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ISO 27001: Achieving Data Security Standards for Data Centers

March 19, 2025 at 4:50 pm by Amanda Canale

In today’s digital world, data is more than just an asset—it’s the lifeblood of every business and organization. From customer information to proprietary research, organizations rely on data to drive operations, inform decision-making, and maintain competitive advantages. But as the volume of sensitive data grows, so do the risks. Data breaches, cyberattacks, and unauthorized access can have catastrophic consequences for organizations, both financially and reputationally. To address these increasing concerns, ISO 27001 provides a comprehensive framework for managing information security within businesses and organizations, and it is especially crucial for data centers. This internationally recognized standard helps organizations safeguard sensitive data by outlining systematic processes for implementing, monitoring, reviewing, and improving information security management practices.

Understanding ISO 27001 and Its Importance for Data Centers

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), a global non-governmental organization, developed an international standard known as ISO 27001. This standard helps organizations establish, implement, and maintain an Information Security Management System (ISMS) and provides a structured approach to managing sensitive company information, ensuring its confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Data centers, which handle vast amounts of sensitive data, are particularly vulnerable to security breaches and threats. As the so-called custodians of this valuable asset, data centers must ensure their security practices are robust, adaptable, and up to the standards required by clients, regulatory bodies (such as the NSA), and industry best practices. ISO 27001 serves as a vital standard in meeting these objectives.

The beauty of ISO 27001 lies in its comprehensive scope. It ensures data centers implement policies, procedures, and controls across various areas, from risk assessment and access control to physical security and monitoring for potential threats. What’s more, this isn’t a one-time setup. The standard requires ongoing reviews and updates to ensure security measures evolve with emerging risks, regulatory changes, and technological advancements.

For data centers, ISO 27001 isn’t just a certification—it’s a proactive, ongoing effort to identify, address, and mitigate risks that could threaten the integrity of their operations and the security of their clients’ data.

Woman with tablet diagnosing server hardware — African American woman using tablet while walking in corridor of data center and checking hardware on server racks

The Certification Process: Steps Toward ISO 27001 Compliance

Achieving ISO 27001 certification is not an overnight process. It’s a journey that requires commitment, resources, and a structured approach in order to align the organization’s information security practices with the standard’s requirements.

The first step in the process is conducting a comprehensive risk assessment. This assessment involves identifying potential security risks and vulnerabilities in the data center’s infrastructure and understanding the impact these risks might have on business operations. This forms the foundation for the ISMS and determines which security controls are necessary.

Once the risks have been identified, data centers must develop policies, procedures, and protocols that address each of the identified risks. These policies cover a wide range of security aspects, including access control, data encryption, incident response, and employee training. It is crucial that these policies be tailored to the unique needs of the data center and its operations.

After developing the necessary documentation, the data center must implement the ISMS and ensure it is functioning as intended. This involves securing the infrastructure, enforcing security protocols, and ensuring that employees and contractors follow the established security practices. Following the implementation of the ISMS, an independent external auditor will typically assess the data center’s adherence to the ISO 27001 standard. If the data center meets the requirements, certification will be awarded.

It is important to note that obtaining ISO 27001 certification is not a one-time achievement. Maintaining compliance requires ongoing efforts, including regular internal audits and continual monitoring to ensure that security controls are effective and up to date. Changes to the data center’s operations or the emergence of new risks may necessitate adjustments to the ISMS to keep it relevant and effective.

ISO 27001 and Risk Mitigation: Enhancing Security Posture

One of the key benefits of ISO 27001 is its focus on risk management. Rather than simply reacting to security incidents, ISO 27001 promotes a proactive approach that helps data centers identify, assess, and address security risks before they lead to both external threats (cyberattacks or natural disasters) and internal risks (employee negligence or system failures). By addressing these risks early, they can reduce the likelihood of incidents and minimize the damage if one does occur.

The standard also emphasizes the importance of continual improvement. ISO 27001 requires data centers to regularly review and update their ISMS to ensure it remains effective in the face of new threats and challenges. This iterative cycle of monitoring, reviewing, and refining security practices ensures that data centers can stay ahead of emerging risks and respond effectively to changes in the threat landscape. As a result, ISO 27001 helps organizations build a more resilient security posture that can adapt to changing conditions.

