The Data Centre Challenge: Securing the Engines of Digital

The threat landscape for data centres is becoming increasingly complex and perilous. A data breach or ransomware attack can leave operators, customers, and investors vulnerable, as threat actors possess sophisticated capabilities to extort sensitive information or disrupt services.

It is well-known that these attacks are continually evolving. Hackers around the globe are now targeting backup systems and employing more advanced tactics, such as double extortion. A notable example is the Indonesian data centre hack, which involved a ransom demand of US$8m.

In light of these challenges, businesses and governments are striving to improve this grim scenario by enhancing protections for data centres that safeguard crucial information, including healthcare records, financial details, and personal data from smartphones

"The principles for protecting your organisation are the same regardless of what sector your organisation operates in or what service it provides,” explains Jaimen Hoopes, Vice President & Product Management at Forcepoint.

“For data centre providers, the stakes are especially high given the breadth of sensitive data housed across industries and government agencies — and the cascading impact that a breach could create.” 

Yet as data becomes increasingly dispersed across various endpoints due to hybrid working patterns, the need to prioritise data security has never been greater

Data centres: the cybersecurity challenge

One of the most significant threats facing data centres today is ransomware. This method of attack has evolved considerably, becoming increasingly accessible to cybercriminals.

Ransomware operates by encrypting critical data and halting operations until a ransom is paid. Often, backups are compromised, making recovery nearly impossible. Such incidents can result in severe, or even catastrophic, losses for businesses, in addition to lengthy periods of downtime and potential reputational damage.

"What makes ransomware particularly insidious is its adaptability," says Harshul Asnani, President and Head - Europe Business at Tech Mahindra. "Attackers target vulnerabilities in outdated software, weak password policies or misconfigured systems to gain entry.

"Data centres, which house vast amounts of sensitive information and power critical infrastructure, are prime targets for these attacks. The rapid growth of cloud adoption and the increasing complexity of hybrid environments create additional entry points, further amplifying the risk."

Notably, firmware — vital for hardware setup — can cause cybersecurity issues if not updated. More sophisticated attacks on essential components of a data centre often impact the supply chain, compromising vendors and allowing hackers to gain access to multiple targets.

Kevin Brown, Senior Vice President, EcoStruxure Solutions, Secure Power Division at Schneider Electric, comments: "If organisations don't know or understand when new updates are available or when to apply patches, they can fall behind and become vulnerable to cyberattacks. The result can be expensive and range from downtime and lost business to data corruption and potential damage to your company's reputation.

"The data is clear that most OT devices in the market are not running the latest firmware. Many enterprise customers manage their critical power and cooling infrastructure with their own in-house management tools, third-party network management tools, or building management systems. It may be surprising, but these systems don't know when the firmware at your connected endpoints is out-of-date."

To combat such advanced threats, data centre operators are encouraged to be proactive. Ensuring all devices comply with security policies is necessary to avoid security issues before they arise.

Bernard Montel, Technical Director EMEA and Security Strategist at Tenable, adds: "To combat these threats, data centres need a multi-layered security approach with continuous monitoring, regular vulnerability assessments and robust incident response plans. It's crucial to have visibility across on-premises, cloud and hybrid environments to quickly expose and close cyber risk."

Harshul also highlights: "With regular system patching to close vulnerabilities and robust backup strategies that allow quick recovery without paying a ransom, businesses can stay resilient and minimise the impact of ransomware attacks."

Defending the large attack surface

To combat overwhelming cyberattacks, the data centre sector must ensure its workforce possesses comprehensive knowledge about all types of risk. Businesses should prioritise investing in talent and skills development, with a focus on technical expertise.

Harshul emphasises, "Creating comprehensive training programmes that keep pace with the cyber threat landscape is one of the most impactful strategies. Cybersecurity is not static — providing ongoing education and hands-on training ensures employees are equipped to tackle these changes head-on."

A robust strategy combines continuous skill updating with advancing technology, fostering a stronger and more resilient workforce. Additionally, businesses benefit from assembling diverse teams with varied abilities and skill sets, which proves invaluable when solving mission-critical problems.

Bernard elaborates, "This involves not only recruiting and retaining skilled professionals through competitive compensation and growth opportunities but also providing ongoing training and encouraging participation in industry events. Implementing mentorship programmes, fostering a culture of continuous learning and partnering with academic institutions can help develop talent pipelines. Investing in automation and AI can augment human capabilities, allowing staff to focus on high-value tasks."

The AI factor

The dramatic growth of AI has irrevocably transformed the data centre industry in recent years. Its influence has been inevitable, with numerous technology companies eagerly investing in AI. This surge has sparked concerns over sustainability, energy efficiency and security implications.

AI has increased the complexity of infrastructure within data centres, bolstering workloads. While this complexity offers benefits in terms of AI-powered automation and data analytics, it also potentially heightens cybersecurity risks.

Kevin notes, "This complexity, combined with our near-total dependence on IT in daily life, has created a significant challenge. The impact of AI on the hybrid IT environment remains uncertain. Many argue that inference servers will be deployed at the network edge, but the implications of this on the hybrid IT environment are unclear.

"AI's evolution will be a marathon, not a sprint, and we're just at the starting line. Regardless of how the market evolves, the fundamentals won't change. Our focus is on simplifying device management for organisations while they adapt to the new complexity that trends like AI will introduce."

Organisations are already grappling with AI-related security challenges, including compliance concerns, vulnerability detection and remediation, data leakage containment and unauthorised AI use prevention.

In response, some organisations are reimagining cybersecurity as a global force to mitigate business risk, aiming to unify security visibility and insight across the entire attack surface to protect critical infrastructure.

Bernard comments, "As AI technologies rapidly evolve, organisations must track AI software, libraries and browser plugins in their environment, which can threaten data security and compliance efforts. By addressing these challenges proactively, organisations can harness the benefits of edge computing and AI while maintaining a strong security posture."

Data centre businesses are also leveraging AI to their advantage. Harshul highlights Tech Mahindra's adoption of next-generation technologies like AI to identify and address risks more swiftly and effectively. "With advanced Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems in place, we now have real-time, centralised visibility across our entire threat landscape, enabling us to proactively mitigate risks before they escalate," he says.

Tenable also employs AI to combat rising cybersecurity risks. The technology can analyse vast amounts of data, identifying complex patterns for businesses seeking greater security insights.

"As cyber threats evolve, AI-powered security solutions continuously learn and adapt, ensuring they can detect new and emerging threats and prevent breaches before they occur," Bernard adds. "There's no one-size-fits-all approach to cybersecurity, but ensuring a robust strategy that focuses on protecting data wherever it resides is a great starting point. Implementing a strong data security posture that accounts for the changing landscape and can defend against new and previously unknown attacks is key."

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