Key Security Considerations When Scaling In House

If you are looking to expand your capabilities by scaling up your in-house servers and storage solutions, it’s always best to take a security-first approach.

For the most part, scaling up will consist of the same security measures - both physical and digital - being scaled up equally.

However, there may be some additional factors that you should consider, for example how you plan to scale and the equipment that you intend to bring on.

Here are some of the key considerations that you should be aware of if you have in-house hosting and are planning to scale up.

Vertical vs Horizontal

Vertical scaling adds more power to the machines that you are already using for hosting, horizontal scaling involves adding new machines - likely servers.

Generally, neither is a security risk, however if you are looking to bolster security horizontal is the way to go. While there is a bit more of an upfront cost associated with it, it will distribute workload across a wider range of equipment.

This means that if one server becomes compromised, there is always another.

New vs Refurbished

You may be tempted to seek out first-hand new equipment when scaling up to ensure that you will have the most up-to-date and guaranteed, uncompromised hosting solutions.

And while new servers are often on the cutting edge of security, it may also be worth looking at certified refurbished options.

For example, you can pick up Dell Rack Servers at retailers like ETB, which have been fully certified, meaning that they have been refurbished to Dell standards, at a lower price point than a new server.

This may even allow you to buy more hardware, which further enhances redundancy.

Additional resources and training

If you are scaling significantly, then consider the management requirements of your hardware.

Maintenance once carried out by one person now may require more, and that means looping more people in on best practice.

Often the biggest security risk is human error, so while scaling enhances hardware security, it’s crucial to make sure that the right people are maintaining that hardware and doing a good job of it.

You’ll also want to tighten up your server access, especially if you have opted for vertical scaling and data is still all centralised, so make sure the Principle of Least Privilege, Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) are being factored in.

You may need additional resources in terms of power and networking, which you should factor into your budgeting - another reason why certified refurbished is a good way to go.

Similarly, you need to look at the software you’re running and ensure you have additional protection through automated troubleshooting and patching.

Future scaling

Scaling safely now makes it easier to scale safely in the future, so it’s crucial to audit your systems after you scale so that there aren’t any holes in your defences.

Any potential points of compromise have a higher chance of being exploited as your business grows, so it is crucial to spot and address them as soon as possible.

It is often during big changes like scaling up where things can be forgotten, and as a result, you are no longer as secure as you previously were.