In today’s digital world, data centres are the backbone of secure data storage and transmission. From electronic health records to real-time financial transactions, vast amounts of data flow through these high-performance facilities every second. To ensure the integrity and availability of this critical data, modern data centres must remain vigilant and resilient in the face of constantly evolving physical and cyber threats.
The stakes are high. According to IBM’s 2024 Cost of Data Breach Report, the global average cost of a data breach has reached an all-time high of US$4.48 million, underscoring the critical need for comprehensive security strategies. In response to today’s constantly evolving threat landscape, modern data centres are implementing multi-layered security models to enhance their defences. At Telehouse Canada, this approach is at the core of our operations – combining physical safeguards, advanced cybersecurity protocols, and zero-trust frameworks to ensure the protection of our clients’ critical infrastructure and data.
Data Centre Physical Security Measures
Physical security is a core component of data centre protection, serving as the first line of defense against unauthorized access. Facilities use multi-layered access controls, surveillance systems, and environmental safeguards to restrict access to critical infrastructure. In addition to deterring intrusions, physical security systems and measures also protect against environmental threats such as fire, flooding, and power disruptions—ensuring uninterrupted operations and data integrity. To safeguard our physical environments, Telehouse Canada focuses on the following measures:
- Physical Access Controls: Our facilities use electromagnetic locking mechanisms to secure all public corridors and doors along paths of egress and are released by card reader. For critical environments and data halls, access control is maintained via electric strike and biometric security hardware. We also employ anti-tailgating systems and mantrap security systems to further prevent unauthorized access, ensuring that individuals are verified at multiple checkpoints before entering facilities.
- Round-the-Clock Security: Video surveillance and 24 x 7 x 365 on-site security help track every person entering and exiting our facilities.
- Secure Location and Environmental Safeguards: Data centres should be strategically located in secure, low-risk areas to minimize exposure to natural disasters. These facilities are equipped with advanced environmental controls—including pre-action fire suppression systems in colocation areas, VESDA smoke detection, climate regulation, and flood protection—to ensure optimal operating conditions and protect critical infrastructure from environmental threats.
- Mechanical Redundancy Systems: We maintain built-in redundancy to ensure continuous operation of critical infrastructure. This includes backup power supplies, cooling systems, and redundant hardware components to prevent downtime and maintain security.
Data Centre Cybersecurity Measures
With cyber threats growing in frequency and sophistication, data centres are deploying layered cybersecurity protections to monitor, detect and respond to attacks before damage is done. Our cybersecurity strategy includes the following proactive measures:
- Proactive Threat Detection: Telehouse Canada conducts regular vulnerability assessments to ensure its defences remain one step ahead of threat actors. We also employ Endpoint Detection and Response to ensure continuous monitoring and protection of our data centers against threats.
- Next-Gen Firewalls and Analytics: Advanced firewalls equipped with integrated cloud analytics enable real-time traffic inspection and anomaly detection – identifying suspicious behaviour.
- Security Awareness Training: We conduct regular security awareness sessions to keep employees informed about emerging threats, updated security protocols, advanced threat detection techniques, and effective response strategies.
- Continuous Improvement: Cybersecurity isn’t static. Telehouse Canada routinely evaluates and updates its security measures and practices to address new vulnerabilities as they emerge.
Zero-Trust Architecture and Access Control
As remote work and distributed systems become more common, many data centres are embracing zero-trust frameworks to manage identity and access. Our approach to zero-trust architecture and access management includes:
- Trust No One, Verify Everything: Telehouse Canada uses a strict zero-trust security model that continuously verifies the identity of users and devices, only granting access to systems or data that are necessary.
- Granular Permissions: Role-based access controls ensure that users can only interact with the parts of the system relevant to their job function, helping to minimize risk in the event of compromised credentials.
- Real-Time Monitoring: All user activity is logged and analyzed for unusual patterns, with alerts triggered for anything out of scope.
Vendor, Partner and Supply Chain Security
As more organizations rely on third-party vendors, data centres must ensure these partners and vendors meet the same rigorous security standards. At Telehouse Canada, we strengthen vendor and supply chain security through:
- Third-Party Risk Assessments: Telehouse Canada conducts comprehensive security reviews of its vendors and suppliers, ensuring alignment on policies and procedures.
- Threat Intelligence Sharing: By participating in broader intelligence-sharing networks, Telehouse gains insight into global security trends and can respond faster to new threats impacting the supply chain.
As cyber threats become more sophisticated and business continuity becomes more reliant on digital infrastructure, security is no longer a check box – it’s a competitive advantage. From physical access controls to zero-trust frameworks, today’s data centres must be designed with security embedded at every layer.
Telehouse Canada exemplifies this modern approach, combining proactive cybersecurity, rigorous physical safeguards and intelligent vendor oversight to provide a secure, reliable environment for our clients.
Learn more about our facilities or book a private tour to see how Telehouse Canada is redefining secure data centre operations.