The Role of Data Destruction in ISO 27001 Compliance

A crucial, yet often overlooked, aspect of ISO 27001 compliance is the proper destruction of data. Data centers are responsible for managing vast amounts of sensitive information and ensuring that data is securely sanitized when it is no longer needed is a critical component of maintaining information security. Improper data disposal can lead to serious security risks, including unauthorized access to confidential information and data breaches.

At Security Engineered Machinery, we understand that the secure destruction of data is not just a best practice—it’s a critical responsibility. Whether it’s personal information, financial records, intellectual property, or any other type of sensitive data, the potential risks of improper disposal are too great to ignore. Data breaches and unauthorized access can result in significant financial loss, legal liabilities, and reputational damage. That’s why we emphasize the importance of high-security data destruction, ensuring that no trace of sensitive information remains accessible, regardless of the format or storage medium.

ISO 27001 addresses this same concern by establishing strict guidelines for data destruction. According to the standard, data must be securely destroyed when it is no longer required for business purposes, and it must be done in a way that prevents unauthorized recovery. This is particularly important for data centers, which handle large volumes of information, much of which may be confidential, personally identifiable, or subject to regulatory controls.

The process of data destruction can take several forms, depending on the nature of the data and the storage medium. Physical destruction (such as shredding or crushing hard drives) and degaussing are common methods used to ensure data is irretrievably decommissioned. ISO 27001 requires that data destruction be handled in a manner that meets the highest security standards, reducing the risk of data leaks or exposure. At SEM, we believe that physical destruction, when met with the degaussing for rotational hard drives storing sensitive or classified information, is the best method.

In addition to mitigating security risks, proper data destruction also helps data centers comply with legal and regulatory requirements. Many jurisdictions have strict data retention and privacy laws that mandate secure data disposal practices, particularly when it comes to personally identifiable information (PII) or financial data. By following ISO 27001’s data destruction guidelines, data centers can reduce their liability and avoid potential legal consequences.

Conclusion: The Value of ISO 27001 for Data Centers

ISO 27001 is a comprehensive and effective framework for managing information security risks within data centers. It offers a structured approach to identifying, mitigating, and monitoring security threats, helping organizations maintain a secure environment for the vast amounts of sensitive data they handle. Certification demonstrates a data center’s commitment to protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of client data, enhancing its reputation and instilling trust among customers and partners.

Achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 certification requires ongoing effort and attention, but the benefits far outweigh the costs. Not only does it help mitigate risks and improve overall security posture, but it also establishes clear protocols for secure data destruction, reducing the risk of data breaches and legal liabilities. Ultimately, ISO 27001 provides data centers with the tools they need to enhance their security practices, stay ahead of emerging threats, and continue operating in an increasingly complex and risk-laden digital world.

The Evolution of Data Storage and the Need for Robust Data Decommissioning Solutions

November 7, 2024 at 8:00 am by Amanda Canale

In an age defined by the rapid evolution of technology and an ever-growing reliance on data, the storage and management of our data has undergone quite the transformation. From early forms of data storage, such as floppy disks and hard drives, to cloud technologies, the methods of data storage are unrecognizable compared to just a couple of decades ago. As our reliance on digital information grows, so too does the necessity for effective data management strategies, particularly when it comes to maintaining a chain of custody and decommissioning outdated or obsolete data storage devices. The increasing volume of sensitive data and the sophistication of cyber threats now require a more robust approach to data decommissioning and documentation, an approach that is quickly aligning with the stringent standards set by federal regulations.

Dynamic Duo: Data Decommissioning & Chain of Custody

Historically, data storage was a straight-forward process, with physical devices directly linked to the management and protection of information. As businesses have transitioned to modern digital systems, the amount of data generated and stored has surged dramatically. This explosion of data, so to speak, has led to a shift toward cloud-based systems and the maximization of data center square footage, offering scalable and flexible storage solutions. While there is no denying that cloud services allow organizations to access vast amounts of data from virtually anywhere, and that they foster collaboration and innovation, this convenience also comes with its own set of challenges, especially concerning data security and privacy.

