Securing Hardware

Securing Hardware

You might think that if you have taken care of backup, RAID, shares, NTFS permissions, virus scanning, and encryption, that your data is completely safe. There is, however, one more thing of which you should be sure. Any computer is far more insecure if people can get to its server, so you always should lock your server in a closet or some other inaccessible place. Having the server out in the open provides a security risk and also increases the chance that someone accidentally will shut the machine off—or for that matter, spill coffee on it. Most companies have a “server room”—often a large wiring closet—where all server machines are stored. Make sure this location is neither too cold nor too hot, that it has adequate ventilation, and that only authorized individuals have access to it.

Additionally, whenever you make a change to the network, be certain to document the changes you have made. This can make troubleshooting and maintenance far easier and can save you valuable time. See Chapter 12, “Monitoring the Network,” for more information.