OPTEX whitepaper maps data center security risks

OPTEX has published a new whitepaper examining the growing range of physical security threats facing data centers, from perimeter intrusion and infrastructure theft to insider risks and unauthorized access to server environments.

The new Physical security for datacentres: A new era whitepaper looks at how the increasing scale and strategic importance of data centers is changing their physical security requirements. OPTEX notes that data centers were classified as critical infrastructure by both the European Union and UK Government in 2024, increasing the focus on security and operational resilience.

Rather than focusing only on conventional perimeter intrusion, the paper examines threats across the entire data center site. These include unauthorized entry through gates and fence lines, theft and vandalism, and attempts to gain access by following authorized vehicles or personnel into restricted areas.

The whitepaper also highlights the security implications of infrastructure supporting data center operations. Large facilities may operate their own substations, generators and renewable energy installations, creating additional areas that require protection. Theft of copper and other valuable materials can disrupt power supplies as well as cause financial losses and service interruptions.

Security risks extend beyond the perimeter

Inside the facility, OPTEX identifies a different set of risks. These include tailgating into controlled areas, unauthorized access to server racks, cables and network equipment, and attempts to remove or introduce devices through gaps in physical barriers. The paper also addresses insider threats and the particular challenges of colocation facilities, where multiple customers occupy separate secure areas within the same building.

Less visible access routes are another concern. Raised floors, ceiling spaces, ventilation openings and other technical areas can potentially provide ways around conventional access controls, requiring operators to consider security above, below and around server rooms as well as at their entrances.

The whitepaper concludes that these risks require a layered approach combining perimeter security, access control and internal monitoring. It also outlines how technologies including LiDAR, fiber-optic sensing and intrusion detection systems can be deployed at different layers of a data center site to improve detection and reduce false alarms.