater volumes of high security public and private data will inevitably mean a redoubling not only of the focus of digital security, but also on the physical safeguards of data facilities used by banks, telcos, government agencies, and just about every business of consequence in Australasia and Oceania.
Consider the scope and responsibility of the data protection task:
- There are already 308 Australian data centres, many in colocation facilities located along the eastern coast in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne where businesses rent out space for their own servers, cables, network devices and other valuable computing equipment. Plus, Australia is well connected to the Asia Pacific market, with submarine cables extending from Sydney and Perth to Singapore, Hong Kong, Guam, Hawaii, and New Zealand
- Huge money is involved across many sectors of the economy. Data centres are typically owned and operated either by big companies (such as cloud vendors, banks, or telcos) for their own purposes or by co-location companies. The explosion in demand for data centres has attracted the attention of investors of all types – growth capital, buyout, real estate, and, increasingly, infrastructure investors who will seek high levels of data protection and security compliance.
- As well, the roles of many stakeholders and suppliers will expand, including specialist constructors, engineers, electrical teams and architects designing centres to optimise optimising space, energy use, future adaptability and the employee and visitor Duty of Care needed for physical security to protect the large investments and workforces involved.
Physical security complements cyber security
Protecting the security and privacy of sensitive public and private data has become a major concern because data centres are the backbone of the modern digital landscape, housing invaluable information that powers businesses worldwide. In such centres, physical security is just as essential as cybersecurity in the effort to prevent risks such as unauthorised access, theft, and tampering. In this highly competitive market, ensuring the physical integrity of data centres is a key differentiator and fundamental requirement for maintaining the trust of all stakeholders.
What's more, data centres can offer more competitive pricing through the strategic deployment of secured entry solutions. Secured entry solutions not only prevent unauthorised entry, but simultaneously ensure compliance with industry standards while reducing energy and labour costs. These combined benefits effectively fortify data centres from the inside out, allowing organisations to operate without disruption for long-term success in the digital era. This is a performance and sales asset.
Five tips on achieving physical security
Following are five tips on how to achieve protection and peace of mind, drawing on our experience as a global leader in architectural and security entrances, operating with scores of Fortune 500 companies, major government agencies, and some of the biggest technology providers across more than 20 countries. 1. Layer secured entry solutions in accordance with facility layers for comprehensive, strategic protection
As you move from the perimeter fence line all the way to the server racks at the core of a data centre, the security entrances utilised get more sophisticated and are more effective at barring intruders from gaining access.
Such layered application of secured entry solutions – where the most appropriate protection is applied at each level and type of security required – is the best and most cost-effective way to mitigate unauthorised entry and the associated liabilities at all entry points.
Traditional data centre "layers" and their associated secured entry solution are outlined below:
Layer 1 – The Perimeter – Full height turnstiles are ideal for this first layer, acting as a visual deterrent against infiltration and a tailgating preventative.
Layer 2 – The Building Entrance – Installing a security revolving door at the building entrance can easily accommodate both staff and visitors, allowing swift staff entry and receptionist triggers or digital credentials for visitor entry.
Layer 3 – The use of security speed gates is well suited to the lobby and interior area of data facilities, complementing security revolving doors as requirements increase. Speed gates can employ sensor technology to detect objects moving through, and can prevent tailgating due to the use of an alarm that alerts security staff to a potential breach.
Layer 4 – In co-located facilities, private suites can offer complete physical separation from other tenants, ensuring that sensitive data and equipment are protected from potential threats. Private suites often include enhanced security features, such as reinforced walls, dedicated access controls, and independent surveillance systems that can be integrated into security revolving doors. This level of security is ideal for businesses with stringent regulatory requirements or those handling highly sensitive information.
Layer 5 – The Server Room – If the unlikely arises, and someone manages to unlawfully make their way through each of the preceding security stages, it is important to engage in the highest levels of protection around the internal data systems themselves. This can be through the use of high security portals, which use biometric scanning and overhead sensors to ensure the credentials of each user. This is the ultimate security front line – essential for protecting data at its hub. Interlocking high security portals enforce a single entry into the data centre's core, simultaneously verifying an individual's identity and confirming that they are alone. They also can also electronically control who and why individuals are permitted to access particular areas.
2. Provide the highest level of preventative security at the server room
For the protection of the most sensitive area in a data centre, the server room itself, it is critical that a physical security entrance not only deter and detect unauthorised entry but also take active steps to prevent it. Interlocking high-security portals do this by means of an overhead sensor system called StereoVision. Once a user presents their credentials and the door revolves or opens, StereoVision scans the compartment, verifying the user is alone. Inside the interlocking portal, an internal biometric device can be used to verify identity, confirming that not only one person gets inside, but the right person.
