Page 32 - Security Today, February 2018

development at Forsythe. “We now offer cli- ents complete end-to-end services for their full technology infrastructure lifecycle, plus the facility to house them. We’re providing clients with a more convenient, efficient and secure data center facility option.”
Unique Security Service
Harris explained that in planning and designing the Forsythe Data Center, the company wanted to bring something new to the market. In addition to leveraging the company’s portfolio of existing servic- es, Forsythe was driven to offer the data center for the future.
“We didn’t see ourselves just offering a big warehouse with cages,” Harris said. “We wanted to offer a unique experience that would really wow our customers. As we evaluated the market and looked at competitive solutions, we saw an opportu- nity in a new approach to extended secu- rity services.”
The team discovered that customers were looking for more flexibility, control and accountability in regard to their cabi- nets and suit, but existing data centers didn’t have much new to offer. Most fol- lowed the same basic model with sign-in logs, change tickets and access control only at the main room or suite door level. Most existing security controls boiled down to keys and escorts.
“In the center, we initially began using cabinet locks in our own Forsythe con- trolled areas,” Harris said. “With a large number of visitors in and out of our vari- ous facility rooms we needed to make sure that vendors, visitors and staff would only have access to the specific cabinets that they are authorized to access. We quickly realized that our customers were looking for a similar solution, a way to control, credential and capture an audit trail at the cabinet level. We saw this as a unique ser- vice breakthrough, and we began offering the HES KS200 Wiegand server cabinet locks to our customers.”
Secure Cabinets, Controlled Suites
The ASSA ABLOY HES KS200 Server Cabinet Locks extend access control to protect data center assets from intru- sion and expensive downtime by bringing real-time access control in a single-card system to individual server cabinet doors. Designed to install quickly and easily, on most swing-handle style server rack doors,
the KS200 uses Wiegand wiring to inte- grate seamlessly with existing access con- trol systems and ID badges.
The system supports a Small Format Interchangeable Core (SFIC) mechani- cal key override. An additional optional extended DPS monitoring sensor can be connected to ensure that cabinets are closed, locked and secure. With an inte- grated reader, the KS200 provides robust, cost-effective access control to meet strict regulatory compliance and protect data.
“This has turned into something really interesting. We have a lot of customers who now use the KS200 locks on their cabinets in the multi-tenant and colocation areas,” Harris said. “We’re also getting requests to place the cabinet locks within private, customer-controlled suites, giving them the ability to control and track company staff accessing each server cabinet.”
Forsythe Data Center is making use of the cabinet locks in several different ways. From the smaller meet-me rooms to large telecom rooms, each cabinet has dif- ferent networking within it, often with a different service providers needing access. Even though Forsythe controls the rooms, the cabinet locks enable a way to monitor staff within the room. Some customers have taken entire 1,000-square-foot suites, and once they gain entry, need a way to electronically control and monitor cabinet access within their private dedicated space.
“Clients are coming in and asking about the cabinet locks. After explaining
the system and its benefits, we’re able to provide them with a hard-wall-separated and floored suite with its own cooling, power and now their own security and access capabilities,” Harris said. “Clients need complete control of their cabinets. Especially in a suite situation, the custom- ers want cabinet-level access control and a complete audit trail of who has had access to their systems. They even want to see a Forsythe employee audit trail. They want a time-stamp record of all access.”
Integrated Security
In regard to general security and access control, ASSA ABLOY products have been specified as the standard across the physical access infrastructure, and For- sythe worked to leverage system consis- tency and efficiencies across the platform.
“When we started this project, our goal on the security side was to be fully PoE, to drive our lock hardware with Cat- 6 cabling, and in large part we did this,” said Thomas McKinney, director of data center development and operations at Forsythe.
The HES cabinet locks allow users to run a Cat-6 from the network switch to the PoE-enabled access control panel power- ing the lock, which is easier and much more cost-effective than trying to run in- dependent lock power for each cabinet. The PoE part of the design was critical right from the beginning.
“Our customers absolutely love the lock
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