How Milton Keynes' Businesses Can Boost Data Security With Colocation

Data security is a critical concern for businesses of all sizes in Milton Keynes. In today's digital age, businesses are increasingly reliant on their data to operate, and a data breach can have a devastating impact.

Colocated server space is a solution that can help businesses boost their data security. It involves renting space in a data centre where businesses can house their servers and other IT equipment. This provides businesses with several benefits for data security, including: 

• Physical security: Colocation facilities are typically located in secure, well-protected buildings with 24/7 security. This helps to protect servers and other equipment from theft, vandalism, and other physical threats.
• Environmental controls: Colocation data centres have environmental controls that help to protect servers and other equipment from extreme temperatures and humidity. This helps to prevent hardware failures and data corruption.
• Network security: Data centres have robust network security measures in place to protect data from unauthorised access, use, or disclosure. This includes firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and other security controls.
• Compliance: Colocation facilities can help businesses to comply with data protection regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
  
  

Pulsant’s Milton Keynes colocation data centre puts all of these benefits on the doorstep of the city’s many businesses, regardless of industry, service or product.

Having originally been designed for us by financial organisations, the centre was built to a tier 4 specification, ensuring the highest levels of redundancy.

The benefits of colocated server space 

In addition to the physical and environmental security benefits mentioned above, colocated server space also offers many other advantages for data security, including: 

• Disaster recovery and data backup: Colocation facilities can provide a secure off-site location for data backup and disaster recovery. This helps to protect data in the event of a natural disaster, fire, or other incident.
• Expertise: Colocation providers typically have a team of experienced engineers and technicians who can help you to manage your IT infrastructure and security. This can free up your internal IT teams to focus on core operations.
• Scalability: Colocation facilities can be scaled up or down as needed, which can help you to accommodate changes in your IT needs. 
  
  

Strengthening cybersecurity measures

Colocated server space can help your business to strengthen its cybersecurity measures in several ways. Here are some examples:

• Network security: Colocation facilities typically have robust network security measures in place, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and data encryption. This helps to protect data from unauthorised access, use, or disclosure.
• Firewalls: Firewalls are a type of network security appliance that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic. They can help to block unauthorised access to servers and other IT equipment.
• Intrusion detection systems: Intrusion detection systems (IDSs) are used to monitor networks for malicious activity. They can detect and alert you to potential threats, such as unauthorised access or data breaches.
• Data encryption: Data encryption is the process of converting data into a form that cannot be read without a special key. This can help to protect data from unauthorised access, even if it is intercepted in transit.
  
  

These features enable Milton Keynes’ businesses to bolster their security further, in the following ways:

Disaster recovery and data backup 

Colocated server space can also play a vital role in disaster recovery and data backup. By storing data off-site, businesses can protect themselves from the loss of data in the event of a disaster. In addition, colocation facilities typically have the infrastructure and expertise to restore data quickly and efficiently. 

Mitigating physical threats 

Colocated server space can also help businesses to mitigate physical threats to their data. By housing their servers in a secure data centre, businesses can reduce the risk of theft, vandalism, and natural disasters. In addition, colocation facilities typically have features such as climate control and 24/7 security and access control that can help to protect data from physical damage and unauthorised access.

Compliance and data governance 

Colocated server space can also help businesses to meet data compliance and governance requirements. By housing their servers in a data centre that is compliant with industry regulations, businesses can reduce the risk of data breaches and other compliance violations. 

Cost-effectiveness and scalability 

Colocated server space can also be a cost-effective solution for data security. The cost of colocation is typically lower than the cost of building and maintaining an on-premises data centre. In addition, colocation facilities can be scaled up or down as needed, which can help businesses to accommodate changes in their IT needs. 

Case study: Enhanced network resiliency and reduced IT costs

LinkPool, a chainlink node service provider, initially engaged Pulsant to colocate its infrastructure in Pulsant's Sheffield data centres. This allowed LinkPool to compose the exact infrastructure they needed, which was powerful, cost-effective, and highly scalable.

Since then, LinkPool has taken advantage of Pulsant's high-speed, intra-data centre network to launch a second live production environment in the Milton Keynes site. This has enabled LinkPool to bolster network resiliency and guarantee uptime.

These local data centres have meant that the LinkPool leadership team have easy access, being located within easy reach of both locations.

After less than 12 months, LinkPool is already seeing the results of its decision to colocate with Pulsant. The performance of their critical infrastructure has significantly improved, while costs have fallen by up to 85%. This is partly due to predictable pricing, which means that LinkPool knows precisely how much each resource will cost, allowing them to plan accordingly.

Here are some of the key benefits that LinkPool has realised from colocation with Pulsant:

• Improved performance of critical infrastructure
• Reduced costs by up to 85%
• Predictable pricing
• Increased scalability
• Enhanced network resiliency
• Guaranteed uptime
  
  

LinkPool has experienced significant benefits in terms of performance, cost savings, and scalability - all underpinned by the highly secure environment provided by the data centres that house the infrastructure.