Physical security, fire safety

Whether your data center hosts your own data or your customers’ data, the ever-increasing volume and sensitivity of that data now necessitates the implementation of security solutions specifically tailored to your needs.

Theft or sabotage of data or equipment, the installation of spyware, and unscrupulous individuals: there are numerous examples of malicious acts in computer rooms, often with catastrophic consequences for the affected companies.

Just as antivirus software and a firewall protect access to data, implementing a comprehensive access control, alarm, and video surveillance solution protects access to sensitive areas of your data center.

Implementing a physical security solution offers the following benefits, among others:

• To carefully manage access permissions for staff and visitors to the computer room and technical facilities,
• To ensure the safety of a lone worker,
• To deter malicious individuals, whether inside or outside the company, through the use of strategically placed cameras,
• To ensure that employees and external contractors take responsibility when working in the data center,
• To alert security personnel in the event of an attempted entry,
• To identify the perpetrators and the sequence of events if there was an act of malice or an attempt at malice.

Modern software, which complies withCNIL and GDPR regulations, is connected and supports multiple locations. It instantly flags alerts and enables rapid identification and analysis of anomalies using intelligent video event search tools.

The ANSSI certification issued by the National Cybersecurity Agency requires the implementation of specific components and must be taken into account from the very start of the implementation project.

Another major source of damage in data centers is fire. The consequences of such incidents can once again be devastating for a company, both in terms of human lives and financial losses.

The speed required to extinguish a fire in its early stages before it spreads makes the use of a simple detection system completely ineffective.

We therefore recommend installing an autonomous, automatic fire detection and suppression system (or IEAG: Automatic Gas Extinguishing System) that complies with APSAD standards R7 and R13.

Two detection systems can operate simultaneously:

• early detection via aspiration, recommended for the computer room,
• Conventional detection using multi-criteria fire detectors for utility rooms.

In a gas fire suppression system, the extinguishing gas can be either pure nitrogen or a mixture of nitrogen and argon (IG-55). These gases extinguish fires by smothering them, reducing the oxygen level in the room to less than 60 seconds.

The air inside the protected areas remains breathable.

The gas diffusion nozzles used in server rooms are of the silent type to reduce noise and prevent any risk of damage to computer equipment.

Your company's insurance policy may require that electrical systems and air conditioning be shut down in the event of a fire detection, which would result in a production shutdown in the room.

While this precaution is not mandatory, we generally recommend keeping the power supply and air conditioning systems running during a fire suppression event: the fire suppression agent will be evenly distributed by the air conditioning systems, and your IT operations will not be interrupted.