As organizations increasingly adopt cloud storage, what’s often neglected is the criticality of both data decommissioning and a chain of custody. The process of decommissioning data involves more than just deleting files or formatting drives; it requires a comprehensive approach to ensure that sensitive information is irretrievable. Central to this process is the concept of a chain of custody. A chain of custody refers to the meticulous tracking and documentation of data all the way from its creation to its destruction. A well-maintained chain of custody provides an unbroken record of when, where, and by whom the data has been handled, stored, and ultimately if it was decommissioned in a secure and compliant manner.

With the growing number of data breaches and cyberattacks, the stakes have never been higher. Commercial companies are now realizing that failing to properly document the data’s lifecycle and securely decommission the data can lead to catastrophic consequences, including financial loss, legal ramifications, and damage to reputation. An effective chain of custody, combined with a high security decommissioning plan, mitigate these risks by ensuring accountability at every stage of data management; most importantly, once it reaches end-of-life. It serves as a safeguard against unauthorized access and provides evidence of compliance during audits or investigations.

Federal Standards Entering the Commercial Sphere

In response to these evolving threats, many organizations are looking to the practices established by federal regulations as a benchmark for their data decommissioning processes and stringent chain of custody documentation. The federal government has long understood the importance of safeguarding sensitive information, especially in sectors like defense, intelligence, and healthcare. Guidelines from agencies such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have outlined protocols for data destruction that emphasize not only the need for thoroughness but also for full compliance of industry best practices.

Ultimately, due to the sensitivity and classification of the data collected and stored by the federal government, it is them that set the gold standard for these guidelines, further affirming their reliability and effectiveness when it comes to data security.

As commercial markets begin to adopt the federal government’s stringent standards, data decommissioning methods have also begun to shift. Now, physical destruction of data storage devices is becoming an industry norm. Rather than relying solely on software solutions to wipe data, organizations are investing in hardware destruction solutions that ensure data is obliterated beyond recovery. Techniques such as shredding, crushing, and degaussing magnetic media, are gaining traction, as they provide a reliable safeguard that sensitive data cannot be accessed or reconstructed.

Key Factors

This commercial shift towards high security physical destruction is driven by several factors. First, the complexity of data retrieval technology means that even the most sophisticated software solutions can sometimes fail to completely erase data, especially when dealing with advanced recovery techniques. Physical destruction mitigates this risk, providing an indisputable end to data accessibility. Second, the increasing regulatory scrutiny surrounding data privacy and protection has made compliance a significant concern for many businesses. Adopting methods that align with federal standards not only safeguards data but also builds trust with clients and stakeholders.

As organizations adopt their data decommissioning strategies to mirror those of the federal government, they are in turn discovering additional benefits beyond security and compliance.

Operational Efficiency and Long-Term Benefits

The practice of physically destroying data storage devices can also lead to improved operational efficiency. By ensuring that obsolete hardware is no longer in circulation, commercial entities can reduce clutter, streamline their data management processes, and free up resources for more productive uses. In many cases, organizations are realizing that investing in comprehensive data decommissioning solutions can lead to long-term savings and enhanced organizational integrity.

SEM: High Security Data Decommissioning Experts

In this evolving digital world, partnerships with specialized data destruction manufacturers (like SEM) are becoming increasingly essential.

We at SEM bring the necessary expertise and experience, ensuring that commercial entities and data centers adhere to the best practices for data decommissioning— having serviced the federal government for over 55 years, we understand what it takes to meet the highest standards. Additionally, we provide verification and certification of destruction, which can serve as proof of compliance in the event of an audit or investigation.

As we move forward in this data-driven world, the narrative surrounding data decommissioning must evolve alongside our storage technologies. The growth of cloud solutions and the increasing complexities of data management necessitate a proactive approach to data security, emphasizing the importance of thorough and effective data decommissioning processes. Organizations that prioritize these practices will not only protect themselves against data breaches and legal repercussions but will also foster a culture of responsibility and trust within their operational frameworks.

