Compliance in colocation centers now matters as much as price or uptime. More businesses are shifting IT to colocation and cloud services because it cuts costs, adds bandwidth and strengthens disaster recovery. That shift also raises the stakes for meeting industry compliance standards.
A recent DCD Intelligence report found that outsourcing now accounts for almost a quarter of all data center usage. As outsourcing grows, the telecommunications industry is seeing higher demand for security and compliance. The same report found that 37 percent of buyers would fire their data center provider if it failed to meet security compliance.
Improvements In Cloud Security
Cloud and data center security have advanced quickly over the last five years, alongside new compliance standards. Recent improvements include better scanning engines, cloud monitoring services and more user control. Data centers no longer rely on firewalls alone: newer technologies build security directly into the application and data layers. Some applications now sit behind intelligent learning engines that monitor and flag suspicious activity in real time. Developers also build many applications to run inside and outside the network, which keeps users protected wherever they connect. Today’s internal security toolkit typically includes IPS/IDS and data loss prevention.
Common Compliance Requirements for Data Centers
Most data and colocation centers must meet certain compliance requirements, most commonly SOX, HIPAA, PCI/DSS and FISMA. Here’s what each one covers.
- SOX Compliance – Public companies must maintain internal controls and procedures for financial reporting. These controls are designed to reduce the risk of corporate fraud.
- HIPAA Compliance – The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act requires companies that handle protected health information (PHI) to maintain physical, network and process security safeguards. The rule applies whether that data lives on-site or with a colocation provider.
- PCI/DSS Compliance – The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard applies to any company that handles branded credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard and American Express. The standard is designed to reduce credit card fraud, though it does not cover companies that only process private label cards.
- FISMA Compliance – The Federal Information Security Management Act is part of the Electronic Government Act. It sets a framework for protecting government information, operations and assets against threats like terrorism and hacking. The act also requires an annual review of information security programs.
Compliance training should be a standing part of a data center’s onboarding and ongoing education. That keeps employees, management and IT staff current as compliance requirements change.
Finding a Colocation Center in Compliance with Security Requirements
Enterprises outsourcing IT to a colocation center should confirm that both their own team and the provider’s staff stay current on security compliance regulations. Call (305) 735-8098 to speak with a Volico data center representative about compliance in colocation centers. We’ll help you meet SOX, HIPAA, PCI/DSS and FISMA requirements.
