Regulations, standards and compliance frameworks such as SOC1 Type 2, SOC2 Type 2, ISO 27001, NIST 800-53, PCI DSS, and HIPAA set targets against which data center operations can be assessed. Independent auditors conduct annual examinations, which focus on items such as processes, employee training, technical operations, incident management, use of best practices and security controls.
When colocation data centers are compliant, customers can operate with the confidence that their colocated business is compliant. But there’s more to the story. Compliance influences service delivery and adds value beyond certifications.
Forty-nine percent of enterprises already include colocation in their hybrid IT mix, and 51 percent colocate to increase security, according to IDG’s 2021 State of the Data Center Report¹. Further, colocation is on a positive growth trajectory – projected to increase approximately 13 percent by 2028². Clearly, colocation already is a centerpiece of hybrid IT strategies. And given the number of customers motivated by security, compliance plays a large role in customer satisfaction.
Some people view compliance with regulations, standards or frameworks as parallel tracks of effort. After all, each examination leads to certification or remediation if something isn’t up to par. But collectively, the entire compliance program is much greater than the sum of the parts. Let’s look at a few ways in which compliance benefits colocation customers:
As IT leaders consider their hybrid IT infrastructure options, compliance is top of mind. The knowledge that a colocation data center is regularly and rigorously examined reassures decision makers about a provider’s operational excellence in facilities that house critical data, applications and hardware. But compliance also is a way of thinking, a discipline, that adds value in areas such as risk reduction, accountability, efficiency, service/product mix and innovation.
Read about CoreSite compliance certifications and standards or ask your CoreSite sales representative for more information.
1 - IDG, State of the Data Center Report, 2021.
2 - Grand View Research Forecast, 2021-2028.
Larry Jones
Vice President Internal Audit, Risk and Compliance
Larry Jones is responsible for leading the Internal Audit, Risk Management and Compliance functions at CoreSite. He has 20+ years of broad-based and progressive experience as an audit leader in the data center, telecommunications and technology industries.
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