Data Center Security - Stepping Up the Game!

If data is the gold of the digital age, then it is only natural that data centers must be as secure as banks. Even Tom Cruise would find it impossible to break into the largest data center in the Baltics located in Hüüru near Tallinn – the security of the center is ensured with measures almost fitting for the scenario of a science fiction film.

Without proper authentication you can’t get past this room. Photo: Tõnu Tunnel

Beyond cybersecurity

When discussing security today, people often ask about cybersecurity first. It is true that hackers can do a lot of damage by hacking into servers. They can access sensitive data, shut down entire businesses, and so on. In reality, however, there is much more to it. If someone physically steals or corrupts data, even the best cybersecurity in the world will not save the company.

The mission impossible begins outside the center

At the Greenergy Data Center facility, security begins outside the gates. There are automatic road blockers behind the gates to ensure that no one can enter the center with brute force. The center is surrounded by a three-metre-high security fence with a concrete foundation that cannot be run down by a vehicle. Forget about climbing as well – the fence have motion sensors.

Even if someone with malicious intent manages to sneak past the gates, their journey will be short. More than 350 cameras have been installed on the premises of the center. The cameras have both motion and thermal sensors, which means that they function well at night or even in heavy fog.

Some cameras are so smart that they can detect a person and register their movements on the premises of the center. Still, the security is not fully automated – there are always real people in the control center monitoring the cameras.

A severed hand will not grant you entrance

The inside of the building is also protected by effective security measures. The data center verifies the identity of each visitor to see if they are who they claim to be. Biometric identification is used for this purpose – the system studies the structure of the veins in your hands. It may sound a bit too much, but in fact, it has a very good reason.

The structure of the veins is verified to avoid a film-like scenario where security systems are tricked using the fingerprint or even finger of someone else. The hand must be attached to a living person and there has to be blood flow in the veins. Otherwise, the system will not let you in. This is a step forward from using only fingerprints.

The data center can only be accessed from the main door, which has armed surveillance 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The building has more entrances, such as the ones used for loading goods, but they have been configured so that when the outer door is open, the next one is closed. This means that the goods can be unloaded, but the next door will not open until everything is secure and checked.

The center has security gateways supported by artificial intelligence, which means that you cannot bring a friend along. The system counts the number of people standing in the gateway and if the number does not match, they cannot pass.

This ensures that only people who need to enter the center can do so.

If you wish to be extra safe

Any customer of the data center can choose between a shared data hall, a private suite, and a data vault with maximum security. Even though security has been taken care of everywhere in the building, you can ask for even stricter measures. For example, private spaces are well suited to customers who do not wish to display their equipment and show how it works. Maximum security and reliability are ensured by a Level 4 data vault located deep in the earth and embedded in limestone in compliance with the EN 50600 standard.

A smart location

Estonia is located in a fairly peaceful place as far as natural disasters and terrorism are concerned, but just to be sure, the data center is built 43 metres above sea level, on hard limestone soil. Moreover, the center is located away from dangerous production facilities and traffic, such as fuel trains. The future construction of dangerous production facilities in the vicinity of the center is also ruled out.

Security is more than just armed surveillance

Reliability is just as important as security – what are the benefits of high-tech security systems if the infrastructure fails? The reliability of the data center is ensured by a redundant power supply, cooling and communication infrastructure, state-of-the-art fire prevention systems, and continuous monitoring of the infrastructure of the center with more than 3,000 sensors.

In conclusion, it can be said with confidence that Greenergy Data Centers is probably one of the most secure and reliable establishments after security organisations.