Behind the "Seens": Privacy Panels in Action

(This blog post from Great Lakes Case & Cabinet provides a great overview of their Privacy Panel System. Check it out! -Teddi)

Colocation data centers are popping up all over the country. In fact, it’s estimated that the global colocation market will be worth $54.8 billion by 2020. But with the rapid increase in colocation data centers comes added concern for the protection of the data within them. Answering the call, Great Lakes Case & Cabinet expanded their SEAL® portfolio of security solutions to include the Data Center Privacy Panel System (PPS), a cost-effective way to provide clients with their own secure areas within a colocation facility. Like a vault within a vault.

Since 2005, Great Lakes has furnished enclosure and security solutions for more than 40 data centers across the US and abroad for one of our clients, a colocation provider headquartered in the Southwestern US. In 2011, they reached out to us to create a unique data center security cage that could separate and secure various customers throughout their colocation space.

While these colocation spaces are ANAB accredited, ISO 27001 certified data centers that meet multiple regulatory standards – including PCI DSS, HIPAA, and FISMA, the fact that an array of customers reside within a shared floor space meant that a steady stream of people were passing by all enclosures on the data center floor, a scenario not uncommon for colocation data centers. This posed a risk to many of the organizations whose industries (and the subsequent regulatory standards) require secure physical safeguarding of customer data. 

During discussions with the client, it became clear that the solution couldn’t be the typical wire mesh cage seen in many data centers, given the ultra-sensitive nature of the data. It also needed to be modular to accommodate existing floor layouts and the varying number of enclosures associated with each customer. Finally, the cage needed to serve as a physical and visual barrier while adhering to additional specifications: rigid components able to be self-supporting; easy installation; and light weight to reduce shipping and labor costs. 

As a result, Great Lakes created the Data Center PPS. With a series of steel posts and aluminum panels with a 1.25” x 1.25” square hole pattern that prevents individuals walking by from having a clear line of sight into the secure space, the PPS satisfies many of the required privacy measures. For customers with even stricter policies to adhere to, solid panels are often used to completely block visibility. Panels are secured to posts from inside the contained space and the post/panel hardware is concealed with a riveted cover to prevent hardware tampering. A locking push-pull latch is standard on the PPS doors, but optional intelligent, IP-addressable access controls with multi-factor authentication provide an additional layer of security to the space. 

With a proven track-record, the PPS system has been disseminated to data centers around the world. As regulations become more stringent, organizations are being held to a higher privacy and security standard. Let Great Lakes rise to the occasion alongside your company. Contact your local Accu-Tech representative to learn more.