On May 4, 2005, at 12:02 AM, Automatic digest processor wrote:

> Will we soon
> see the day when customers can track the movement of their computer
> tapes via the web?
>
>
> --
> Peter Kurilecz
> Richmond, Va
>
>

Many of the Data Storage Professionals utilize Satellite Tracking of
their vehicles and as peter says, the ability to track an individual
container will soon become cost efficient.  I think RFID is moving in
this direction as they can marry the sensors that identify each tape or
container or even the tapes in the container without opening the
container, with the sensormatic type antenna that will not allow an
item to leave the confined space without being wanded or an alarm goes
off.  This will stop sloppy errors to some extent but Peter may be
right that truly secure media movement may require a two person team
just as banks use when handling, counting or moving money.

As we are seeing in the articles, there is great risk and exposure from
media falling into the wrong hands.  In the fiercely competitive world
of business is stealing information this way the easiest way to gain a
great deal of information.  We only have to look at the daily flood of
internet scams to see the true nature of may people.  Stealing tapes is
just a simple way to win the lottery.

Some vendors use alarms on the vans and lock the containers into racks
to make theft difficult.  As I learned in San Diego, a thief that knows
what he is doing can open the car door faster with a lock puller than
most people can with the key.  In the time it took me to walk in the
lobby and turn in my key to the desk, the thief had my suitcase and my
exhibit cases. (This was less than five minutes.)

PRISM companies have come a long way in trying to please security
conscious clients. The latest technology allows the storage company to
monitor his vault 24/7 with a unit from  IT Watchdogs out of Austin
Texas which for less than $800 will monitor the temperature, humidity,
sound level, light level and possible flooding and provide a real time
picture of the vault interior.  This unit creates its own Internet
Website with all this data in real time and if the temperature goes up
beyond control levels, or the lights come on in the vault after hours
or the alarm goes off, it calls you on your cell phone and gives you
and email message of what the problem is.  If you have a Blackberry or
PDA with video then you can immediately see what is going on in the
vault.

Companies that provide this service want you to know what security they
offer and they want to prove they can earn your trust.  Your IT
Managers should be using this in your own facilities but PRISM
companies are already doing it.  This goes back to my post last week
about auditing records centers to evaluate what you are getting for
your money.

The security being offered by many Data Storage companies is the best
it has ever been.  But are you out looking to see what quality exists
in your market.  Almost every major market has a company that positions
itself based on offering higher security, more technology but if your
Purchasing officer is making the decision totally on cost and not value
then your company is to blame.  There is a myriad of high quality data
storage companies out there to choose from.

Each year PRISM hosts two conferences to expose their members to
cutting edge technology and some adopt it and others don't, but the
options are out there. Many have adopted high end security. Are you
prepared to audit these service providers and work with them to get the
security our world requires.

  But Peter may be right, we may be at the stage where we need to treat
these tapes like bank pick ups and provide two drivers for every run to
protect the truck and oversee the courier operation.  The risk exposure
from these recent incidents tell me that the risk is far greater than a
simple Brinks Cash Delivery.

You should be out becoming familiar with the options in your community
as you will soon be in a meeting where they ask "Are we doing all that
we should?"  Will you be ready to answer the CEO or the CFO questions
in this meeting.

Hugh Smith
FIRELOCK Fireproof Modular Vaults
[log in to unmask]
(610)  756-4440    Fax (610)  756-4134
WWW.FIRELOCK.COM

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