The physical protection of data - The different ways we protect your systems

16 Sep 2024, by Slade Baylis

As a data centre highly focused on security, we often talk of the lengths we go to in order to protect our client systems from cybersecurity threats. This should be of little surprise, as the severity and volume of cyberattacks from around the world is always increasing.  However, threats don’t just come from the cyber digital frontier.  Just as severe, if not more than their digital counterparts, are physical threats. 

The reason for this is that physical security is not just about protecting data - it's also about protecting assets, property, and above all, people. Threats such as burglary, corporate espionage, and even terrorism are very real, and when they occur they can have a lasting impact on businesses and people.

As we haven't put out a deep dive article on the physical security measures that we have in place for protecting your data - we thought it would be timely to do so now.   So in this month's article we’ll be touching on a few of the security measures that we have in place for protecting the systems within our data centre, both for ourselves and for our clients.  There are a lot of security measures in place that people will never see - of which we can’t discuss here due to their classification - however what we can cover are those measures we have in place that would be visible to clients visiting our data centre.

9-Foot Anti-Scale Palisade Wall

Well-known for their pointed tops, our data centre facility is surrounded by palisade fencing that is made from high-strength steel, offering excellent resistance to physical impacts and ensures that the fence itself can withstand harsh weather conditions.

The design of this palisade fencing wall with its 9-foot height and sharp points all across the top makes climbing difficult  –  anti-scale being an ideal choice for any high-security environment where intrusion prevention is the top priority.

Bollards

Able to withstand significant impact, the data centre facility is protected via bollards that provide an additional layer of safety and security. 

Made out of high-quality steel, the bollards are also exceptionally resistant to wear and tear, making them the perfect choice for protecting people and infrastructure on-site.

Airlock

Our data centre facility is also protected by an airlock – also commonly referred to in the industry as a ‘mantrap’. 

The airlock is a specifically-designed room that acts as a buffer between the outside of the facility and the secured interior of the facility, to both control access as well as prevent tailgating. 

Multi-Factor Biometric Authentication 

Access into the Micron21 data centre facility as well as all mission-critical zones within, are secured with physical multi-factor biometric authentication systems - with the zones themselves being restricted to specific staff only.

Due to their singularity and difficulty to bypass, biometric data is able to ensure precise and secure identity verification.  They are used in high-security applications - preventing unauthorised access into secured facilities and areas within the facility.

Turnstiles

In addition to the airlock, the lobby also contains several turnstiles that ensure strict enforcement of building security protocols.

Through being integrated with our central access control systems and requiring use of authorised IDs, these intelligent turnstiles act as a robust layer of security against unauthorised pedestrian access, tailgating, and other potential risks.

Fully Escorted Access

Some data centres offer unescorted access to clients who need to access their servers, relying exclusively on the security they have in place to isolate one rack from another for their security.  Whilst this can make it slightly easier for a client to access their systems, the price that they pay is that all servers within the facility are less secure than they would otherwise be.

Whereas here at Micron21, all visitors and customers are screened when visiting the data centre.  Not only are they required to provide government-issued photographic identification upon entry to verify identity, they are also escorted at all times, including when accessing their rack equipment. This allows for all our customers to rest-easy knowing that there is no risk of unauthorised access to their particular system.

Secured Aisles & Racks

In addition to fully-escorted access, we also implement standard protections against unauthorised access to aisles and racks within the data centre itself.  This includes restricting access to both data centre secure corridors as well as individual racks. 

Only a handful of specifically approved high-level technicians have been provided with access and authority to escort into these highly-secure corridor aisles and racks of the actual data centre itself within the Micron21 facility.

Monitoring & Surveillance

For monitoring the data centre facility, we have CCTV digital camera coverage of the entire location 24/7 year-round, including detailed surveillance and audit logs kept for posterity.

All doors throughout the facility are secured and protected with access control to only grant authorised access and track movement throughout the facility via anti-passback.

Have any questions about what goes into securing a data centre?

If you’d like to know more about how we secure our facility - or alternatively would like to organise a guided tour – let us know!

You can book a tour via our website to physically visit our data centre facility, or alternatively you can get a sneak peek by watching our virtual tour that's also on our website.

You can also reach us via email on sales@micron21.com, via phone on 1300 769 972 (Option #1).