Securing servers against unauthorised access is a must for any company that has decided to have its own server room. How to do it effectively?
Door connected to an alarm system
Having a separate room with an appropriate structure (ceilings, structural walls), it is necessary to equip it with a door with an access control system. They should be resistant to being forced (armoured doors of classes S 2, I, II, III and higher), fire-resistant (in classes EI 60 and EI 30, and also in class C), and of course protected against unauthorised access. The most convenient solution is to equip the door with two locks: a typical safe lock (e.g. mechanical) and a card lock or a biometric lock with event memory which will allow you to monitor who and when enters the server room.
A necessary step in securing a server room is also connecting the door to an alarm system, which will be activated in a situation of unauthorised entry into the server room.
Dedicated safe room for modular construction
More and more companies are choosing to build their own server room. This requires the creation of a fully secure room in which to store servers and server racks. For a company that rents out office space, the ideal solution is to build a modular vault room that is fitted into an existing room.
With this solution, it is not necessary to dedicate any existing room to a server room, adapt it accordingly and secure it. A safe room of any size and shape is built in any space using drywall construction. The individual panels are welded together, but when moving to another office, they can be disassembled without any major problems.
Advantages of using a safe room as an office server room:
- a possibility of installing a secure server room in any office space - even in open space,
- a possibility of adapting the area of the server room and its form to the available space and capacity needs,
- a possibility of future expansion of the room in the event of an increase in the number of servers,
- a possibility of moving a server room to another room or office,
- an availability of safe rooms in various security classes,
- a light, but stable and safe construction thanks to the use of specialised materials,
- burglary protection in accordance with European standard PN-EN 1143-1.
Fire protection for a server room
Servers should also be protected in the event of a fire. This requires the safe room to be adapted to fire conditions. – including the use of ventilation openings and smoke and fire detectors. To avoid servers overheating during operation, the room should also be air-conditioned.
An effective solution for protecting servers during a fire is also to equip the server room with fire extinguishing devices, the activation of which will not destroy the equipment.
Safe door or safe room?
The decision on which type of protection to choose depends both on the size of the server room needed and the construction of the building. It is always advisable to consult a specialist in security and safe room construction to help you decide.
Vault room at Hartmann Tresore
Please read, too: Data media safes. An unnecessary expense?
