Tips for Hiring the Best Data Center Talent/Technicians

What Does a Data Center Technician Do?

The data center technician is typically equipped with the technical skills and talents required to complete this specific job within the organization. Datacenter technicians operate alongside network servers and hardware infrastructure to back up, maintain, and ensure a proper data flow within the network. The technician’s job may include improving data center security, running cables, and other maintenance services.

Knowledge of technology and technical requirements is a mandatory skill. A good data center technician must respond to questions from different sources and provide helpful information. Now in this blog, we will discuss Hiring the Best Data Center Talent.

What Skills Does a Good Data Center Technician Have?

Good data center technicians must be fluent with network infrastructure, operating systems, and various kinds of hardware deployment. Also, some roles may require advanced skills for a data center technician.

Typically, data center technicians must have competent Information Technology Consulting capabilities, including expert knowledge regarding switches, monitors, routers, and various infrastructure components. A technician must also have troubleshooting skills to perform tests and resolve network system problems.

Top Tips to Hiring the Best Data Center Talent

Hiring the Best Data Center Talent

The different multi-disciplinary skills required to run a typical data center do not simplify hiring technicians. A data center must have practical support to maintain connectivity, the cloud, applications, Disaster Recovery, network appliances, virtualization, security, and storage.

This article underlines the critical qualities that a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) or infrastructure manager should consider when hiring the best data center talent/technicians.

  1. The best candidate for the role of Datacenter Technician must have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or IT Engineering. Also, training in hardware and software administration is an added advantage. Still, without regular education, a good data center technician must have at least one of these certifications:
  • VMware Certified Professional 6 – Data Center Virtualization (VCP6-DCV)
  • Cisco Certified Network Associate Data Center (CCNA Data Center)
  • Cisco Certified Network Professional Data Center (CCNP Data Center)
  • VCE Converged Infrastructure Administration Engineer (VCE-CIAE)
  • Juniper Networks Certified Professional Data Center (JNCIP-DC)
  1. Depending on your business requirements and field, perhaps you may look for a specialist such as a networking specialist or a facilities technician. However, many businesses prefer generalists that can work with external contractors and vendors.
  2. Although studying to be a data center technician in College is rare, it is possible. For instance, some IT courses may contain a Data Center Technician course of study, offering an Introduction to Data Center Management Services.
  3. A Datacenter technician collaborates with business teams to ensure the well-being and uptime of the data centers. Infrastructure managers, operations engineers, and facility managers must have a reporting channel to collaborate effectively with the technician.
  4. A good data center technician must handle diverse responsibilities. Because technicians typically look over service level agreements, hardware, network connections, power infrastructure, software. The data center technicians you choose must know how to set up networking infrastructure and install it into racks and cabinets.

Some Businesses Prefer Someone Who Knows Structured Cabling and Security

  1. An excellent technician should work effectively with internal and external resources. The recruitment plan must include a strong sense of urgency to solve issues.
  2. The working hours through different shifts must cover 24/7, and someone should always be on-call. Hence, datacentre technician roles may require overnight or weekend operations coverage.
  3. Colocation data center technicians must express optimum professionalism when handling clients.
  4. To be effective, a data center technician must have the strength to move equipment (around 50lbs), with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  5. As an employer, you also understand that many data center technicians regard their jobs as a stepping stone to other networking and virtualization career goals.
  6. Leverage the expertise of recruiting firms to scout different candidates and screen the right talent/technician for your business.
  7. Datacenter technician work benefits typically comprise long-term disability insurance,  dental insurance, a 401 (k) plan, medical insurance, and bonuses. Perhaps you may also want to add life and vision insurance.
  8. Datacenter technicians may need to travel very often, sometimes without advanced notice. Therefore, ensure to pick a candidate with a flexible travel schedule that can integrate with your business’ requirements.

 

What Are The Data Center Security Levels?

One of the questions is to initiate “what is a data center security levels,” and the answer is that “it is the combination of servers placed on the central point where most of the critical applications of organizations are hosted.” Datacenter design is based on network, storage devices, and shared applications.

The major components of the data center are switches, servers, firewalls, storage devices, and APIs. One of the significant duties of data centers is to store confidential and sensitive data of public or private sector organizations as per the organization’s requirement.

Data Center Security Levels

Different digital hazards exist globally, like physical, technical, and environmental. And that is why various organizations prefer data centers to store sensitive data.

An earthquake is one example of a natural disaster that can do massive damage to your crucial information. So, different types of security are applied to a particular organization, such as physical and technical.

Multiple levels of security can apply to the data center to secure the data of different organizations. In the data center, four different levels of protection are applied for securing the data. The security level is called tier and “level of service.” The data center security levels are defined as:

  • Tier 1
  • Tier 2
  • Tier 3
  • Tier 4

ees inside

Physical Security

This comes on the pretty upper notch of the data center security levels. Physical security is an integral part of an organization that is used to secure a particular area of the organization physically. People think security is the name for applying locks, alarms, bars, sprinkle systems, and security guards.

If we see the slandered ISO27001, then physical security is a complete and major component of an organization that can apply to the data center. Physical security plays an essential role in functional organization.

