Keeping up with the news these past several months reminded me it is time to update thinking about physical security at The Edge.
Still have to remember fire and smoke. Water and humidity. Corrosive gasses. Electromagnetic interference. And of course: people.
Certainly, a critical focus must be on cybersecurity. We are all familiar with these threats – Phishing, Worms, Bots, DNS, Ransomware. And with all those `cute’ names. Yet, even the best cybersecurity prevention can be easily compromised by weak physical security. Especially at the most remote Edge installations.
In the past few months, we have seen physical attacks against the electric grid with direct attacks against substations. There have been other incidents of vandalism against communications infrastructure from cutting fiber optic cables to stealing transmission components. All in remote and less secure locations.
Which brings us to the first vital step for anyone planning a comprehensive security system for an Edge deployment - consider physical security FIRST. Which starts the conversation with IT enclosure solutions.
Why? Because not only does the right IT enclosure (or IT cabinet) protect sensitive IT components from environmental contaminants, it also defends against physical threats and unauthorized access. Knowing the integrity of your equipment and the safety of your data cannot be compromised, consider the most common threats to your Edge deployment and what critical measures need to be in place to protect against them.
You must also decide how much physical protection is required. Dust-proof and bomb-proof are two completely different levels of protection. And as much as I hate to say – BULLET PROOF. There are multiple standards that not only identify the wide variety of threats but also threat levels for each type.
- How “big” is the dust you need to guard against?
- How much water is present: a drip, trickle, stream, a leaky pipe, faucet, firehose?
- How “sophisticated” is the person breaking into your cabinet?
- Is the Edge deployment under a cell tower, or in a desert, or on a cruise ship?
That is just a start. One fact runs through this discussion: Achieving a maximum level of protection for an Edge computing solution is only possible with the right IT enclosure.
Common Threats Requiring Solid Edge Security
Keeping your Edge computing components and architecture safe at all times is paramount. If you are responsible for handling traditional data center physical security, you know what it is like to always be “on.” Similarly with Edge security, you are likely considering ways to ensure high-performance, reliable environments.
The two most critical environmental threats are DUST and WATER.
The IT enclosure industry uses IP (Ingress Protection or International Protection) standards to rate an enclosure’s ability to protect its contents. So, instead of relying on vague terms like “waterproof” to determine an enclosure’s capabilities, this standard’s 2-digit IP rating defines an enclosure’s resistance to ingress by the user, from particulates such as dust or dirt, and moisture ingress.
Here’s what an “IP68” rating means: The first digit, a number between 0-6, indicates the degree of protection from ingress of solid objects — 6 is the highest dust-resistance rating for a consumer device. The second digit, a number between 0-8, indicates resistance to moisture ingress — 8 is the highest water-resistance.
The type and amount of ingress within your environment determines what IP rating you need. An office environment, for example, may require a protection rating of IP20 for its IT equipment. However, an uncontrolled or “dirty” industrial environment — one that’s fully immersed in Industry 4.0 initiatives — likely needs to achieve an IP55 rating, protecting against dirt, dust, debris, water, solvents, etc. because these could easily damage network equipment and hurt your investment in both equipment and data.
Oh, and one more threat to keep you up at night: the USB stick, thumb drive, jump drive, or whatever you want to call it. I call it a weapon, and one that can be easily inserted not into a server or storage device, but into a UPS, rackmount power strip or a host of “smart” devices (devices with on-board intelligence and network communications capabilities and a USB port).
Critical Measures to Protect Edge Computing
IP rating is just one factor that contributes to the overall integrity of an enclosure. While standard IT racks offer a good level of protection, you may be in a situation where taking extra protective measures is necessary. This could be as simple and effective as a Micro Data Center (a smaller, modular, self-contained data center) with robust locking and security mechanisms.
Businesses with a need for a limited number of racks appreciate a Micro Data Center’s affordability and flexibility. Medium-sized businesses with two or three server racks rely on Micro Data Centers’ abilities to support climate control, electronic access control, fire detection/extinguishing, power distribution and environmental monitoring.
In addition to the common vulnerabilities (water, duct, heat, etc.), density shifts also need to be considered. The right solution is one that aligns with current thermal loads as well as those that need to be managed in the future. With network connectivity built into an IT enclosure, you can monitor and manage heat levels remotely.
Lastly, environmental needs must be balanced by an Edge security system’s flexibility. Because you need the ability to quickly scale to meet evolving needs, rack mount security enclosures need to allow for simple and stress-free additions and modifications.
Fail-Safe Reliability = Peace of Mind
Of course, there are do’s and don’ts in Edge computing. When it comes to Edge security, remember this: the physical protection achieved at the IT rack level is the core of an entire security system.
A comprehensive continuity plan that minimizes any potential system threats begins by choosing the right IT cabinet for an Edge system in order to achieve a high level of fail-safe reliability.
Enclosures have distinct differences that help reduce the risk of equipment failure, ultimately translating to less downtime, reduced costs, improved efficiencies, and peace of mind. The only way to truly ensure that a server enclosure is right for a given Edge environment is to consult with IT enclosure experts and base your decisions on the specific conditions and risks of your environment.
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