Government & critical infrastructure: Data centres

In the new digital world that we thrive in, our societal function is highly dependent on data centres. So, how can we best protect our data in the digital and physical realm 

When people talk about the security of cloud services, the first things that come to mind are usually data protection and defence against cyber-attacks. A major fire at a French cloud provider in early March raised questions about how well Internet data centres are protected against physical threats like fire, unauthorised entry, sabotage and theft. What should cloud users take into consideration when choosing their provider and is there anything they can do themselves to ensure the security of their data?  

In a report, The Economist calls data “Fuel of future” and tells how data is shaping up the world economy. If data is considered as fuel, data centres become their refineries and both are crucial to make the world economy move. Just like the world economy will fall apart without products produced by crude oil refineries, data centres will also have more or less the same impact on the economy. Without data centres, holding up the economy will be as impossible as without fuel. Data centres make the connected world possible, which is crucial for business, security, transport and urbanisation. From a Facebook photo upload to real time updates of stock markets or weather reports; data centres play their roles behind the scenes. 

Today, IT giants like Amazon, Alphabet (parent company of Google), Apple, Microsoft and Facebook have a hold of petabytes of user and their activity data, and that’s what makes them so powerful. These companies have control and monopoly over the market. Despite monopoly, services offered by these IT giants have made everyday life somewhat easy. How many of us will choose a life without Google Search, Amazon One Day Delivery or the Facebook news feed. While these services seem free, users unintentionally pay by giving their personal data. This data is refined in their data centres and used for commercial purposes, so nothing is free after all. Just like a refinery, which will come to complete cessation without crude oil, data centres have no purpose to serve without data. However, mining data is not as gruelling a task as boring an oil well. Most companies do it simply by offering a free service and people offer up their personal and activity data. So how can we protect this infrastructure? 

Data centre security refers to the physical practises and virtual technologies used to protect a data centre from external threats and attacks. A data centre is a facility that stores IT infrastructure, composed of networked computers and storage used to organise, process and store large amounts of data. For private companies moving to the cloud, data centres reduce the cost of running their own centralised computing networks and servers. Data centres provide services such as data storage, backup and recovery, data management and networking. Because data centres hold sensitive or proprietary information, such as customer data or intellectual property, sites have to be both digitally and physically secured. 

To read the full article see our latest issue here: December/January 2022 Single Issue – (securitybuyer.com)

Media contact

Rebecca Morpeth Spayne,
Editor, Security Portfolio
Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922
Email: [email protected]

About Security Buyer

Security Buyer is the leading authority in global security content, delivering expert news, in-depth articles, exclusive interviews, and industry insights across print, digital, and event platforms. Published 10 times a year, the magazine is a trusted resource for professionals seeking updates and analysis on the latest developments in the security sector.

To submit an article, or for sponsorship opportunities, please contact our team below.

Rebecca Spayne picture 2025

Rebecca Spayne

Managing
EDITOR

Georgina Turner image

Georgina Turner

Sales
Manager

Afua Akoto image - Security Buyer

Afua Akoto

Marketing Manager

Read the Latest Issue

Follow us on X

Follow us on X

Click Here

Follow us on LinkedIn

Follow us on LinkedIn

Click Here

Advertise here

Reach decision makers and amplify your marketing

Advertise here

Click Here

Related News

Frank Mueller headshot

How LiDAR protects railways

Frank Mueller, Hexagon, presents a thought leadership perspective of the use of LiDAR in railway infrastructure.
Image provided by Customs support group

Hello Post-Brexit Security Protocols

Jo Cloherty, Senior Commercial Manager at Customs Support Group, explores the 2025 Safety and Security Protocols that have…
Two young intercultural programmers trying to solve problem with access to data while interacting in front of computers

DDoS attacks targeting critical infrastructure

NETSCOUT released its 2H2024 DDoS Threat Intelligence Report, revealing how Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)…
Image Provided by IPSA

IPSA Appoint Frontline Hero as Ambassador

Abdullah, the courageous security officer praised for foiling a horrific knife attack at Leicester Square, has been appointed as…
Image provided by Veeam

AI and Ransomware: Cutting Through the Hype

Rick Vanover, Vice President Product Strategy, Veeam discusses how It might be the great paradox: Artificial Intelligence (AI)….
Rasheed Alzahrani

Big Interview – Rasheed Alzahrani

Rasheed Alzahrani, Director of Safety and Security at King Salman Park Foundation, shares insights into innovative safety and security… 
Copyright: Security Buyer

AmiViz Partners with Titania

AmiViz announced a strategic distribution agreement with Titania. This collaboration underscores a shared commitment to enhancing…
Copyright: Security Buyer

Perimeter Protection: Balancing Physical and Technology

Joseph Clarke, Assistant Editor advocates for a hybrid approach to balancing physical and technological barriers in perimeter security…
FLIR

Product Spotlight – FLIR

How DP World Yarimca relies on FLIR Security Solutions for efficient and secure port security operations …
Chubbsafes

Chubbsafes Celebrates 190 Years of Heritage, Trust, and Innovation

Chubbsafes proudly marks its 190th anniversary in 2025. Since its first safe patented in 1835, Chubbsafes has become synonymous…
Scroll to Top