Protection of building, equipment, and critical organization data is the major component. Different physical threats exist on the earth like natural events, several environmental conditions, intentional acts, and unintentional acts. On behalf of such types of threats, different organizations must comply with risk management. Risk management is the method that helps to identify various vulnerabilities of the organization.

Talking about the data center security levels, physical security involves safeguarding building sites in such a way that asset theft and loss are minimized. Building construction, room assignments, emergency protocols, equipment installation and use restrictions, power supply, product handling, and linkages with other contractors and agencies are all things to think about. It spots the probable intrusion and then alerts the relevant person.

Secure Your Building

The data center should be constructed of materials that can withstand natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and flooding from nearby water sources. A data center, for example, should not be situated in an area prone to earthquakes or volcanic activity.

The switch is a Nevada-based company with Reno and Las Vegas locations that hold government and commercial data. Nevada has a low risk of natural disasters, making it a suitable site for a secure data center.

To maintain the data center security levels, a data center should be kept out of sight from adjacent industrial facilities. A data center can sometimes be hidden in a natural location, such as dense woods or mountain ranges.

Consider a simple grey concrete structure bordered on one side by a dense forest of towering trees and the other by a mountain range. A casual observer might miss it. A difficult-to-pass-through wall or metal fence should encircle a data center to protect the physical facility.

The facility should be protected by substantial concrete barriers to protect it against physical attacks such as explosives. Windows are pointless because they allow for unauthorized entry. Some portions of the structure require doors for fire safety, although they should only be utilized as an escape route. Alarms and cameras pointed at the entrance from both the inside and outside the structure should be put on fire doors.

Technical Security

Layered security mechanisms for the actual data sent on the servers in the facility should be included in data centers. There are several tiers of security codes that may be used, Data encryption, Network filtering, User authentication, and Security analysis. This is also one of the highlighted parts of the data center security levels.

User Authentication

User authentication for network access should be a two-step procedure at the very least. Inputting a password should be the initial step. The second phase includes obtaining admission by using a token that confirms a user’s specific possession. Both the password and the token must be entered accurately by the user.

Data Encryption

Data encryption encrypts information, preventing unauthorized persons from accessing or altering it. On the servers, a firewall might provide extra protection.

Network Filtering

Network filtering is a technique that may be applied to routers and firewalls to prevent an attack before an unauthorized user tries to log in. An individual attempting to access the network from a public where harmful behavior is likely to occur will be immediately prevented by network filtering.

Security Analytics

Organizations that integrate sensitive data might benefit significantly from security analytics. The tracking, identification, and alerting of potential risks are all part of analytics. Security analytics make the system continually watched.

Moreover, the suspicious behavior is analyzed to identify the bizarre patterns. Suspicious logins or numerous attempts to log on within a particular time range are examples of unusual behavior. For example, an iPhone will automatically lock after a specific amount of unsuccessful login attempts as a security mechanism, deeming this suspicious behavior.

The efficient application of analytical software can help identify an unexpected change in the configuration of a server. Analytics is a helpful tool for protecting against assaults since it may be pretty accurate in detecting risks.

Types of Security Controls

In the end, IT security is all about safeguarding the most important assets of a firm. The help of a corporation includes its people, property, and data. These assets are safe because of the efforts that have been made. Policies, procedures, approaches, methods, solutions, strategies, activities, and gadgets are all included in these tools. Firewalls and monitoring systems are two examples.

When it comes to setting security measures, there is no room for error. The initial step in risk management is often to identify the organization’s overall IT security strategy. These control goals, declarations of how the organization intends to manage risk adequately, are finally defined. Ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to databases and data records, for example, is a critical control goal. However, “we have a reasonable degree of trust in the operational integrity of vital systems and infrastructure.”

If you are going to put up security measures, it is essential to know why you are doing it first. This is one of the easiest ways to categorize controls (physical, technological, or administrative).

Types of Security Controls

There are three types of control types which include physical, technical, and Administrative. Unauthorized access to physical places, systems, or assets may be restricted or detected via physical controls. Everything from guards to barricades to badges to biometric controls to CCTVs to motion sensors and sprinklers is included in the package. Additionally, temperature and humidity controls are incorporated into the system.

Hardware or software controls may be employed to safeguard assets (sometimes referred to as logical controls). Authentication, firewalls, antivirus software, intrusion detection systems (IDS), and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) are the most prevalent security solutions (ACLs).

Administrative controls are the policies, procedures, and standards that specify how an organization’s employees and commercial activities should be conducted. Team member hiring and firing, equipment or Internet use, physical access to buildings, job separation, data categorization, and audits are just a few examples of when these policies might be used. In many cases, administrative actions include security awareness training for staff.

Functions that can be Controlled

To prevent illegal behavior, preventative measures are used. Physical controls include fences, locks, and alarm systems, as well as firewalls and antivirus software. Data categorization, the division of duties, and audits are all examples of administrative controls.

It is a detective control when measures or solutions are employed to discover and warn of undesired or illegal behavior, either while it is happening or after it has happened. Physical sensors, such as door sensors and fire alarms, may notify security employees, police officers, or system administrators of suspicious activity. It is not simply honeypots and intrusion detection systems (IDS) that may be used to protect against cyberattacks.

