DATA CENTRES
“ We ’ re seeing that more and more data is time sensitive , and it needs to be processed at the edge , so IoT is also fuelling the growth in edge data centres ”
LEWIS WHITE VP OF ENTERPRISE INFRASTRUCTURE ( EUROPE ), COMMSCOPE
As you can see , the new wave of IoT technologies has sparked a complete reimagining of how we deliver value and what companies can do to raise the bar .
Building a high-security IoT ecosystem The rise of IoT will bring with it entirely new demands on data volumes , data storage and data speed , forcing data centres to expand and pivot quickly .
“ In fact , the biggest impact from IoT in the data centre will be video applications – entertainment , security monitoring , data mining and safety , for example . Companies need to store that data and act on it in real time , rather than analysing static data or photos ,” explains Lewis White , Vice President of Enterprise Infrastructure for Europe at CommScope .
Alongside this , the deeply personal nature of some of the data that IoT devices will gather – including real-time location updates , healthcare information and user behaviours – will require data centres to operate with the maximum possible security .
Thankfully , the benefits of an IoT framework can also be implemented to support data centres themselves . This system upgrade can help data centre providers to maximise uptime , lower operating costs , and enhance physical security .
However , it is important to note that a failure to manage the new IoT framework appropriately will also introduce cyber security vulnerabilities .
“ Failing to change the default password or to update the firmware are good examples of this . As is allowing unencrypted communication between the client application and server ,” advises Paul Dodds , the Country Manager at Genetec UK & Ireland .
To manage these vulnerabilities , Dodds recommends that data centres adopt a unified approach to security , with a cyberphysical security framework .
“ Physical and cybersecurity can no longer be treated as separate disciplines . Those responsible for physical security must instead work closely with their IT departments . By working together , they can better protect their facilities and information . This is best achieved with a unified security solution ,” says Dodds .
“ A unified security solution can help to automate tasks that contribute to good cyber hygiene . For example , identifying hardware that is not supported or that is running on out-of-date versions of the firmware . It is then much easier to build a resilient cyberphysical security framework from which to operate ,” he adds .
56 August 2022