Dust Bunnies on the Attack: Data Center Maintenance Issues Pose Security Threats

It’s more fun to wield artificial intelligence and other advanced security tools against headline-making security threats. But it’s more common that the boring, everyday stuff will take down a company’s data centers and networks. For example, InformationWeek’s new 2024 Cyber Resilience Survey Report revealed hidden security threats like “aging tech, dirty environments, especially dust” lurking in data centers. While it may sound comical that dust bunnies can lay siege to data centers with the same debilitating impact as ransomware, the reality isn’t that funny. 

“If equipment fails due to dust accumulation, it can disrupt access to critical data, compromising availability. This failure can escalate into a disaster scenario and severely impact recovery efforts,” says Larry Zorio, CISO at Mark43 and chair of the IJIS cyber security working group. 

But those are not the only downsides.

“Dust can be more than just a cleanliness issue -- it poses several security risks,” says Timothy Bates, professor of AI, cybersecurity, blockchain, and XR at University of Michigan. “Accumulated dust can cause hardware to overheat by blocking air vents, leading to equipment failure. Additionally, dust on sensors can cause false alarms, which can distract and mislead security teams.”

Related:Best Data Center Security Practices in the Age of Digital Transformation

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