After an unlawful or unwelcome behavior, a corrective control is any activity performed to repair harm or restore resources and capabilities to their pre-incident status. Restarting or halting a process are some examples of technical corrective measures that may be used. An example of administrative correctional control is the establishment of a crisis response strategy.

What is the Purpose of Security Control?

Security measures are an excellent way to decrease company risk. As a precautionary step, security measures are put in place. To measure the effectiveness of security control, it must be classified by the kind of security event. As a starting point, below are some of the most often used categories: Preventive control aims to keep anything wrong from happening.

After the incident, detective controls are used to investigate. The purpose of deterrent measures is to discourage criminals from committing their crimes. Compensation controls are employed when the central control cannot be implemented.  Corrective measures are put in place after an occurrence

It is not an easy task to implement the necessary controls. A risk profile allows firms to highlight the potential costs of negative impacts and the resources needed for control. To accomplish “defense-in-depth,” several security methods might be implemented. “Defense-in-depth” is a typical method employed in cyber security. Your systems will remain safe even if one layer of defense fails to stop a threat.

To keep systems and people safe, cyber security programs need to invest in a wide variety of technologies and procedures to deal with a wide range of threats. As far as preventing viruses and malware from infecting PCs and servers, endpoint detection and response solutions are the finest on the market today. It would help if you utilized an IPS or a SIEM to safeguard your network in real-time. Technology may be used to assure safety.

To decrease the risk of malfunctions and vulnerabilities in hardware and software, logic controls are used. Automated software applications have been deployed and configured to protect these assets. Encryption is an excellent example of this kind of technological control. As well as Intrusion Detection Systems and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS).

10+ Datacenters Statistics: Mind Blowing Facts and Figures

The data center is the necessity of time as everyone needs a secure place to keep things safe and private. These centers are the solution to large-scale as well as small-scale businesses to keep their IT infrastructures. Apart from data safety and storage places, data centers are essential to promote global connectivity. These data centers have been in use 24/7, throughout the year. After all, we need on-demand, premium, and real-time accessibility to personal and professional data, anywhere and anytime.

If we start looking at certain IT trends from the past few years, you will be left awestruck. You will observe significant fundamental changes coming down the line.

All you need to know about Datacenters Statistics – Incredible Facts and Figures

  • With a total of $270 billion by 2020, the spending on combined end-user on cloud services is expected to increase to $397.5 billion by the end of 2022
  • By the end of 2022, almost 10% of global-wide IT organizations will go serverless.
  • About 562 Hyperscale data centers have been seen existing by the end of 2019 as per the data center statistics
  • As the universal reports say, the spending on cloud services has increased up to $41.8 billion by the 1st quarter of 2021 worldwide. Compared to the first quarter of 2020, it makes 35% annual growth and about 5% quarter-on-quarter upsurge. Regarding the monetary relations, about $11 billion more was consumed than in the first quarter of 2020 and virtually $2 billion more in comparison to the quarter-on-quarter of 2020. Amazon Web Services is on the top of the global list as it is the most popular, commonly used and the best cloud IaaS service provider making 31% of the whole market share.
  • From 2021 onwards, the utilization of AI will keep on growing 34% every year.
  • The use of the cloud has been increased with the remote desktop software market. In 2019, it worth $1.53 billion, which is predicted to reach $4.69 billion in 2027 with a 15.1% CAGR.
  • Cloud gaming is absolutely a tremendous market worth $470 million in 2020. As it is continuously growing, researchers have expected it to reach $7.24 billion by 2027, with a projected CAGR of 48.2%.
  • 24k miles network cable is used by the average tier 1-2 data center
  • Almost 2.8 million global server units were shipped in the 1st quarter of 2021
  • Taking the increasing demand for data centers under consideration, it is clear that the international data center market will rise at a CAGR of more than 2% from 2019 to 2025. Solely in the US, the data center market is predicted to cross $69 billion in revenue by 2024.
  • In the Asia-Pacific region ranking, China is leading the scoreboard with total spending of $11.5 billion on cloud infrastructure in 2019, increasing to $19 billion in 2020. A whopping increase of 66% considering data center statistics.
  • Considering the use of the cloud to play tons of online videos, the video streaming market has been profitable worth $59.14 billion in 2021. By 2028, we are expecting the market to increase up to $223.98 billion in profits, including a 21% (CAGR) increase on average.
  • In 2019, a significant upsurge of 23% was observed in demand for disaster recovery services.
  • Google Drive is the most popular among all the Google Workspace cloud productivity platforms. As a whole, the market has touched 2 billion consumers as per the reports of 2020. Dropbox comes at 2nd place.
  • AI is dropping the cooling costs, which make up at least 40% of Data Center expenditure.
  • Africa is the most miniature of the regional global cloud market, and North America was first to up to 61% of the market in 2020. It is expected to increase.

Facts about Cyberattacks on a Cloud Data

One of the most shocking facts is the cyberattacks that have caused a loss of trillions of data every year. If you think cyberattacks are related to hackers, you are mistaken. The truth is, it is usually caused by human error.