Conclusion

There is no denying that the evolution of data storage and the rise of cloud technologies have brought about unprecedented opportunities and challenges. As the volume of data continues to soar, the importance of robust data decommissioning solutions and documentation cannot be overstated. By adopting practices that mirror the stringent standards set by the federal government, organizations can ensure that their sensitive information is safeguarded against the ever-present threats of our digital age. In doing so, they can position themselves as responsible stewards of data, ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow with confidence and integrity.

Virtual Reality, Real Threats: Understanding Cyber Risks in AR/VR Applications

October 24, 2024 at 8:00 am by Amanda Canale

As virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies have become integral to gaming, education, social interaction, and even work environments, the need for robust security measures has become critical to protect the digital assets and personal information stored in these immersive spaces. Like any other virtual environment, VR and AR platforms house vast amounts of sensitive data—from user profiles to behavioral logs and communication histories. While security measures like encryption and data retention policies play crucial roles in safeguarding this information, data destruction is often overlooked but is of equal importance (if not more so).

The Rise of Virtual and Augmented Reality

In recent years, VR and AR have evolved from niche technologies to mainstream tools used for entertainment, business collaboration, healthcare, and more. With this rise comes the generation of vast amounts of personal data, creating a unique set of security challenges. Whether it’s a VR gaming platform where users engage in interactive worlds or an AR app overlaying digital data onto real-world environments, the volume of information collected—such as location, preferences, behavioral patterns, and even biometric data—requires careful protection.

What’s more is that the highly immersive nature of these platforms only intensifies the stakes. Users’ virtual identities, actions, and interactions are deeply personal and, in many cases, may reveal more personally identifiable information (PII) than traditional social media platforms. It is because of this that a comprehensive approach to data security, which includes not just the protection but also the complete and proper destruction of data when it’s no longer needed, is necessary.

The Data at Stake: Digital Assets and Personal Information

The data stored in virtual worlds extends far beyond simple usernames and passwords. Some of the key digital assets and personal information at stake include:

User profiles: Detailed records of a person’s preferences, behavior, and interactions within the virtual or augmented world.
Behavioral data: Tracking a user’s movements, choices, and actions can create a profile that companies can use for targeted advertising or product development.
Communication logs: Chats, voice conversations, and shared media may be recorded and stored, raising privacy concerns.
Virtual goods and avatars: Items bought or created in virtual environments, such as skins, virtual real estate, or personalized avatars, carry significant monetary and sentimental value.

In these virtual immersive worlds, data breaches or misuse can have real-world implications. Imagine losing control of a virtual property you purchased or having your communication logs exposed. The need to securely manage and eventually destroy this data is just as critical as its initial protection.

Methods of Security: Data Protection from Creation to Destruction

To address these risks, virtual and augmented reality platforms implement several security methods, from encryption to data retention policies. But without the final step of data destruction, these measures can fall short.

Encryption

Encryption is a foundational security method, ensuring that any data stored in or transmitted through VR/AR platforms is protected from unauthorized access. End-to-end encryption can secure personal messages, while encryption of data at rest safeguards stored digital assets. However, encryption alone does not erase data—ensuring that sensitive information is entirely eliminated requires proper data destruction processes.

User Consent and Transparency

User consent and transparency are vital in managing personal data within virtual spaces. Users should be fully aware of what data is being collected and how it will be used. In AR applications, where the lines between physical and virtual worlds blur, obtaining user consent for location tracking and environmental scanning becomes even more critical. Yet, it’s essential to inform users not just about data collection, but also about how and when their data will be destroyed when it’s no longer needed.

Data Retention Policies

Setting clear data retention policies is crucial for ensuring that information isn’t stored indefinitely. For instance, VR gaming platforms may need to retain certain user behavior data for gameplay improvement, but this data should be deleted once it’s served its purpose. Regular audits and automated deletion systems can enforce retention limits, ensuring data is purged in a timely manner.