3. Look for security solutions that deliver ROI
The implementation of high-security technologies is an area where cost savings can be achieved while simultaneously fortifying cyber-physical security. Better technology means expensive manned security can be allocated to areas, and at times, where it is most efficient, while working with technology 24/7. This manpower and technology alliance provides data centre management with a great opportunity to reimagine physical security, specifically with secured entrances that improve workflow and process resiliency to deliver tangible ROI. Here's how:
- Risk Mitigation – Allowing customers easy access for change control, while at the same time keeping unauthorised people out of the facility by quickly identifying and stopping those who do not have the necessary permissions.
- Intrusion – Full height turnstiles, security revolving doors, and security interlocking portals can virtually eliminate 100% of Door Forced Open (DFO) and Door Held Open (DHO) alarms
- Prevention – For the protection of The Server Room, it is critical that a physical security entrance prevent intrusion and enforce single entry, while at the same time allowing for the free flow of an authorised customer to perform change control.
- Regulatory Compliance – Beyond security, secured entry solutions empower staff with the infrastructure and tools they need to meet certifications and industry mandates.
4. Add analytics to entrances
The best security entrances can do more than simply read credentials to allow or deny entry to each individual.
Using biometric technology, it is possible to verify if the person trying to enter is in fact the same identity as the credentials. Additionally, analytics can capture information about user behaviours. For example, analytics can detect if a specific identity repeatedly presents credentials and does not enter or attempt entries with a second person in the compartment, a behaviour known as piggybacking.
Information generated by biometrics can be used to help develop threat and risk assessment policies and processes to further improve security. Analytics data can further be used to provide information about the operational condition of the door, evaluate risk levels at the entry, and improve uptime.
Biometric characteristics can include fingerprints, irises, facial patterns, hand measurements, voice patterns, gait, signature, keystroke pattern, and heartbeat.
5. Consult with experts
With so many secured entry solutions available, making the best selection for each specific area can be challenging. It can be beneficial to discuss your needs with a well-versed entry solutions specialist who can evaluate your physical environment and assess your situation to help you make the right choice.
Preferably, deal with entry and security experts that have a broad and evolving range of complementary layered technologies under one roof, so they are not committed to any single answer to diverse needs. No single solution fits all needs, and poor choices can quickly lead to obsolescence, inflexibility, and expensive replacement.
Strong partnering relationships will help realise benefits such as:
- Strategic, layered application of secured entry solutions
- Creation of integrated, aesthetic and pleasant user and visitor experience, including first impressions that fit with your unique brand
- Proper traffic flow, including disabled access compliance
- Enabling rapid technical troubleshooting for reduced downtime
- And broad-based ongoing maintenance and update support as security needs evolve
Ideally, build a partnership with an entry expert from project conception to installation and beyond, including service and maintenance The process of establishing new ingress and egress policies and processes can be daunting.
Boon Edam has successfully deployed tens of thousands of secured entry solutions in a variety of applications, including data centres. Our team of secured entry professionals can help navigate every phase of the process, from documenting ROI, to obtaining funding from your organisation.
Deploying Boon Edam secured entry solutions and security workflow strategies helps data centres attract customers by ensuring staff and facilities have the tools they need to control security and reduce costs.
Conclusion
Physical security components are vital to ensuring the safety and integrity of data centres. From layered security according to area need, to high security portals and biometrics, to CCTV monitoring and private data centre suites, each measure plays a particular role in creating a secure total environment for critical data.
As technology continues to evolve, data centres must remain vigilant and continually update their security protocols to protect against emerging threats. By implementing a comprehensive security strategy that incorporates these physical security components, data centres can safeguard their assets and maintain the trust of their clients.
About the Author
*Michael Fisher is Managing Director of Boon Edam Australia, which provides a full suite of entrance security solutions in Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. Royal Boon Edam is a market leader in 27 countries, providing, under the one roof, revolving doors, security doors & portals, speed gates, access gates and full height turnstiles to ensure the security of your entry and perimeter. Boon Edam Australia operates under Master security licence number: 000104487.
About us:
About Royal Boon Edam With work environments becoming increasingly global and dynamic, smart, safe entry has become the centre of activity in and around many buildings. Royal Boon Edam is a global market leader in reliable entry solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, with 150 years of experience in engineering quality, we have gained extensive expertise in managing the transit of people through office buildings, airports, healthcare facilities, hotels, and many other types of buildings. We are focussed on providing an optimal, sustainable experience for our clients and their clients. By working together with you, our client, we help determine the exact requirements for the entry point in and around your building. Please take a look at our range of revolving doors, security doors & portals, speed gates, tripod turnstiles, access gates and full height turnstiles to ensure the security of your entry and perimeter. You can find more news about Boon Edam on www.boonedam.com.au/news