  • In 88% of breaches, mistakes are made by employees. And coming to gender, men are twice as likely to get trapped in phishing scams.
  • Almost 34% is totalled to the men and 17% to the women.

With the precise use of IT expertise, we intend to help you eliminate security issues as they can be resource-intensive. Our data center security consulting services not only identify loopholes but implement and optimize security solutions to drive business progress.

Public and Private Cloud Hosting Facts

In comparison to public and hybrid, private cloud hosting has made up 28% of the cloud spending. In fact, costs spent on public cloud data center structure was increased 25% within only a year; as per the reports made in the second quarter of 2020, approximately $17 billion was recorded for public cloud, hitting the highest record of all the times.

Worldwide Data Center Infrastructure End-User Spending (Billions of U.S. Dollars)

 

2021

2020

2019

End-User Spending ($B)

200

188

210

Growth (%)

6.2

-10.3

0.7

Read our article on AI Statistics.

The Top 4 Data Center Security Best Practices

What is Data Center Security?

Data Center Security refers to the physical and virtual protection of your data network and all connected technologies. Datacenter infrastructure is prone to cyber-attacks, data loss, and many attacks on databases like SQL injection, hacking, tailgating, intellectual property theft. You probably know that a data center is simply the storage facility for the IT infrastructure of your business.

Keep in mind that a data center provides many services, including data organization, processing, storage, data recovery, backup, etc. Data centers hold the most crucial technologies regarding the operations of your business. Your data center security and physical safety have to be considered as the topmost priority. Access to the data center and safety procedures have to get managed and maintained consistently.

Best Known Practices for Data Center Security

Mentioning all the datacenter security best practices, procedures, and methods is absolutely difficult because they are just too many. But don’t worry, this article will concentrate on the most important:

Physical Accessibility Security Control

Although there are several variables to devotional physical safety, the construction of the structure itself is a major consideration. You can dedicate a building to the housing of a data center, or additional services and offices independent of the data center. Protect it from internal and environmental threats. Add an area with little windows and bullet protective walls.

Other significant physical safety issues include on-site video monitoring, safety guards, and metal detectors, as well as tiered security methods adapted for protecting data sensitivity, security checkpoints, limited or single access, departure points, etc.

You’ll love this one,

The application of mantraps. This includes an airlock between two different doors, and both doors require authentication. Consider future extensions within the same limits Separate white-space support systems enable allowed employees to fulfill their functions. It also inhibits the unattended access of maintenance and service professionals.

Monitoring and Limiting Access Physically and Virtually

Secured spaces, in particular those with servers and vital assets, should never allow unauthorized employees access. To do this, data centers require various tiers of physical and digital access restrictions. Human error is a major area of caution, more especially for data centers.

The first safeguards that spring to mind are access cards and identity badges; even offices that do not possess data use them in their centers. Additional guarantees include ongoing background checks by allowed staff, weight scales, visitors entering and leaving the premises, and biometric locks.

All individually guarded areas need to get authenticated and accessed in over one way, as not all workers need to access every section of a data center. Biometric technology is an effective safety layer based on unique features of an individual, such as a fingerprint or a retinal scan. Besides conventional access cards, many businesses are implementing biometric-controlled locks.

You must implement specific security measures for each room and location, depending on the sensitivity of the data and equipment involved.

Regular Network Security Audits

Firewalls and IDs assist the monitoring and checking of traffic before reaching your internal network for perimeter safety. To enhance their defenses, a data center must frequently deploy access control lists. Most current firewalls have ACLs, which enable or restrict traffic to particular locations by analyzing the information in the header packet.

The firewall of a data center gets created by defining access control lists for particular interfaces.

The basic aim of a firewall is to block unauthorized access, and it works as the network’s initial defensive line, dividing its secured and unprotected sections. Just make sure you do not use the firewall as just a measure of security theatre.

Understand this;

Access control should highlight the monitoring of IP addresses and the establishment of various threat prevention services. Traffic monitoring should always be workable, and any menaces and background noise should get distinguished quickly.

Another significant aspect of network security in data centers is intrusion detection systems.

They can identify anomalous activities by users or phishing signs, DDoS assaults, and other common or sophisticated threats to the network. Authentication of two and three factors is also an important measure of network security. You must conduct penetration testing annually, or perhaps twice a year. And ensure to include a certified third party to help with pen-testing.

Protection of Data

All data must be heavily secured, monitored at all times and periodically backed up for efficient protection and storage during transport. In addition, all data security protocols must monitor current trends, approaches, and technology.

You must always pursue strong password restrictions and good cybersecurity and spread the culture in all staff who frequently interact with data.

Understanding How AI Can Enhance Datacenter Security: 8 Powerful Attributes

Artificial Intelligence and Data Center Security

Data centers are vulnerable to many cyber-attacks. Especially now that almost every business can leverage and implement AI data collection and analysis solutions for diverse purposes.

A breach of data can be exceedingly harmful!

Industrial revolution 4.0. has created a data culture that allows businesses to leverage Artificial Intelligence for the enhancement of datacenter security and design business models that make data a substantial asset and key element of all company activities.

