Firelock - Fireproof Data Storage

A recently released study conducted by Verizon Business and the United States Secret Service shows that despite all the countermeasures applied to prevent data breaches, the problem is still wide-spread and costly.  The majority of the information lost was due to the concentrated efforts of criminal organizations.  These criminals utilize a variety of methods to acquire financial and other personal information, then sell this information on the black market for stolen identities, credit card numbers and banking information.

In some areas the study found that data theft had decreased from the previous study period, but this is probably due to the over abundance of credit card numbers and other information that has created a glut in the market.  The supply has outpaced demand to the extent that the price for such information has dropped below the point where it is profitable to steal more.  This is hardly good news for consumers.

This study underscores how critical it is for organizations to maintain control over their mission critical information.  Having a safe environment in which to operate IT equipment and store backup media is a major component in this equation.  That is where a Class 125 data vault can give security-conscious organizations an advantage.  These vaults are capable of protecting against catastrophic fires, stabilizing the interior climate, and improving physical security.  This secure environment combined with a well designed and implemented cybersecurity program mitigates the risk of data theft and loss.

For more information on the Verizon/Secret Service study, here is the link to the original article: http://newscenter.verizon.com/press-releases/verizon/2010/2010-data-breach-report-from.html

There is no doubt that we live in a litigious society.  And among all the industries in this complex economy, the healthcare industry may be affected by the threat of law suits more than any other.  The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) adds to the already long list of reasons to sue a healthcare provider.  That is not to say we do not need this federal mandate to require that our personal medical information is kept safe and confidential.  In this age of identity theft and other forms of personal intrusion, we need all the safeguards we can get.  Firelock vaults are one element in a conscientious healthcare provider’s comprehensive data protection program that keeps our information safe and mitigates their risk of litigation.

As our medical records continue to migrate to completely digital formats, this information must be accessible to authorized personnel but protected from intruders.  It must also be protected from corruption by taking backup copies of the information off-line with backup tapes or removable hard drives.  These backup copies must be stored in a Class 125 data vault to comply with NFPA 232, which ensures that even if the temperature around the vault reaches 2,000-degrees F. in a catastrophic fire the interior will remain below 125-degrees F.–the point at which digital information is lost.  If the integrity of the information is not maintained it is a violation of HIPAA requirements.

These Firelock vaults are also used to protect IT equipment which hosts electronic medical records.  Server vaults can keep temperatures from reaching the threshold where electronic equipment is damaged or destroyed, enabling healthcare providers the ability to relocate this equipment to a secondary site and get the vital patient records back online where healthcare providers need them.  By employing these best practices, healthcare organizations can mitigate risk and meet the needs of their patients when it matters most.

A nationwide network of offsite data protection firms is also able to provide disaster recovery services when their clients are in need.  Because these services are available through the Secure Media Vault Associates (SMVA) it is possible to utilize the facilities of an SMVA member in another region if the nature of the disaster requires temporarily relocating operations.  This gives DR planners much more flexibility and many more options when formulating their disaster response protocols.

Many of these companies have helped their clients through major natural disasters, long-term power outages, fires, etc.  In addition to traditional disaster recovery/business continuity services these locations are also able to host containerized data center modules, such as Firelock’s Secure Agile Vault Environment, or SAVE units. 

SMVA network members all offer their clients a much higher level of data protection than their competition.  Unlike the national chains of offsite data storage companies, these owner-managed independent companies in the SMVA network utilize Firelock Class 125 data-rated fireproof vaults with optimum environmental conditions for the protection of their clients’ data tapes.  In addition to protecting data backup tapes, these vaults are used to protect the IT equipment (for E-vaulting and co-location) that hosts their clients mission critical information.  They also utilize the latest technology in barcode tracking of media and GPS monitoring of their media transport vehicles. 

The standards of excellence they uphold in their data storage business are applied the their disaster recovery services.  These service capabilities combined with the flexibility of the many network locations gives SMVA clients unbeatable disaster recovery options.

Managed hosting companies are often the sole custodian of their client’s mission critical information.  Statistics vary, but the majority of companies that lose their vital information go out of business within the next year.  Protecting this information is rarely seen as a priority for this industry, as uptime and cost per GB of storage tend to be the key selling points hosting companies emphasize.  Not all companies are the same, of course, and a small but growing contingent of managed hosting companies is investing in server vaults for their data center to ensure the survival of their clients’ data, even if their facility is hit by a disaster.

