InSite Reporting System Security

A) Backup

Our systems have 4 levels of data backup/protection;

i) Short Term protection: web and database servers all have RAID 5 storage, writing data redundantly across 3 hard drives. If a drive were to fail, its data would be located on the other drives as well. Furthermore, RAID 5 systems automatically detect such failures and immediately switch to the working drives, resulting in no downtime for users of the IntelliShop's Online Reporting system.

ii) Database logging: if requested, the database server can be set to log every transaction, allowing a restoration of recent events in the case of data loss.

iii) Nightly backup: every night, a complete copy of the data on the database server and the files on the web server are stored to an additional hard drive.

iv) Weekly offsite backup: every week, a copy of the current database data and web server files are recorded to DVD-R and stored offsite from the server's physical location

B) Server Safeguards

• The aforementioned RAID-5 storage structure
• Redundant power supplies. In the fairly common event of a server's power supply failure, IntelliShop's service will continue without interruption.
• The database server will be placed on a private back end switch, meaning it is not directly accessible from the web
• Front end firewalls protect against unauthorized entry
• IDS (Intrusion detection system) notifies our administrators when suspicious activity occurs on any server

C) Physical Security

Failsafe and Security Information

The servers are housed in a state-of-the-art hosting facility sits on a 6 foot concrete foundation.  This foundation is supported by 60 foot concrete pilings, reaching all the way down to the bedrock below.  These attributes make the site able to withstand low-level seismic activity with minimal or no structural damage.

Exterior Security

The location of the data center employs multiple security measures.  The security starts right at the main entrance, where a guard shack is manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  The guard is looking for suspicious vehicles entering and exiting the property, while also acting as a visual deterrent.  Guest parking is available in the front of the building only, within plain view of the guard on duty.

In addition to the checkpoint at the main entrance, additional security personnel patrol the campus, visually inspecting the campus for suspicious activity.  With police and fire stations in near proximity to the campus, the location is ensured rapid response to security concerns and other emergency situations.

Data center  - Point of entry #1

The data center utilizes Viisage facial recognition biometrics paired with a proximity card for entry into the data center.  The visitor approaches the biometrics unit and swipes the access card.  The system then compares more than 20 points on the visitor's face with an image of the visitor stored in the system the first time the access card was used.  If the system matches the two images, the door unlocks and the visitor is admitted the facility.

If a visitor wishes to gain access to the facility and does not have an access card, they must ring the security desk from the front entrance.  Front Desk staff confirms that the person at the entrance has a reason to enter the facility.  The Front Desk staff then logs the non-standard entry and admits the visitor in to the facility.

Data center  - Point of entry #2

Upon gaining access to the facility, the visitor immediately enters a Man Trap area.  This secured area is the second point of security, where the visitor must present photo identification.  At this point the visitor is confirmed as a customer or visiting on a customer's behalf.  The customer's identification is logged and held for the duration of their visit, and returned when the customer leaves the facility.  Once the identification is logged, the customer is allowed to pass through the third point of security, a locked door, and gain access to the data center floor.

Data center  - Physical environment

The data center has 2 foot raised floors in case of flooding in the facility.  The power is channeled through waterproof conduits under the floor, along with the cold air from industrial-grade air conditioning units.  This data center has 13 Liebert cooling units, each with their own independent glycol feeds.  Thanks to the very high ceilings in the area, only 5 of these units, running at no more than 50% capacity, are required to cool the entire data center. In addition, the walls are lined with Thermalite, which is an insulator commonly found in larger refrigerated warehouses.  With an insulation value of R-84, it provides thermal insulation equivalent of 84 sheets of glass, keeping the data center cool.

Data center  - Power Redundancies

The data center physically sits at the intersection of two separate power grids, drawn from two distinct cities, each supplying 27,800 Volt service. In the last 26 years, as far back as record show, these grids have not lost power simultaneously.  In the case of external power failure, power is backed up locally by dual Katolite 1500 kilowatt generators, each with their own fuel supply.  With a 6 second spin-up time these generators, the facility can run for about a week without refueling.  The generators are tested weekly and are serviced on regularly scheduled intervals.

The data center offers two forms of Uninterruptible Power Supplies: local and centralized.  While a majority of customers utilize the centralized UPS system, optional localized units are available for other applications.

Data center  - Fire Suppression

Fire Suppression systems are deployed on multiple levels.  Laser-Ion Smoke Detectors are deployed under the raised data center floor for early detection of fire not immediately visible to data center staff.  Localized fire extinguishers loaded with special computer-safe materials are located throughout the data center.  A pre-action dry standby sprinkler system is in place in case of an absolute catastrophe.

Data center  - Network

The data center utilizes a three-tier tray system for cable management.  The bottom level is used for connections between the network switches and the customer's equipment.  The second level is used for cross connects and telco lines.  The uppermost level, which is slightly narrower and bright yellow in color, is reserved specifically for fiber connections.  The yellow network cable on the bottom level is Category 6 E, ready to go to Gigabit Ethernet.

 The Data Center is a Cisco-powered network, meaning that it utilizes Cisco hardware and protocols throughout.  The network leverages a standard 3 tier design, with fully redundant core routers and multiple layers of switches.~

The 3-tier architecture works like this.  At the bottom-most layer, or the Access Layer, Cisco 6500 series switches are split between collocated and dedicated hosting customers.  This is where the customer's hosting infrastructure physically connects to the network.

At the middle layer, or the Distribution Layer, another fully redundant group of Cisco 6500 series switches take aggregate routes from the Access Layer and translates them into BGP, the protocol used for routing on large-scale networks.

At the top layer, or the Core Layer, fully redundant Cisco GSR 12000 series routers take the data and BGP routing information from the Distribution layer and bring it out to the internet via multiple redundant fiber connections.  These GSR, or Gigabit Switched Routers, use a protocol known as HSRP.  The HSRP protocol ensures that no data or routing information is lost in the event that one of the routers is to fail.

In addition to hardware redundancy, multiple fiber providers take physically diverse paths upon leaving the facility.  This ensures that no single fiber break by a construction crew would be able to cut off connectivity to the data center.

D) Software Security

• All manager passwords and social security numbers are encrypted to prevent security breaches. Even if an entity were to obtain the database files themselves, they would not be able to use this information to log into the system                                                                
• Evaluator signups and alterations to the personal information take place on a Secure Socket Layer, meaning that transmissions over the web are encrypted and cannot be intercepted in transit                                                                                                                                                       
• IntelliShop's comprehensive manager access system allows all users to be restricted to only the actions they are authorized to perform