Cybercriminals now develop novel approaches to steal data from datacenters. Hackers frequently build complex malware and schedule cyber assaults that can enter the data networks of corporations. Hackers can easily use such software to access the private data of millions of people. For example, a security investigator revealed some major infringements, lately exposing millions of emails and passwords.

Searching and analyzing cyber assaults is quite a labor-demanding task for cyber-security professionals. Hence, let analyze how AI can revolutionize data center security.

How Can AI Enhance Datacenter Security?

Data violations are emerging more frequently in data-driven companies and every firm is rapidly employing cybersecurity specialists to investigate emerging cyber assaults and to develop tactics for preventing and mitigating them.

Businesses that employ Artificial Intelligence in their data center network can enhance their capacity to automate routine network activities, improve security, and identify cyber threats based on changes in behavior.

EES has the goal of securing your information from external and internal threats. With our data center security consulting and services, you never have to compromise on confidentiality and integrity. We implement proven methodology and deep tech expertise.

You can easily identify loopholes in your system and make significant improvements to your datacenter security management:

  1. You can automatically evaluate events and inputs from many systems and supplement security incidents and Event Management solutions. For example, a human cannot efficiently monitor events when over 20,000 occurrences get registered at once.
  2. Artificial Intelligence-based technologies can aid the identification of false positives’ harmful traffic and enable data center operators to address cybersecurity risks quickly and efficiently.
  3. You can also automate how you gather and analyze business information, scan code and vulnerabilities in infrastructure, and configuration mistakes. You can easily optimize the usage of security tools and learn from experience to adapt better.
  4. Artificial Intelligence recognizes drifting compliance in the data center and then adjusts and writes a new firewall rule for reverse control.
  5. If anything is moving from one data center to another, or from the same data center, artificial intelligence can write and rewrite firewall rules. In addition, input and outgoing data can get screened carefully and evaluated for security dangers.
  6. AI helps automate the security and maintenance of data centers in the future. If a security assault occurs today, server security employees must get secured manually. In addition, many maintenance jobs are still manual, such as getting rid of defective servers or storage devices. When robotics get added to the mix, data centers may be autonomous and human-free.
  7. The latest technology allows you to instruct robots to carry out delegated maintenance duties in the future. This means better service quality (QoS) at reduced operating costs.
  8. Artificial Intelligence service providers uphold strong financial incentives. With more AI-based security solutions, data centers can benefit from reduced operating costs and higher efficiency. It is a win-win for AI and data center suppliers both.

Google’s achievement in reducing its data center expenses by using deep learning has encouraged many entrepreneurs to leverage AI and improve their data center operations with quick identification of abnormalities.

Over four years, QTS created its software-driven Service Delivery Platform (SDP) and artifact engine for digitizing, aggregating, and analyzing over 4 billion (per day) data points across IT environments for all QTS clients. QTS is the first and only multi-tenant data center operator with a powerful Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Virtual Reality based software-defined management platform.

Artificial Intelligence and Data Center Security

Data centers are vulnerable to many cyber-attacks. Especially now that almost every business can leverage and implement AI data collection and analysis solutions for diverse purposes.

A breach of data can be exceedingly harmful!

Industrial revolution 4.0. has created a data culture that allows businesses to leverage Artificial Intelligence for the enhancement of datacenter security and design business models that make data a substantial asset and key element of all company activities.

Cybercriminals now develop novel approaches to steal data from datacenters. Hackers frequently build complex malware and schedule cyber assaults that can enter the data networks of corporations. Hackers can easily use such software to access the private data of millions of people. For example, a security investigator revealed some major infringements, lately exposing millions of emails and passwords.

Searching and analyzing cyber assaults is quite a labor-demanding task for cyber-security professionals. Hence, let analyze how AI can revolutionize data center security.

How Can AI Enhance Datacenter Security?

Data violations are emerging more frequently in data-driven companies and every firm is rapidly employing cybersecurity specialists to investigate emerging cyber assaults and to develop tactics for preventing and mitigating them.

Businesses that employ Artificial Intelligence in their data center network can enhance their capacity to automate routine network activities, improve security, and identify cyber threats based on changes in behavior.

You can easily identify loopholes in your system and make significant improvements to your datacenter security management:

  1. You can automatically evaluate events and inputs from many systems and supplement security incidents and Event Management solutions. For example, a human cannot efficiently monitor events when over 20,000 occurrences get registered at once.
  2. Artificial Intelligence-based technologies can aid the identification of false positives’ harmful traffic and enable data center operators to address cybersecurity risks quickly and efficiently.
  3. You can also automate how you gather and analyze business information, scan code and vulnerabilities in infrastructure, and configuration mistakes. You can easily optimize the usage of security tools and learn from experience to adapt better.
  4. Artificial Intelligence recognizes drifting compliance in the data center and then adjusts and writes a new firewall rule for reverse control.
  5. If anything is moving from one data center to another, or from the same data center, artificial intelligence can write and rewrite firewall rules. In addition, input and outgoing data can get screened carefully and evaluated for security dangers.
  6. AI helps automate the security and maintenance of data centers in the future. If a security assault occurs today, server security employees must get secured manually. In addition, many maintenance jobs are still manual, such as getting rid of defective servers or storage devices. When robotics get added to the mix, data centers may be autonomous and human-free.
  7. The latest technology allows you to instruct robots to carry out delegated maintenance duties in the future. This means better service quality (QoS) at reduced operating costs.
  8. Artificial Intelligence service providers uphold strong financial incentives. With more AI-based security solutions, data centers can benefit from reduced operating costs and higher efficiency. It is a win-win for AI and data center suppliers both.