Chain of Custody and Decommissioning

Finally, proper chain-of-custody practices and decommissioning of outdated or unused hardware are critical for ensuring that data is not exposed during transitions. A chain of custody is a detailed, documented trail of who is handling the data, its movements, who has access, and any other activity. Ensuring compliance and security, this critical documentation should only be handled by authorized personnel, ensuring that sensitive data is not only handled properly throughout its lifecycle, but is also securely destroyed when it reaches end-of-life, meeting both auditing standards and data decommissioning best practices. Whether it’s a VR headset that’s no longer in use or a server that’s being retired, every device containing user data should follow a strict process for destruction.

High security data destruction ensures that no residual data can be recovered from physical devices. Our comprehensive solutions cover a range of data destruction methods to meet the unique needs of VR/AR environments. From our EMP1000-HS degausser that scrambles and breaks the hard disk drive’s binary code, to physical destruction techniques like disintegration and shredding, our solutions ensure that data is irretrievable at every stage. Whether you’re decommissioning a server or phasing out outdated VR hardware, our customizable solutions provide a layered approach that addresses all aspects of data security, guaranteeing full compliance and protection for both physical and digital assets.

Conclusion

As virtual and augmented reality continue to expand their reach into various aspects of our daily lives, the need for controlled destruction of collected and stored data is essential.

While encryption, user consent, and data retention policies provide essential layers of protection, they must be complemented by thorough data destruction processes to fully safeguard sensitive information. In these immersive worlds, where personal identities, digital assets, and behavioral data are deeply intertwined with real-life implications, neglecting the proper destruction of data can lead to serious privacy risks. Therefore, ensuring that both the digital and physical elements of VR and AR ecosystems follow stringent data destruction protocols is key to maintaining user trust and securing the future of these groundbreaking technologies.

Data Storage Technology: Then and Now

December 5, 2019 at 2:29 pm by Paul Falcone

Data is stored in a wide variety of ways to perform a seemingly limitless number of applications. In essence, whether you’re filing paper in a cabinet, burning files to a disk, or writing information on a hard drive, you are manipulating data. And in today’s digital age, we are witnessing continually expanding capabilities for the creation, dissemination, and destruction of data.

As these capabilities grow, so too does the need to store more data in more electronic formats. Consider, for example, that in 2018, it was estimated that over the previous two years alone, 90% of all the world’s data was generated. Of necessity, manufacturers have responded by producing new technology that stores unprecedented amounts of data.

With data storage technology rapidly evolving and being adopted by businesses across all industries, organizations are being forced to likewise adopt and implement data management and data end-of-life destruction plans that are aligned with these new data storage processes. As such, it’s important to have an understanding of today’s state-of-the-art storage media technology.

Hard Disk Drives (HDDs)

Hard disk drives are typically found in most laptop and desktop computers. They can be internally mounted within the computer chassis or externally connected through appropriate ports, such as USB. Within the HDD casing are spinnable metal disks (platters) with a mirror finish optimized for storing magnetic charges. These platters are divided into sectors that contain subdivisions measured in bits or bytes. Above the platters, the read and write head waits for instructions from the CPU and motherboard. After you click Save, the read and write head is directed to the appropriate sector on the platter to apply an electrical charge. Each bit within the sector will then carry a magnetic charge that translates to a binary 1 or 0, strung together to form a code capable of instructing your computer to complete a specific task, e.g. opening a saved document or utilizing saved software code to complete an update.The limitations with HDDs relate to their instability around magnetic fields, as well as the possibility for data to become scrambled if materials within the platter fail and become malleable when not intended to do so.

Western Digital and Seagate are championing new technologies: microwave-assisted magnetic recording, or MAMR, and heat-assisted magnetic recording, or HAMR, to further expand hard disk memory capacity. These new technologies utilize more stable materials when constructing the platters, resulting in smaller sector size that enables more data to be written on the platters. These materials are made malleable for data processing by using new HAMR and MAMR read and write arms. These innovations will bring consumer-level HDDs to the market that are as durable as current enterprise-level drives.

