PDUs can do more than simply distribute power input. Intelligent ones play a major role in keeping DCs secure and data from falling into the wrong hands

Today’s enterprises are IT-driven and breaches can threaten the smooth running of the business. Besides disrupting business operations, intrusions can also cause reputational damage, financial losses and legal liability. Unfortunately, data breaches, identity theft and cyberattacks are all too common nowadays, with ransomware making the news lately on account of the multi-million dollar ransom demands.

Furthermore, the widespread use of cloud and third-party services brings with it the potential exposure of enterprise data to those with nefarious intent. Further risk comes from the accelerating adoption of IoT and Industrial IoT devices and their convergence with enterprise IT systems. A recent survey of security professionals by Tripwire found more than half had encountered issues in establishing secure configurations and detecting changes on IoT and Industrial IoT devices.

Cybercrime is predicted to cost enterprises worldwide an estimated $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. Not surprisingly data security remains a top-of-mind item for the C suite, in particular CIOs. Measures such as endpoint protection, strong passwords and software updates are well and good but keeping data secure in today’s IT-driven enterprises require more robustness.

Such robustness can be achieved when protection is focused on the heart of the data center. In modern DCs, this heart comprises rack power distribution units. While basic PDUs used in older DCs are limited to simply distributing power from the input to multiple outlets, network connected Rack PDUs used in newer DCs have more functions that together help to secure enterprise data.

So what should DC operators look for in network connected Rack PDUs? For a start, since rack PDUs are accessed over the network for several reasons (data collection, alert notification, etc.), it is critical that there be no unauthorized access to them. Measures that can prevent such access include Based Access Control Lists and Role-Based Access Control so these should be on the want list of features. Also, as Rack PDUs are connected to management networks and even to production networks, they must have the ability to encrypt all data sent or received by them.

Strong and secure support for integration with external systems is also a must-have. So too are dual network ports: one for the primary enterprise network, the other for the backup network or for the facility network. This way, there is redundancy and greater ease as well as lower cost of connecting multiple PDUs to the network.

Also important are the abilities to manage external smart sensors (including those for physical DC security) and for the enterprise to continue to receive alarms and data from sensors even when power is lost to one of the Rack PDUs.

Legrand and Raritan network connected Rack PDUs that run the Xerus Technology Platform possess all the above features and more, enabling enterprise to better control and utilize their rack power infrastructure while actively protecting data against both internal threats and external intrusions. Combining hardware and software technologies, Xerus uses a future-proof interoperable architecture and battle-tested firmware that has successfully withstood billions of hours of runtime in the world’s most data intensive environments.

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