Google’s achievement in reducing its data center expenses by using deep learning has encouraged many entrepreneurs to leverage AI and improve their data center operations with quick identification of abnormalities.

Over four years, QTS created its software-driven Service Delivery Platform (SDP) and artifact engine for digitizing, aggregating, and analyzing over 4 billion (per day) data points across IT environments for all QTS clients. QTS is the first and only multi-tenant data center operator with a powerful Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Virtual Reality based software-defined management platform.

All You Need to Know About The Top 5 Datacenter Security Solutions

What is a Datacenter Security Solution?

Data Center Security Solutions are the specialized tools, software, and equipment that help you keep your data secured from threats; internal or external, and increase sustainability. Security solutions get designed to safeguard your online networked system from cyber-attacks and to ensure security over your business’ computing infrastructure.

The top three goals for datacenter security solutions include:

  1. Prevention from damage
  2. Fast detection of probable threats
  3. Quick Remediation

Datacenter security software works by either creating an unbreakable firewall or detailed security monitoring to track allowed and unauthorized access to data resources. While choosing your data center security product, ensure to check all the features.

Most of the datacenter security solutions offer several additional safety features to help manage security-related threats better.

index 1

FireEye

A security solution was established around toughening datacenter security. They designed FireEye for cybersecurity and it evidently delivers targeted security. This solution is can detect advanced terrorizations, and it’s engineered to launch the best-mitigated response to remove any threat.

The FireEye Helix is the key product; a cloud-hosted security platform featuring high-grade endpoint security, expansive apparency, threat intelligence, and network and email security.

What a useful package!

With the use of advanced analytics and AI, you can catch all threats in real-time. Besides, you will know more about your datacenter’s limitations and program vulnerabilities. This will help you fortify those special security measures.

Cisco

Cisco Systems need no introduction!

They have introduced a highly commanding and strong software-focused networking security tool that will amaze you with its long list of impressive AI features and standard tools for securing your datacenter against cyberattacks. Looking at the Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) platform, you need to be an expert, because one with simple basic knowledge cannot handle it.

It’s quite a complex tool, but definitely worth the effort. Consider it a smart, long-lasting investment. Cisco datacenter security systems are made for consistent multi-cloud networking. All you need is ONE click, and they will present you with all Cisco ACI fabric information in a single view. Cisco Cloud ACI guarantees secure automated connectivity.

IBM

If you want a variety of security solutions for your datacenter, look no further than IBM. It guarantees enhanced security.

IBM Cloud Pak System Offering 0

Buying IBM will get you:

  • Unbeatable firewall management
  • Unparalleled intelligent cloud management
  • Hyperactive intrusion detection
  • Highly responsive prevention system management
  • Immediate security intelligence analysis
  • Refined gateway management
  • Forged endpoint security
  • Ultra-secure SD-WAN
  • Robust unified threat management

McAfee

This is one of the most recognized names for delivering top-class security services. McAfee datacenter security solutions make massive amounts of data threat resistant. This solution has cloud-native tools that comprise a long-range of useful and inspiring products and services.

Alongside overall visibility, it offers renowned protection regarding unpatched databases, with highlighted features that include:

  • Amazing endpoint security
  • Cloud access security broker (CASB)
  • Data loss prevention
  • Automated database discovery
  • Easy to use single-pane manageability
  • Advanced encryption tools

Are you interested in having real-time protection from internal, external, and intra-database threats? Then this is your solution.

Symantec

It’s impossible to roam the cybersecurity field and never come across the name Symantec!

With broad-scale enterprise items that address many datacenter security threats along with sustaining their security, Symantec is always ready to give you integrated cybersecurity with its highly progressive software. The key appeal for Symantec is how its system can detect and mitigate advanced threats whilst protecting information with outclassed endpoint data security.

sddc security

Its tools can effectively give you the best of both the cloud and on-premise worlds!

WHOA!

With all-inclusive server protection, it will make the monitoring easier either through clouds or firewalls. The astonishing ability to block zero-day exploits takes it to the top of the list.

5 Ways to Improve Datacenter Security

Before illustrating HOW best you can optimize your datacenter security, let’s quickly understand WHAT a Datacenter is, and WHY it’s important for any and every business.

For those who don’t know, we’ll start with the basics!

What is a Datacenter?

Without delving into intricate terms and excessive details, a Datacenter is simply a facility responsible for saving the company’s large amounts of sensitive or proprietary information, whether it is about team members, business deals, or finances. Consider it a corporation’s IT infrastructure based on networked computers holding all data that must be digitally and physically secured.

In modern times, cloud computing a very cost-effective and efficient option. And it comes with three basic functionalities:

  1. Data storage
  2. Backup and recovery
  3. Data management and networking

What is Datacenter Security?

