What do you think would be the worst thing that could happen in or to your data center?

I would like to hear everyone's thoughts. Please blog and give us some input....

In the meantime, I would like everyone to go to the following website link below and download the following white paper in PDF format written by a friend of mine named Jonathan Zdziarski. I believe this paper, Data Center Threats and Vulnerabilities, details the worst case scenario (terrorist threat) and shows how easily this could possibly happen. Jon is a Research Scientist for McAfee, a lover of "machine code" and open-source, and a leader in the area of computer and security forensics. He is credited as the individual who cracked and made available the source code for the Apple I-Phone, enabling 3rd party software providers to develop their own applications for it and law enforcement to recover evidence from it.

Link to report: http://www.zdziarski.com/blog/?page_id=150

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Replies to This Post

I read the paper, it comes up with quite a few good points. In my experience still the most likely event is organised crime trying to steal the components of these centres. I have seen the damage and been involved in the subsequent disruption. They range from ram raid attacks to disablement of security staff in unsocial hours. The issue as always is money, large centres using too few people in order to keep running costs low. We work on 30 minutes in most cases, we have to keep them out using steel until law enforcements arrive. Sometimes much longer depending on the value in secure area or the potential if area compromised.
In my business, most people think that having an alarm system will solve all their problems. They think that the ADT or Brinks security commercial that you see on TV is reality, but the reality is far from what is presented. The police are not hiding in the closet waiting to pop out and you may not get a call from the emergency services operator in 2 seconds of your alarm going off. In many cases, depending on where you are located, it could take PD an hour or more to show up. The best security will always be the "offensive" one. That is why the best data centers have walls several feet thick and multiple steel doors within mantraps. Some even have steel curtains (like a rolling overhead door) that close on an alarm. E-Trade has an extremely impressive data center in Alpharetta, GA, USA that utilizes this feature.
I wish i had the opportunity to see that centre, another issue is that in our congested country of the uk, locations are so hard to procure that purpose built locations are few and far between. I have seen the rolling curtains, we use them on car parks etc. Often they are easy to defeat though.

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