DESIGN & BUILD
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Without a doubt , cybersecurity is one of the most widely discussed , pressing topics in the data centre industry right now . Understanding and mitigating these risks is one of the biggest areas of focus for providers – and with good reason .
But , all too often , providers make the mistake of neglecting the physical aspects of security in favour of the cyber angle .
We spoke to Nick Smith , Business Development Manager and physical security specialist at Genetec , to find out more about the current vulnerabilities in physical security protocols , and why cyber and physical security need to be perceived as a single entity .
The greatest vulnerabilities in physical security “ Your greatest vulnerability and your biggest threat is always going to be the people . Ultimately , we ’ re the biggest threat to any system ,” Smith explains .
Generally speaking , this threat takes two main forms – people attempting to gain access to areas where they are not allowed and the insider threat ( where someone is allowed access , but they are there with malicious intentions ). To address these key threats , a more sophisticated approach to physical security is required .
“ I suppose it ’ s easy to spend a lot of money putting lots and lots of cameras around a fence line , installing fence line detection systems , razor wire , and really securing your perimeter , but it ’ s far more effective if we take what we call a layered approach ,” Smith adds .
“ So , we look at the perimeter – and that ’ s going to be typically what you see on most secure sites , with cameras , fence line detection , a gate in the middle , a guard hut ,
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