This concept of offering clients a higher level of protection for a premium price is not a new one in the data protection industry.  For nearly twenty years a network of offsite data storage companies has been using Firelock media vaults to differentiate themselves from the competition and grow their businesses.  In any market with a lot of competition the product and or service becomes a commodity, and in a commodity market the lowest price almost always wins.  To avoid this margin-shrinking phenomenon the Secure Media Vault Associates (the network of Firelock-equipped offsite data storage companies) invested in true data-rated vaults and are able to charge premium prices for their services.  Their clients recognize the value of the investment their service providers have made to protect their backup data and are willing to pay extra for this level of security.

By providing a data center with real data protection capabilities these hosting companies can win new business without slashing their prices to be the cheapest vendor.  They can also go after clients that have more stringent information protection requirements, like healthcare companies with HIPAA regulations and financial service firms with FTC mandates to satisfy.  A Class 125 server vault is an excellent way for a managed hosting company to carve out a very profitable niche in a crowded market.

Firelock will once again exhibit at the Professional Records and Information Services Management (PRISM) Conference in Reno, NV from May 11-13.  This event features seminars and a trade show for owners and managers in the offsite data storage services industry.  As a provider of the highest rated fireproof data vaults in the industry, we are always happy to meet offsite data storage service providers who are looking for a way to offer their clients the best data storage environment for their mission critical backup tapes and E-vaulting equipment.

Over the years a network of Firelock-equipped offsite storage companies all over the country has formed to offer customers with multiple locations in other cities the same level of protection at all locations by partnering with other network members.  This network, called the Secure Media Vault Associates (SMVA) is also able to share leads and ideas on best practices for information security and facilities management.  Firelock will be hosting a networking event and informal seminar for SMVA members and prospective members from 1:00-5:00 PM on May 10th.

Firelock will also be hosting roundtable discussions on marketing ideas for the offsite data storage industry and a seminar on “Making You a Better You” through networking and other beneficial business practices.  Hope to see you there!

In the last year many industries have suffered the effects of a sluggish economy.  Decreased sales revenues, declining stock values and job cuts have plagued countless organizations.  One industry that has weathered this storm well is offsite data storage service providers.  Of course there is always some negative trickle-down effect in a recession, but in the last year revenues have been maintained and work force reductions were few in this industry.

This demonstrates the high priority organizations give to protecting their backup data.  They recognize that maintaining a backup set of their mission critical information is cheap insurance against what would be a major disaster if this information were lost.  Protecting operational data ensures a quick recovery from a disaster and safeguarding archival data is necessary for potential litigation support or federal inquiries in the future.  When revenues are down, these clients recognize the last thing they need is a costly data loss disaster.

Firelock has seen this success in the Class 125 data vaults it has built for new customers and expanding the vaults for existing customers in the last year.  Their clients recognize the value provided by these offsite storage service firms that offer a higher standard of media protection than the national offsite storage companies.  In fact, these Firelock-equipped companies have a nationwide network, the Secure Media Vault Associates, to offer multi-city service for larger clients that need this higher level of protection at multiple locations. 

As the economy recovers a beneficial trickle-down effect will take hold and create more revenue opportunities for most industries.  As one industry that has remained strong throughout this recession, the offsite data storage industry is sure to enjoy even greater prosperity in the years ahead.

New Replacement for These?

IBM and Fujifilm have recently announced they have a new magnetic tape technology with storage capacity 44 times more dense than LTO 4 tape cartidges, or 35 terrabytes of uncompressed data per tape!  These new tapes utilize barium-ferrite (BaFe) particles, which are one-third the size of traditional tape particles and aligned perpendicular to the tape (as opposed to horizontal alignment of magnetic materials on LTO tapes) to achieve this super high-density capability.  BaFe is a crystaline substance which Fujifilm claims does not corrode or change over time, making it ideal for long-term archival storage.  Like any new technology, this BaFe tape has both positive and negative qualities that raise some questions about what they mean to the data storage community.

For one, what implications does this “hard-to-demagnetize” characteristic have for information security?  The tape manufacturer said the process of reducing the particle to microscopic size is a challenge because it risks reducing the resistance to demagnification of a ferromagnetic material.  This means tapes could be difficult to reuse or could lead to more errors as some parts of the tape may not be re-recorded due to this resistance.  Also imagine the problems of degaussing it at end of life. Will these tapes need to be shredded to ensure destruction of the information held within?

Another question is how will this high capacity capability fit into the tape rotation programs practiced by the majority of data center operators?  With the ability to store all of an organization’s operational and archival data on just a few tapes, how will this affect the timing of removing tapes to a secure offsite location?  How many organizations will have the volume of data to make it worth the switch to this new media type?  Maybe Google, Microsoft and other large enterprise companies will benefit from this new technology, but for smaller organizations it is not an issue.  They may still want a tape that is done at the end of the day.   

