Data Center Security refers to both the physical and electronic systems that must be in place 24/7 to protect people and property from natural disasters, cyberattacks and other threats.

When most people think of data center security, images of cyberdefense against hackers may come to mind. Yet the goal of data center security is much broader — protecting people and property across the board.

People may refer to users (employees, clients and other authorized parties who need access to business data) or outsiders (those who are not directly employed by the business, such as cleaning crews, security guards and service engineers). Property includes, but is not limited to, the building, infrastructure, servers, laptops and data.

Data center security usually restricts access to only those who are expressly authorized to be on-site or in certain areas. Security measures such as bollards, mantraps, fingerprint recognition and video surveillance may be employed, along with other measures. If the data center is large or contains sensitive information — both of which are likely for a commercial data center — security guards are generally present around the clock.

The machine room is a key area of focus from a security perspective, and a range of physical and environmental controls are generally used guard against interruptions in power supply or tampering by intruders. All platforms should have technical controls to protect applications and data from unauthorized disclosure and manipulation.