Solid State Drives (SSDs)

Unlike HDDs, SSDs use semiconductor chips built of transistors and cells (similar to the RAM chips attached to your motherboard) that utilize flash memory instead of magnetism for storage. Whereas RAM is referred to as a form of volatile memory (i.e., nothing is retained once the machine loses power), SSDs (like HDDs) are nonvolatile and retain data after a machine is powered down.

While HDDs utilize a spinning platter and mechanical parts that activate with the machine’s power, SSDs contain no mechanical parts. Instead, SSDs operate using NAND flash memory, the same technology utilized in thumb drives/small USB storage devices. There are two types of flash memory: NOR and NAND. NOR flash reads faster but is more expensive and takes longer to erase and write new data. NOR flash is ideal for high-speed, read-only usage such as code storage for devices like mobile phones and medical equipment. In contrast, NAND has a higher storage capacity than NOR.

NAND flash is ideal for typical SSD storage drives because their construction enables them to read and write new data much faster and also to house more data. NOR cells are wired parallel, while NAND cells are wired in a series. With fewer wires and cheaper construction costs, NAND cells are better suited for consumer SSD storage.

NAND cells form transistors arranged in a grid that receive precise charges to create 1s or 0s; if the current is blocked to a specific transistor, it has a value of 0, and if the transistor conducts the current, it has a value of 1. At the intersection of each column and row on the grid are two transistors called the control gate and the floating gate. The control gate accepts the charge and the electrons move to the floating gate and apply charges to the transistors, resulting in a unique pattern of 1s and 0s.

Given the way data is created, stored, and accessed, SSDs are able to access all pieces of data at an equal speed and read and write significantly faster than HDDs, which rely on a spinning disk and mechanical parts to locate the right data within the right region. A computer user employing powerful applications (e.g., video and image editors, animation software, large video games) would notice their computers operating significantly faster with an SSD than an HDD.

HDDs are still relevant, however, because of their potential longevity. SSDs can write data quickly to an empty space, but overwriting stresses the circuits and creates more transistor resistance. As information gets manipulated and rewritten on an SSD, the old data will be completely erased before the new data is saved. This could eventually render an SSD as a read-only device without the ability to manipulate or write new data to the drive.

Optical Storage Devices

Since the introduction of compact discs (CDs) in 1982, optical media has become ubiquitous. Even with the recent trend toward cloud-based, digital storage options, optical media is commonplace. Because of its potential for speed, stability, and the ease of reproduction, optical storage is here to stay for the forseeable future.

Optical devices use optical technology (i.e., the use of light to transfer data from one point to another) to write information to a surface that can then be interpreted by a laser. Optical media has three necessary layers: plastic, reflective aluminum, and polycarbonate. The laser forges nano bumps on the plastic layer of the disc in a spiral-shaped pattern that correspond to the 1s and 0s of binary code. When a computer uses a laser to read the data, the reflective aluminum layer bounces the laser back to a detector on the device that transcribes the 1s and 0s to conduct a specific action without having to access every file within the disc. The outer polycarbonate layer serves as a protective coat to preserve the integrity of the data on the disc.

As optical technology became more advanced, utilizing improved laser ability to create smaller bumps and compile more data within the plastic layer, digital versatile/video discs (DVDs) emerged in the late 1990s with the ability to store a significantly larger amount of data than CDs. Blu-ray technology advanced this innovation even further by utilizing a shorter-wavelength blue laser to create smaller bits of data on up to two plastic storage layers capable of storing 25GB of data each.

Implications for Data End-of-Life Destruction Solutions

As innovation continues to fuel the technological space and allows data to be stored in ever-smaller formats, the destruction of data at end-of-life becomes more challenging. Drives and disks must be broken down into even smaller pieces to ensure those tiny bits and bumps of data cannot be recovered by the increasingly sophisticated tools and expertise that characterize data criminals.

This is particularly important for companies and organizations that work with classified information, personally identifiable information (PII), or any other form of confidential/sensitive information. Creating an in-house plan utilizing sophisticated data end-of-life technology from companies like SEM—which currently boasts the only devices rated for the successful destruction of enterprise drives—is the best way to ensure total data annihilation. .

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