Cindy Grossman, vice president of IBM Tape and Archive Storage Systems, said the advancement shows that “tape storage is alive and strong and will continue to provide users reliable data protection, while maintaining a cost advantage over other storage technologies, including hard disk drives and flash drives.”  It will be interesting to see how these new super density tapes are utilized when they become available, and if they live up to their manufacterer’s expectations.

Over the past 25 years Firelock has built over 1500 modular fireproof vaults to protect data backup tapes, micrographic media, IT equipment and other heat-sensitive assets.  In that time very few of these vaults have had the same dimensions as previously installed vaults.  Each vault is custom-sized to fit in an existing room or to provide for the client’s exact interior space requirements.  When length, width and height is easily customized it creates an almost infinite number of  vault size permutations.  This is why it is easy for Firelock to customize the Secure Agile Vault Environment (SAVE) units for each customer’s needs.

Of course building inside a shipping container limits the vault dimensions to some degree, but containers can be had in multiple sizes and the length of the vault can be customized.  The standard SAVE unit is constructed with a 40-foot shipping container and allocates space for a vestibule in front of the vault and a mechanical room behind it.  It also includes eight server racks, an overhead cable management system, internal fire suppression, Vette’s LiquiCool Rear Door Heat Exchanger system and the HVAC equipment to support it.  The SAVE unit can be delivered with all of these components, some of these components, or with just the vault itself.  It’s all up to the customer.  For clients who just need a secure storage environment for other heat-sensitive assets in a portable package, SAVE units can be customized for their exact needs.

If the water chiller and support systems are not needed inside the SAVE unit, the mechanical room can be eliminated and the vault can be expanded into that area.  If the unit will always be operated in an indoor space, such as a warehouse, and weather protection and improved physical security is not required then the vestibule area can be eliminated.  If more space is needed outside the vault for an office area, the vault can also be made smaller to accomodate this requirement.

With a history of customizing fireproof vaults to fit each individual customer’s needs, Firelock is able to do the same for the SAVE solution.  Just as it is with all Firelock vaults–it’s all about the customer.

One of the most difficult aspects of server room design is managing the temperature inside this critical area.  As the density of server racks increases and the heat generated by the IT equipment escalates year over year it is no wonder data center designers must consider their cooling options carefully to maintain optimum server room temperatures.

One option we have found to be an excellent solution in high density data centers is the Vette Corporation line of rear door heat exchangers for server racks.  These systems cool the exhaust air from server cabinets before they enter the airspace within the server room by circulating chilled water through the unit.  Because this design utilizes the airflow from the fans in the server equipment there is no power consumption from the cooling units, resulting in significant operating cost savings.

To protect against ambient heat, especially in hotter climates, the R-33 insulation rating of Firelock vaults is a major advantage in maintaining the correct server room climate.  All cooling system penetrations in Firelock server vaults, such as for coolant lines and ducted air, are specially designed and installed to prevent the heat from a fire from damaging or destroying the most critical area of the data center.  And of course the vault structure and doors are capable of maintaining the temperature below 125-degrees F. for at least two hours (up to four hours in larger server vaults) even if the outside temperature reaches 2,000-degrees.  Heat must be held below this critical threshold to protect the IT equipment and the vital information it holds.  After all, mission critical data centers must be protected from all threats–from within and without.

Anyone familiar with Firelock’s vaults knows the primary value of the investment is unsurpassed fire protection, with the ability to keep the interior of the vault below critical temperature thresholds even if the fire reaches 2,000-degrees.  A beneficial by-product of the design that isn’t as well known is the added physical security–keeping intruders out of the vault chamber–that a Firelock vault provides. 

The panels that comprise the walls and roof are not specifically designed to keep people out, but it would take considerable time to hack or cut through them to gain entry into the vault.  If a motion detector or other intrusion detection device is installed outside the vault, then the time it takes to penetrate the vault structure gives security personnel or police more time to stop the bad guys.

The doors are also an excellent security measure.  The outer door (which is the only door needed in document vaults) is an 1,100-pound fire door with a combination lock.  When the door closes it automatically throws 10 steel bolts into the locked position in the steel door frame.  This would be a very difficult door to open without the combination.  On Class 125 data vaults double door assembly is needed to achieve this stringent fire rating, so this is another barrier to unauthorized entry.  The inner door is a steel door with a conventional door handle and lock that is often converted to a magnetic lock that can be activated by swipe cards or biometric access control systems.  These electronic lock systems are ideal for controlling access to the critical vault area during business hours and keeping track of authorized personnels’ entry and exit times.

Data security is more important than ever due to the incredible volume of data that can be stored on a single data tape or hard drive.  Server equipment is also very valuable and can be resold by thieves, even if they don’t access the information on the components.  By storing these mission critical assets in a Firelock vault the physical security part of the data protection equation is increased substantially–at no additional cost.