Potential threats to your network

When people think of potential safety and security issues pertaining to their servers – they usually think of things like data breaches, computer viruses and other types of virtual threats. And while these threats should be acknowledged and prepared for, all the firewalls and anti-virus software in the world will protect your network from the actual, physical dangers in your building right now.

Most of these environmental risks are often overlooked by companies and when it comes to protecting your data – it’s important that you monitor, identify and report all the potential hazards within your facility. Here are a few of those things that you should be looking for and be wary of. Let’s jump right in!

Temperature

Temperature is always the first environmental threat to your computer equipment. Servers frequently get damaged due to excessively warm temperatures and it needs to be monitored constantly. Room temperature should always be in the 68-72 degree range at all times.

Not only do you need to think about heat in the room and produced by the servers, but you also need to account for any other influences on the room’s temperature. Sunlight, central air and other things may increase a room’s temperature to an unsustainable level at certain points in the day – so be sure to take that into account.

Humidity

Relative humidity levels inside a server room should always be right in the 45-55% range. If these numbers get too high, the moisture and the condensation created from it can cause corrosion, rust and even a potential short-circuit. Additionally, overly dry environments can be just as risky – as they can result in electrostatic discharge which can cause your server to malfunction.

Vibration

Believe it or not, if there’s too much rumbling going on at your business, it can dislodge certain components that are critical to your systems’ functionality. They can also disrupt things like a spinning hard drive and if that disk gets scratched – you can lose a small mountain’s worth of data.

Vibrations come from having a server too close to the wall or a hallway- so make sure your servers are in an area that’s locked, free of foot traffic and secured with the proper storage equipment.

Intentional destruction

Don’t underestimate people’s propensity to harm your data center. Cyber and physical intruders are a real thing and making sure your data is protected from both is critical. Make sure the door to your server room is locked at all time and that the door has some sort of motion sensor in there so you can track when people are both in and out of the room.

 

Keeping an eye on the environment in your sever room is essential to ensuring both uptime and your server room’s reliability. Be aware of your surroundings and do your best to protect yourself from these threats. Good luck!