How do we ensure physical security at our Talex Data Center facilities?

We invite you to read the article published in CRN magazine – you will find out how secure the data of our customers is and why we have opted for the AEOS physical access control system.

Talex data center: physical security in the Data Center

Data center security involves not only protection against cyber attacks or a guarantee of business continuity – the physical security of such facilities is important as well. And a key element in this regard is reliable and stable access control. A model system that meets precisely such assumptions has been built by Talex in its Data Centers in Poznan and Wroclaw.

Talex has two facilities that offer professional, stable and secure backup for many companies. It is the only Data Center in Poland to have both objects certified according to EN 50600 Class 4 and ISO/IEC 22237 standards, and powered by two independent external lines, power generators and UPS in N+1 systems.

Physical security of the Data Center

The Talex Data Centers in Poznan and Wroclaw were designed in accordance with the highest standards and constructed using the highest quality materials and techniques. Special attention was paid to physical security, which was identified as one of the highest priorities. In 2015, Talex experts began searching for a partner that could meet their high requirements and expectations. Market analysis and exploring available solutions did not take long. Talex quickly decided to work with Nedap Security Management, a Dutch company with more than 40 years of experience in physical technical security, having the AEOS system as its flagship product.

AEOS is a physical access control system that can successfully secure both data centers that require the highest level of security and facilities that need smaller-scale protection. The system is designed to be scalable to the size of the deployment, the level of verification that users require ( ranging from a simple magnetic card to biometric sensors) and integration with other systems already in operation.

“As a company with its own Data Centers, we knew exactly what we expected from our potential partner. Our security requirements were clear, but we also needed to be able to install and further develop the system ourselves in our Data Center facilities and office buildings. The choice of AEOS was determined by the highest quality available on the market, the broad integration capabilities and the ability to provide knowledge of the system and its installation to our experts” says Maciej Pucinski, designer of teletechnical, physical security and building automation systems at Talex.

Key areas secured

The experts at Talex were particularly concerned with several areas that they identified as crucial. The primary focus was the appropriate standard of equipment and the availability of its various variants – the company was interested not only in magnetic card readers, but also in biometric readers and mobile scanners that verify access rights remotely. In total, the platform was to handle 1,000 ID cards for 200 passages. Equally important was the ability to centrally control the security systems at all sites, which are located not only at the two Data Center facilities, but also in office buildings and other points throughout the country.

In addition, AEOS has proven its value as an intrusion system, operating a total of over 600 detectors. Due to it, we were able to significantly reduce the number of false alarms. Moreover, the system makes it possible to immediately adjust permissions for individual users, so you can precisely control the accesses assigned to employees and visitors. Smooth integration of the system by Nedap Security Management with solutions provided by other vendors that were already in operation at Talex facilities, including existing access control systems (including wireless), video surveillance and biometric security, was also important.

Experts at Talex also noted the detailed information that AEOS provides. This is important especially when dealing with such a large number of facilities and areas, with different levels of security in place, and due to the large number of employees with different levels of assigned access.

system not only allows for graphical visualization, which improves the transparency and legibility of the huge amount of information presented, but also for the automation of procedures (e.g. removal of an access rights of a person leaving the company or a change in the scope of access for a person moving to another department in the company’s internal structures).

Full autonomy

The first AEOS system implementation was carried out in 2015 at the Data Center in Poznan by an external integrator. In the process, Talex experts developed a knowledge base and gained the competence necessary to carry out such a project on their own in the future. Since then, they have been managing the system and its subsequent integrations and upgrades, already based on their own experience. Furthermore, Talex has even established a security lab within its structures, where simulations of incidents and subsequent implementations are carried out. All of this has enabled Talex experts to independently implement AEOS in a second Data Center in Wroclaw in 2018. The process was successful, and the Wroclaw Data Center is fully managed and operated by the in-house Talex team until today.

The experience with AEOS, its installation, integration and operation, taught us a lot about physical security. The Nedap Security Management company supported us in our decision for complete independence. Our team continues to optimize systems, run simulations and is ready to carry out another implementation, either at the next Talex facility or as an external integrator or consultant, supporting other users during their first deployment – concludes Maciej Pucinski.

Source CRN

Article link: https://crn.pl/artykuly/data-center-talex-bezpieczenstwo-fizyczne-w-centrum-danych/