A security peek in and around Racks

INDIA: Racks must have an increased level of physical security to meet with the strict protection principles of data. Protecting the data from threats within the racks is a crucial aspect of security system. The rack levels are monitored and provide physical rack access control with a comprehensive security solution. Rack access control should offer secure, managed system that can gain access to racks. They must be designed and manufactured with highest quality standards to control, manage and solutions must give a complete configurable facility for front and back door of server rack.

The system must be reliable, easy to install with minimum support so that it can be installed in new racks and retrofitted on existing racks providing the security to the data in racks.

Racksecurity system must offer a cost effective, retrofitable and easy to implement in racks. Installed in racks are the servers which must be locked and protected by the rack security solutions preventing access to its ports and hardware.The sensitive data require a secure system to protect the server placed in shared racks.

Some important features of server rack security system should not be ignored. Physical security is important for protecting the IT enclosures. Many of them today focus on rack security because there is often minimal physical security in place to prevent unauthorized access to the enclosures that store valuable equipment and data. To prevent unauthorized access to data placed in the servers, security plays a significant role. Server rack security system in their least secure form provided no security or any additional barriers to the servers or data. Presently racks have improved forms of security enabling the users with unique access to servers or data through PIN, biometric system, HID Cards and multiple locks for doors and panels.

Solutions should give a complete configurable facility to control front and back door of server rack, as elucidated in six points below.

1. The electronic locks of rack handle must offer the functionality of a manual latching system with additional benefit of electronic locks for remote monitoring and access control.

2. With ability to combine with control device for a basic self-contained electronic access solution.

3. The rack handle should provide access control of electronic locks to networked rack control and monitoring systems over the internet.

4. Remote lock and unlock control.

5. Single or multi-point locking.

6. Rack locks must support card to protect the data from unauthorized access.

Electronic locks, a significant element of an electronic access solution offer a layer of access to current physical security solutions when integrated into rack enclosures. When combined with an existing security system, rack level electronic locks create one organizedand uninterrupted security network that can be used across to control access.

The access management software designed for rack controller should have unique feature for configuring numerous parameters at reader level, thus offering more flexibility in defining the access design. The rack security solution needs to restrict the access for the data by ensuring the finger or card identity for admin login, support duress finger, LCD messages, backup of database, crystal reports allowing the programmer to create reports from a variety of data sources with minimum time duration. Intelligent racks locks essentially require having audit log available, password protected, definable user rights. Finally, selecting the suitable intelligent locking method is vital to overall operation, as entire rack security system is reliant on the lock's function!

(Ravi Raj is Brand Head, Director Sales & Support, NetRack. The ideas and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of CyberMedia)