“Datacenter security includes all the physical and virtual practices that are available and exercised to guard your datacenter storage facility against national and international external threats.”

Why is Data Center Security Important?

Every year, many businesses lose significant financial resources and data to cyber-attacks. The only way to put an eventual stop to these incurring losses is to implement an unbreakable security strategy, both physical and in technological terms.

Datacenter security plays an important role when:

  • Securing the finances and budgeting
  • Keeping the proprietary and personal data private
  • Keeping the customers’ trust
  • Maintaining the company’s reputation
  • Restricting the unwelcoming access
  • Protection from cyber-bullying
  • Security against cyber-attacks

How can you Improve Data Center Security?

Remember, you must work hard to certify the optimal level of security for your datacenter overview; it’s a highly intricate network that demands ultra-safety and protection.

Keep reading to get hold of the top 5 ways to improve datacenter security:

Offer Access to the Limited Staff

Keep a close eye on who enters and leaves the Data Center. It’s important to train your datacenter security team to keep a detailed record of individuals who can gain access to critical areas of your data center, and all sensitive data. This will help to track unauthorized activities.

Restricting datacenter access to a specialized security management team must be your top priority.

Enhanced Physical Security

What we mean by physical security exactly is:

  • Installing CCTV throughout the building, not only the Data Center. You must install cameras with clear angles at the center’s entrance, exit, and access points. 24hrs. surveillance is a necessity of time.
  • Keep the number of windows and doors minimum
  • Invest money and time, effort, and hard work in hiring a specialized security team
  • Making the Datacenter strong enough to withstand weather calamities. Ensure the walls are well-forged, thickened, and made bulletproof, so it will keep your information safe from terrorist attacks, industrial accidents, and even natural disasters.
  • Take all the measures for fire protection
  • Design your center with no blind spots and have the architecture that offers complete visibility

Access Control Systems & Biometrics

Another way to ensure security is the application of “biometric identification” as a method of entry that doesn’t work on access cards. Or else, use application-scanning and code-scanning tools at access points (entry and exit). These tools help you highlight all the vulnerable points where hackers can easily make quick and silent access.

Well, that is not all!

The easiest but most assured tactic is to create a mantrap! Yes, you have heard it right! You can create a mantrap by installing two doors with an airlock where the last or second door to exit or entry will only open on getting authentication from the other side of the door.

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Network Security

Once you are all done with physically optimizing your datacenter security and accessibility, you move on to “securing the network”. The hard work starts from here!

Start with installing firewalls as a first layer defense fortifying the accessing perimeter. It will help you get rid of unauthorized traffic right at the entry-level.

The next step is to make the best out of the Zero Trust model; to inspect and monitor all the internal traffic that’s entering your network. If any threat has dodged your perimeter firewall, it will get detected instantly by the model, and it will begin its removal at the moment.

For the ultimate security, or we can say to add an extra pop, put A Security Information and Event Management tool (SIEM) in your networked computers. It will enhance the overall visibility of the upcoming traffic and give you extensive control over your system by updating alarm systems and sensors.

Get a real-time view of your datacenter’s security posture!

Bonus:

Wireless networking is not a necessity datacenters because it’s pretty difficult to maintain and supervise.

Secure Your Data for Emergency

The last step is to be ready if anything goes down. But how? By taking comprehensive measures including:

  • Complete data backup
  • Easy modes of data recovery
  • Using data encryption while sharing or transferring data

Datacenter Vulnerabilities: 7 Life-Changing Attacks You Must Know

Securing the data center from cyber-attacks is quite difficult today. The number of attacks directed at data centers of different businesses and enterprises across the globe has increased significantly over the past years. In this article, we are going to talk about the various vulnerabilities and attacks that can affect your data center, and how to prevent them.

let’s get into it

Vulnerabilities And Common Attacks in Datacenter

DDoS Attacks

DDoS attacks, or Distributed Denial of Service attacks, have been used by cyber attackers and hackers for decades. A DDoS attack occurs when an enormous amount of traffic gets sent to a targeted server intending to gobble up all the bandwidth and disrupt server access for its rightful users.

In the past decade, the world has seen some major DDoS attacks on different small and big-sized companies, including; Google, Amazon Web Services, OVH, GitHub. According to Cisco’s analysis, over 10 million DDoS attacks got made in 2020 alone. The same analysis forecasted a significant rise in DDoS cyber-attacks in the future. Cisco’s forecast entails the number of DDoS attacks will have a 100% increase to about 15.4 million by 2023.

It remains a tremendous concern for all the data center owners.

Several poorly secured IoT-connected devices are getting produced every day, and it’s quite easy for hackers to compromise data centers and exploit network servers using unsecured IoT devices. If the right security measures don’t get implemented, things can go from good to OMG! within seconds.

Ransomware Attacks

Remember how many people wept when the “WannaCry” ransomware attack took place? Almost 200,000 computers across hundreds of countries got infected with WannaCry.

A ransomware attack occurs when malicious software gets installed on your computer, which after getting installed, gains access to all the files and folders on your computer, and uses encryption to seize your data. Recent years have highlighted a rise in ransomware attacks on enterprise infrastructure.

