Preventing Data Center Attacks Before Construction

Location, location, location. As more giant data centers are built around the country, security has to be a concern – even before construction begins.

Writing for Forbes, Kenneth Brill of Uptime Institute warns that security breaches in data centers could result in a loss of confidence similar to the one in the banking industry that came about during the economic crisis. He says coordinated attacks on data centers around the country could “paralyze the national and global economy.”

Brill has several recommendations to fend off these types of attacks. The majority deal with location. Automation no longer requires the center to be within a short driving distance of the CIO’s home, so that shouldn’t be a priority, he says. Sites should be picked “based on utilities, fiber density, natural and man-made risks, and the ability to physically secure the outside perimeter,” he writes.

Brill highlights one data center that was located on 80 acres of farm land. Not only did the developer get a big tax break, he found a rural site that is unlikely to be shut down by natural disaster or fire evacuation. There’s an excellent visual of the surrounding area from all angles, and the potential to upgrade security is there.