By Ellie Gabel, Associate Editor, Revolutionized
LinkedIn: Elle Rose
LinkedIn: Revolutionized
Health care data centers are central to holding key information that supports clinical care and patient monitoring systems. However, a single natural occurrence or a structural failure can damage entire hospital networks and put patient safety at risk.
While cybersecurity is a common topic for discussion, one overlooked factor is the physical side of data security. Health care data centers are just as vulnerable to natural disasters and infrastructural threats as to cybercrime. Therefore, healthcare IT leaders must consider what they need to keep systems running and information safe when the unexpected hits.
Key Physical Threats to Health Care Data Centers
Today’s health care data centers face growing physical threats that quickly lead to downtime, information loss and long-term damage to patient care operations.
1. Natural Disasters Are Escalating
Hurricanes, flooding, wildfires and earthquakes are becoming more common and severe, and health care infrastructure is in the crosshairs. According to a World Economic Forum 2024 report, climate-related impacts will cause $12.5 trillion in economic losses worldwide, including an additional $1.1 trillion burden on health care systems, by 2050.
Health care data centers in areas prone to seismic events are especially at risk. Disasters like these lead to:
- Structural damage.
- Extended power outages.
- Hardware destruction.
- Cooling system disruptions.
2. Fire Hazards and Electrical Failures
Faulty wiring and overloaded circuits can cause fires and major destruction to servers. Even a small electrical fault can go undetected and escalate rapidly into something bigger.
3. Vandalism and Unauthorized Access
Physical access remains a major concern to health care facilities and those with lightly staffed sites. They are vulnerable to break-ins, tampering and theft. A Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report — Healthcare Snapshot found that 60% of breaches involved a human element. This includes:
- Miscellaneous errors, such as misconfigured systems or accidental data exposure.
- Privilege misuse, including inappropriate access to sensitive systems.
- Lost or stolen assets, such as laptops or backup drives containing protected health information.
4. Mechanical and Environmental Wear
Everyday factors such as heat, humidity and mechanical vibration can degrade equipment. These stressors can reduce hardware lifespan and increase failure rates.
Core Infrastructure Protection Strategies
A mixture of infrastructure strategies can protect the key systems that keep data centers running.
Fortifying Equipment With Shock and Vibration Isolation
Sensitive health care IT equipment may be vulnerable to natural disasters but also everyday mechanical vibrations from large machinery and foot traffic. Over time, this can damage internal components or destabilize rack-mounted systems.
Installing shock and vibration isolation systems is crucial. Anti-vibration mounts, base isolators and seismic bracing can minimize damage during any disturbance. For instance, wire rope isolators are preferable for vibration protection, as they can easily absorb and dissipate energy. These isolators can effectively protect servers, medical imaging equipment and power distribution units.
Power and Cooling Continuity Plans
Disasters can knock out primary power sources and cooling systems, causing server overheating and sudden shutdowns. These failures disrupt operations, which can delay critical services and put patient lives at risk. Surveys have found that 57% of health care providers reported worsened patient outcomes due to delayed testing and procedures because of data access issues during outages or system downtime.
To mitigate these risks, health care data centers must have:
- Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems.
- Backup diesel or natural gas generators.
- Redundant cooling units with automated failover.
Data Redundancy and Off-Site Backup
Whether using cloud-native platforms or physical replication, redundancy ensures continuity when local systems fail. One strategy would be to build off-site backups in geographically diverse zones. Health care providers should also use automated failover protocols to prevent interruptions to their service.
Moving to Geographically Optimal Locations
Facilities face elevated threats in areas prone to flooding and other seismic events. For example, Hurricane Katrina caused water to infiltrate data centers in affected areas, leading to power outages and critical damage to air conditioning and electrical systems. Repairs to such facilities took several months and cost upward of $3 million to complete.
Locating to low-risk geographic zones should be strongly considered. This strategy reduces the risk of lost content and costly damages.
Surveillance Systems and Advanced Access Control
Health care data centers must implement systems to deter unauthorized entry and monitor high-risk areas. These include 24/7 video surveillance, biometric authentication, tiered access protocols and logging and audit trails.
Building Stronger Infrastructure for Safer Patient Care
Disaster-proofing health care data facilities is crucial to business continuity amid climate-related threats and infrastructure vulnerabilities. However, for IT leaders to protect them, they must prioritize physical security and equipment protection. When implementing a mix of defense strategies, IT teams can preserve uptime and protect patient care.