Episode Topics: CISO Podcast – Hackers have demanded ransom. Now what? Featuring: Mark Houpt, DataBank’s Chief Information Security Officer
Listen to Mark Houpt, DataBank’s Chief Information Security Officer, as he answers and discusses the circumstances that make an IT environment more susceptible to a ransomware attack as well as 4 key questions:
• Have you seen situations where an IT department seems to be doing everything right but still gets hacked?
• What would you recommend to the head of an enterprise IT department when he or she receives a ransom demand? What should happen in the first minutes and then in the following hours?
• Are there guidelines for when it does or does not make sense to pay the ransom?
• Can you share a success story where the hackers were the losers in the scenario?
Run Time: 11 minutes
DataBank’s CISO Corner is for CISOs and security practitioners, where we discuss a variety of cybersecurity topics and current events from the CISO’s perspective. Our broadcast is designed for those who want to hear from security and compliance experts on the front lines.
Known for fast cars, blockbuster events, and one of the Crossroads of America, Indianapolis is among the fastest-growing tech ecosystems in the Midwest. Also known as Indy, the city is #5 for creating the most tech jobs according to Forbes and one of the 20 hottest cities within the technology industry, according to Money.
Given all the skilled technology talent, it’s a fertile area for companies that want to grow. That’s why increasing numbers of large technology companies continue to establish operations in Indy. The business-friendly environment—coupled with the relatively low cost of living and utility power—drives the need for colocation, connectivity, and cloud services.
With these attributes, Indy is a prime location for enterprise-class data centers, and that’s where DataBank is ready to help clients seize the opportunity. Our two data centers, located on West Henry Street in the heart of downtown Indianapolis, are just a two-minute walk away from each other. They anchor buildings powering fiber and telecommunications for the State of Indiana.
An Expanding Data Center Footprint
Both DataBank facilities in Indianapolis are carrier hotels and combine for more than 46,500 square feet of data center space. The data centers each feature an N+1 power design with raised flooring for cages, cabinets, and overhead networks along with generators to support utility feeds and ensure uninterrupted service. Both also provide local access to 17+ top-tier carriers, and through DataBank’s proprietary fiber ring, they connect to each other—giving our clients a flexible path to scale compute resources.
IND1, which expanded its footprint in 2021, provides 2.1MW of on-site power spanning 16,000 square feet of raised floor space. The IND2 facility offers 31,500 square feet of raised floor space along with 5.5MW of on-site power. There are also cooling systems with a capacity of 35KW per cabinet, ideal for high-density workloads.
Both IND1 and IND2 give DataBank clients multi-level physical security that includes 7×24 on-site staff and monitoring. Additional security measures include full perimeter fencing, round-the-clock on-site security personnel, and dual-factor authentication on exterior entry and data center entrances. The facilities also meet key compliance standards, including HIPAA, SOC, PCI DSS, and GDPR.
Regional and Coast-to-Coast Connectivity
DataBank’s 2021 expansion in Indianapolis affirms the city’s growing importance in the data center market. The region’s accessibility, quality of life, and business-friendly climate are attracting technology companies and talent, making it a natural data center location option for those in the Midwest. Our heavy investment in the West Henry Street area also demonstrates our commitment to metro Indianapolis. If the initial market response is any indication, we will continue to expand our footprint in Indianapolis.
For companies with on-premises or colocation data centers in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Kansas, the two DataBank facilities in Indianapolis offer a prime location for regional failover data centers. The city also offers a connection point for enterprises with operations on the east and west coasts. To learn more, take a closer look at our Indianapolis data centers or request a no-obligation quote today.
100% Renewable Power
Both of DataBank’s Indianapolis data centers have moved 100% of their combined electricity usage into a voluntary program directing Indianapolis Power and Light to purchase renewable energy from wind farms and other midwestern facilities. This offset equals the carbon dioxide emissions equivalent of 3,321 passenger cars driven for one year. DataBank’s participation in this program also supports development of additional renewable energy sources.
DataBank recently strengthened the carrier access we offer to our customers by joining forces with Console Connect. The partnership brings the Console Connect Software Defined Interconnection® platform to more than 40 of our data centers across the U.S.
On demand, our customers can access the platform to link with SaaS providers and the 750+ data centers across the globe that are enabled by Console Connect. With an extensive and growing choice of cloud on-ramps in the US, the platform also directly integrates with the world’s largest cloud platforms—including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and Oracle Cloud.
Jeremy Pease, DataBank’s senior vice president of managed service operations, and Michael Glynn, vice president of digital automated innovation for Console Connect, point out how the platform addresses the primary networking challenges of security, speed, and agility.
“Using the Console Connect platform, DataBank customers can self-provision private, high-performance connections among a global ecosystem of enterprises, networks, clouds, SaaS providers, and IoT providers,” said Pease. According to Glynn, “What makes our platform different is the underlying network infrastructure, which we own and operate globally. This provides on-demand connectivity among all major metro areas and key markets across North America as well as international capacity to more than 50 countries.”
Benefits for DataBank and Console Connect Customers
Using the Console Connect web application or an open API, DataBank customers can manage and monitor multiple network connections and services in real time. This approach bypasses traditional manual service-delivery processes and shrinks connection timeframes from weeks to minutes.
The partnership also helps DataBank customers embrace hybrid ways of working as they increasingly rely on their networks to make it easier to securely access applications from both corporate and home-based offices. For example, within seconds, customers can self-provision Tier 1 IP transit connections. The Console Connect CloudRouter® also creates private and secure meshed networks instantly for multi-cloud environments—by connecting any cloud or any location without dedicated hardware.
“Our collaboration with DataBank allows customers in the U.S. to build their digital ecosystems and interconnect with a larger number of digital service providers,” Glynn adds. “This is key given the surge in demand for cloud solutions and the massive shift to hybrid working models. This accelerates the need for high-performance networking that can support mission-critical workloads.”
For Console Connect customers, the partnership expands their reach to DataBank’s key metro hubs such as Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, New York, and Seattle. They can tap into our range of colocation solutions to access remote peering and colocation services for business applications.
Console Connect Software Defined Interconnection® Platform Highlights
Layer 2 MPLS network
Metro, regional, and international connectivity among more than 50 countries worldwide
Instant reach to more than 750 data centers
Direct connections with platform customers: enterprises, carriers, cloud providers, SaaS providers, IoT providers, and application providers
Direct remote peering interconnections to Internet Exchanges worldwide
Tier 1 global IP transit (AS3491) service (ranked in the top 10 for IPv4 and IPv6 peering)
Private Connections to Any Service Provider
With many of the world’s leading cloud and SaaS providers headquartered or located across the U.S., Console Connect helps businesses create private, dedicated connections to their service provider of choice. The platform is currently available to DataBank customers in more than 40 data center locations across the US, and Console Connect will be introduced to more facilities later this year.
To engage the Console Connect network, DataBank customers can order an access port at any enabled data center and then launch private connectivity on demand. Customers pay only for the bandwidth they need, even if it is just for a day. For more information, contact DataBank today.