Why the cloud model makes sense for data center security
We talk about the cloud as though data somehow disappears into an abstract environment, but the cloud is still physical. Somewhere there is a building filled with power systems, cooling, fiber, servers, cameras, access control and people. As data center operators expand across multiple locations, cloud-managed physical security gives them a way to manage access, video and identity consistently across the enterprise while still maintaining local resilience.
One of the things I have said for years is that the cloud is still physical infrastructure. We talk about the cloud as though data somehow disappears into an abstract environment, but somewhere there is always a building, and inside that building are generators, switchgear, cooling systems, fiber entrances, racks, cameras, access control, contractors, technicians and a lot of very expensive equipment. There are also people who need access and people who absolutely should not have access. Once you look at it that way, it becomes much easier to understand why cloud-based physical security makes sense in the data center environment.
Why Isolated Security Systems Create Gaps in Data Centers
I have spent a good part of my career working around physical security, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure, and one of the things that becomes obvious in a data center is that isolated systems create gaps. You can have a very good access control system, a very good video system and a strong cybersecurity program, but if those systems do not work together, there is still a lot of room between them where things can be missed. A badge transaction can tell you that a credential was presented at a door. Video can tell you what happened in front of a camera. An identity platform can tell you who somebody is supposed to be, and a work-order system may tell you why they are there. The real value comes when those pieces start supporting each other instead of operating as separate systems.
Managing Data Center Security Consistently Across Multiple Locations
That is one of the reasons I like the cloud model for physical security. It gives an organization the ability to manage security across multiple locations without creating another independent island at every site. Data center operators today may have facilities spread across several states or countries, and while every site will have some differences, the security organization still needs to maintain consistent policies. You need to know who has access, why they have it, what buildings and areas they can enter, how long that access should remain active and how quickly it can be removed when somebody changes jobs, finishes a project or leaves the organization. Those sound like basic questions until you are trying to answer them across a large portfolio.
From Building System to Enterprise Application: Rethinking Access Control
Historically, physical access control was often treated as a building system. In many organizations, each site had its own database, its own administrators and its own way of doing things. That approach becomes difficult to manage when you start operating at data center scale. I think physical access control increasingly needs to be treated more like an enterprise application. A cloud-managed platform gives the organization the ability to establish policies centrally while still allowing for local operating requirements. That becomes particularly useful in data centers because of the number of contractors, vendors and temporary workers who come through these facilities. Construction crews, commissioning agents, equipment manufacturers, electrical and mechanical contractors, network technicians and customer personnel may all need access to different areas at different times. Giving everybody permanent credentials is not a good answer. Access should be tied to the job, the location and the amount of time the individual actually needs to be there.
Why Access Control and Video Need to Work Together
Video becomes much more valuable when it is part of that same process. A door alarm by itself has limited value. An operator needs to know what happened, who was involved and whether the activity makes sense in context. Being able to associate access events with video helps shorten that process considerably. The operator should not have to bounce between several applications and compare timestamps just to understand what happened at a door. The technology should help present the information in a way that allows the person responding to make a good decision.
Brivo: One Platform for Data Center Security
This is one area where I think Brivo is positioned well for the data center market. Access control, video, visitor management and other security functions can be managed as part of a larger platform rather than as isolated systems. For a company operating a number of facilities, that can make administration more consistent and give the security organization better visibility across the enterprise. The combination of Brivo and Eagle Eye Networks, now one organization, also makes sense in this environment because video and access control are two of the systems that security operators use together constantly. Bringing those systems closer together reduces the amount of manual work required to understand an event.
Cloud Does Not Replace the Need for Resilience
At the same time, cloud does not eliminate the need for resilience. If anything, it makes good system design even more important. In a mission-critical environment, you have to understand what happens when communications are interrupted. Authorized users still need to get into the facility. Controllers still need to operate. Events need to be retained and synchronized when connectivity returns. Administrative access has to be protected, and local operation needs to be part of the design rather than an afterthought. Cloud architecture should never be used as an excuse to ignore these questions. It should give us a better way to manage them.
Data Center Security Starts at the Grid, Not the Badge Reader
The other point I continue to make is that data center security starts long before somebody presents a badge to a reader. It begins with the site itself. Geography, utilities, roads, fiber, water, neighboring properties and the overall layout of the campus all have an impact on resilience. From there, security moves through the perimeter, circulation, loading areas, building entrances, internal security zones, cages and eventually the rack. That is why I often describe data center security as a grid-to-rack problem. Cloud technology can help us manage the environment, but it does not replace good design.
The Future of Data Center Security: Identity, Access and Video Working Together
Where I think the industry is headed is toward an environment where identity, access, video, sensors and operational information work together much more closely than they do today. Security will be less about individual devices and more about what the organization knows at the time an event occurs. For an industry built around uptime, availability and resilience, that is a natural progression. The cloud works well in data centers not because it makes security simpler, but because it gives us a better way to manage security at scale while maintaining a consistent view across the enterprise.
Christopher Hills
MBA, CPD, CPP, CISM, DCIS, CCSK, CSM