Rack servers are the center of any IT or data center in this modern IT age. These servers help to store and process critical digital business information such as emails, files, customer records, and websites.
When these rack servers are being affected, affected like be it a break-in, a fire, a cyberattack, or damage, your business and you might lose money, trust, or even be temporarily unable to do business.
Therefore, it is important to secure your digital servers physically and digitally. So, here we present the seven practical and straightforward ways to maintain the safety and security of your rack servers.
1. Lock Your Server Rack
Your first layer of protection should always be a strong and secure server rack. Keeping your server rack locked maintains security. Locking a rack server may sound simple, but it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent unauthorized access.
When you are not locking the server rack, Anyone who enters your server room. They can open the cabinet could unplug cables, steal hardware, and also cause physical damage without being a hacker. It’s just like keeping your house door locked, basic but necessary.
Choose racks with strong metal doors and locking systems. Some companies use rack servers with fingerprint scanners or digital access codes for even more control. Just as important is controlling who gets the keys or codes. Only trusted staff members should have access.
2. Set Up Security Cameras and sensors
It’s impossible to watch your server room every minute of the day, but cameras can do that for you. A basic camera system inside and outside your server room adds an extra layer of safety.
If someone tries to mess with your servers, you’ll have strong proof. Even is worth it that the visual presence of cameras often stops people from doing anything bad in the first place.
You should regularly check the installed cameras. Checking these cameras will make sure they’re recording and functioning well. By doing these, you will have your system always secure, which ensures that if something happens, you can look back and find out exactly what went wrong and who was responsible.
Security isn’t just about people so you can perfrom security in following wasy
- Install Surveillance Cameras: Place cameras to monitor the server room entrance, the aisle facing the rack, and the rear. Visible cameras are also a powerful deterrent.
- Use Cabinet Sensors: Install sensors on the cabinet doors that trigger an alert (email, SMS) the moment the door is opened unexpectedly.
- Monitor Environment: Use sensors to track temperature, humidity, and water leaks. An environmental failure can be just as devastating as a theft.
3. Control Who Enters the Server Room
Not everyone in your office needs access to the server room. The server room is always a sensitive area. Make sure that only a few people can enter the room. Making it this way is better.
In this way, there will be less chance for mistakes, accidents, or intentional damage. You can provide access control systems with secure keycards or passcodes. This not only secuyour server, but it will also help you track who enters and when.
Some offices mistakenly allow interns, cleaners, or general staff into the server room without thinking that there might be a data security issue. By doing this, this can lead to big problems. For example, someone might accidentally unplug something or move a cable. So, setting clear rules, maintaining secure access, and allowing only trained people to enter is essential.
4. Keep an eye on Device Temperature and Risk of Fire
Servers become hot, particularly when they are on the job. If the temperature is too high, the hardware may be damaged. In the worst situations, heat may lead to fire.
This is why server rooms should have cooling and a fire protective system.
Ensure that the place has proper air conditioning or cooling fans. It is also in their best interest to install temperature sensors that remind them if the room reaches too high a temperature.
Tools like Smoke detectors, fire alarms, and fire extinguishers should be installed at the office and business areas. It is also important to maintain the room is clean and dust-free room, as this may block air flow and create more heat.
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Many people believe that the locks on a room’s doors are enough. However, hackers do not have to be on your premises in the modern digital age. They can strike your servers via the net. This is why you should also have robust online security.
Start by using long and difficult-to-guess passwords that are not the same. One should not use basic passwords such as admin or 123456.
Make a habit of changing them to keep hackers at bay. Better still, enable two-factor authentication, where users must verify their identity by sending an authentication code to their mobile phone. This renders it quite challenging to break from the outside.
6. Ensure Up-to-Date Software and Firmware
Hackers most frequently use security bugs in old software to access servers. Not keeping your systems up to date is like leaving your door unlocked.
However, most companies neglect to refresh their software or firmware, which is a huge liability. Keeping everything up to date is one of the most straightforward and efficient protection methods.
Some of the essential things to keep up to date include;
- Firmware on server hardware, Intel motherboards, network interface controllers, network switches, and storage controllers
- Firewalls and other protection systems in the network, such as antivirus or endpoint protection software
7. Make your Backups Frequently
Regardless of all the security measures taken, anything can occur inadvertently, such as a flood, fire, or hacking. Because of that, it is helpful to make copies of your data. Such backups can rescue your business against any disaster.
Backing up means storing your important data in a safe area. The cloud can be one of the safe areas, and you can also back up your data physical device in another location. And keep in mind that you should test your backups regularly to make sure that they work. It’s smart to keep multiple copies in other places.
Conclusion
Protecting your rack servers is not something you can afford to ignore. Servers hold the most valuable parts of your business, your data. If you lose that, it could cost time, money, and trust.
We talked about seven ways to keep your servers safe.
- First, lock your server rack so nobody can touch it.
- Then, security cameras are used to watch the room and control who enters the room with ID cards or codes. Keep the room cool in condition and safe from fire.
- Protect the rack server’s software by using strong passwords and 2FA. Keep everything updated.
- And keep in mind that not to forget to back up your data so you can recover quickly if something goes wrong.
- Contact and make a backup of a trusted IT partner if you need help setting up your server room or securing your digital systems.
It’s always better to be safe than sorry!
Ready to take the next step? Consult with a security professional to conduct a penetration test and identify vulnerabilities in your specific environment.