Ransomware can spread through email attachments, pop-ups, messages, etc

After successfully taking over your system, the ransomware demands a ransom in cryptocurrency (to maintain the anonymity of the hacker) as an exchange for the decryption key.

External Access

Hackers can also leverage Cloud Access Security Brokers or third-party DNS servers to get access to a data center. Hence, overlooking the external services being used within your data center may bring you serious nightmares. Consider installing a third-party remote access system like NordVPN, which is a leading and experienced VPN provider.

Although they experienced quite a breach back in 2018. Dyn, a very popular and trusted DNS service provider also became a victim of an attack that halted their service alongside the service of many big enterprises like PayPal, CNN, Comcast, Boston Globe, etc.

Application Attacks

Application attacks happen when an application that is being used for providing the service of a data center, such as the control panel or customer dashboard, gets infected or compromised. This can cause service unavailability and severe loss of reputation for the data center provider.

Hackers consider this as a great way to attack data centers because it requires very little resources in contrast to a DDoS cyber-attack.

Internal Attacks

The biggest security threat can come from an attack by a data center’s own employees. As the employees have access to the servers of a data center, they can abuse their ability to inflict damage. These attacks are the most dangerous, but most data center providers remain unprepared for these kinds of attacks.

Phishing Attacks

Phishing attacks get activated by sending a message, email, or website that pretends to be authentic to a person with credentials. If the attacker becomes successful to pretend like an authentic source, the person may release the credential by himself thinking that the message is from a trusted source. And once the attacker gets the credential, he can easily access the target server and do whatever he wants.

Using Vulnerable Software

Software and operating systems are key components that help data centers to run smoothly. If any of this software contains a vulnerability, hackers and attackers will exploit the weakness and find their way into your data center. It’s extremely important to always apply updates and patch the software used to operate your data center.

It’s crucial to always protect your digital assets and content in this ever-growing digital landscape. Cybersecurity must be a top priority for you if you significantly depend on the Internet to run your business and conduct personal activities online. Ensure to protect every data center network surface and respond to network glitches quickly and confidently.

You must leverage actionable insights and scalable data center solutions to secure your employees’ devices, IoT network connections, data infrastructure, and all business proprietary data.

Important Network Infrastructure Security Trends For 2022

Network Infrastructure Security

If you run an enterprise-level IT company, renowned Network Infrastructure Security measures must be your top priority. This involves having control over who can access the network, firewalls, virtual private networks, and few other things.

This article will highlight the top network infrastructure security measures that can help you prevent unauthorized access, theft, or loss of data.

Network Infrastructure Security Measures

Many hardware and software components get connected to a computing network. If any of the connected devices contain vulnerabilities, the network can easily get compromised.

Keeping the network secure at all times is a must. This requires several network infrastructure security measures, and the most important ones are:

Network Security Audits are Must

To keep a network secure, the network needs to go through regular network security. This process will help identify any potential vulnerability in the network. The network security policies and all the software and hardware connected to the network must get audited by professionals.

You can audit your network either with the help of third-party network security service providers or you can hire in-house cybersecurity professionals. The internal team can run routine audits.

Monitor User Access Privileges

User access privileges must get minimized with increased monitoring of who is accessing the network. Otherwise, unmonitored access can lead to the network getting compromised, even by internal users who have access to the network.

Applying a POLP (Policy of Least Privilege) policy to each user account can also help to minimize the risk.

Quick Software Patching

This is very important. If you use outdated software or constantly delay the application of security patches, your network becomes vulnerable and hacking attacks could become inevitable.

Always monitor the software you use in your network and ensure that it’s always updated. Most cyber attacks take advantage of outdated software vulnerabilities.

Look at Network Hardware as Well

Overseeing all the hardware components including servers, storage drives, routers, and switches, connected or about to be connected to the network, is as important as maintaining the software. The software installed in each hardware component needs to go through checks and scanned for any potential attack.

Detection Systems to Guard Network

Detection systems help detect any unauthorized access to the network, including harmful software within the network at the early stage. Using these detection systems can help to secure the network infrastructure to a great extent.

Use Virtual Private Networks (VPN)

You can easily divide the entire network infrastructure into several sub-segments or virtual private networks. A VPN keeps the data encrypted between endpoints. This can help you protect other parts of the network when a specific section of the network gets compromised.

Isolating the network can also help protect other segments during a cyber attack.

Using Antivirus Software in The Network

Using antivirus software can detect any vulnerability in any specific software or files being used in the network. It also helps to get rid of adware, spyware, and spam. The presence of an Antivirus in the network infrastructure is a must.

Using Behavioral Analytics Tools

The behavior of all users who have access to the network can and must get tracked and monitored continuously. This will help you keep up with any unusual behavior in any user account and protect the network from any calamity.

Apart from all the listed network infrastructure security measures, there are several other things that you can do to keep the network protected from hackers and cyber attackers. For instance, using strong passwords, having a backup of data, and restricting hardware components from unauthorized users.

Using encryption when possible and the help of a third-party network security service provider solves security risk management. You can also consider some of these network security reportings.

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