Cross-Connect Blog

Enhance Your Security at the Cabinet Level with Dual-Factor Authentication

November 16, 2017

Zwipe Access Card with Biometric AuthenticationConsidering the amount of sensitive data stored in data centers around the globe, it’s not surprising that breaches are happening more often. According to a 2017 report by IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index, about 58 percent of attacks within the financial services industry, and 71 percent within the health care sector are carried out by insiders advertently or inadvertently. Because of that, regulatory agencies such as HIPPA within the healthcare sector, PCI-DSS within payment card industry and FIMSA within the federal sector are requiring organizations to deploy physical security solutions within data centers that provide access control and maintain a log of all access attempts. 

As a result, it’s critical for every data center owner, IT specialist, and security officer to know exactly who has access to the data and equipment in their facility at any given moment. And, what’s more, to understand that there are products and technologies available to them today that can enhance the security of their sensitive data and equipment within their data center cabinets.

Chatsworth Products (CPI) continually seeks out innovative ways to help IT professionals, data center managers, and data center owners maintain compliance and protect sensitive equipment at the cabinet level. Because of this, CPI now offers a fingerprint-activated biometric access card that provides the security of dual-factor authentication and the speed and convenience of contactless credentials. 

The Zwipe Access Card with Biometric Authentication works with existing card-activated locks, such as CPI’s eConnect® Electronic Access Control (EAC) and Networked Electronic Access Control (EAC) solutions. There is no need to upgrade or replace any readers or backend systems. This enables significant cost savings. 

Other key benefits:

  • Directly addresses unauthorized card use and reduces fraud related to lost or stolen cards
  • Secure and intuitive biometric dual-factor authentication, without upgrading readers
  • Compatible with many 125 KHz RF readers
  • Supports PIN-based systems, allowing for 3-factor authentication
  • Unique to cardholder—only the card owner can active card communication with the reader
  • Addresses privacy concerns with on card biometric data storage

“Security at the cabinet level is becoming increasingly important to IT and data center managers. Networked EAC and Zwipe Access complement our other access control offerings and add the option of dual-factor authentication, which we believe is the most secure yet cost effective system available,” states Ashish Moondra, CPI’s Sr. Product Manager of Power, Electronics & Software. 

By combining CPI’s Zwipe Access Cards and EAC locking solutions, IT professionals enjoy the benefits of an easy-to-use and economical locking solution that supports the three key elements of remote management at the cabinet level: power monitoring, environment monitoring, and physical access control. The interface provides audit trail for regulatory compliance, allowing users to remotely program, monitor and control each cabinet access attempt, as well as obtain status of environmental conditions within the cabinet. 

Physical security is part of CPI’s overall cabinet ecosystem. Address all aspects of equipment protection with a total cabinet solution that takes data and equipment protection to the next level.

Brittany Mangan, Digital Content Specialist

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