Data Center News Roundup: UK Boosts Data Center Security, Top Stories of the Year Unveiled

With data center news moving faster than ever, we want to make it easy for industry professionals to cut through the noise and find the most important stories of the week.

The Data Center Knowledge News Roundup brings you the latest news and developments across the data center industry – from investments and mergers to security threats and industry trends.

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UK Security Measures Strengthened 

The UK government has issued tougher security and resilience measures for data centers operating in the country to protect against potential disruption from cyber-attacks and extreme weather events. 

A new set of laws to better protect the nation’s data would “make minimum requirements mandatory to ensure data center operators are taking appropriate steps to boost their security and resilience.” 

According to the government, the move will also help protect businesses and services that rely on data centers against disruption, reducing the risk of critical incidents that would interrupt or compromise access to data they rely on. 

Data Center World 2024

In events news this week, world-leading energy experts have been confirmed among the list of speakers for Data Center World 2024. 

Related:Server Rooms vs. Data Centers: Advantages and Disadvantages

Among the confirmed speakers for the data center expo next year is Arman Shehabi, Energy and Environmental Policy Staff Scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, who will present the initial findings of the not-yet-released 2024 Report to Congress on US Data Center Energy Use.  

Sustainability will also take center stage at DCW 2024, with Peter de Bock of the Department of Energy taking a deep dive into the ARPA-E COOLERCHIPS project, and other sessions exploring nuclear energy integration and lowering emissions via microgrids.  

“We invite the community to make new connections on the ever-growing expo floor, hear in-depth vendor-neutral case studies and trend briefings, receive a new professional certification, and experience our powerhouse keynote speakers (who we can’t wait to announce),” said DCW Event Director Tara Gibb. 

Malaysia: The Next Chip Manufacturing Hub? 

As the US continues to lay sanctions on China’s semiconductor market, Malaysia may be emerging as a new chip manufacturing hub. 

According to a report in The Star this week a growing number of Chinese semiconductor design companies are partnering with Malaysian businesses to assemble a portion of their high-end chips. 

Related:The World's Most Unusual and Unique Data Centers

Unisem chairman John Chia declined to comment on the company's clients but said: “Due to trade sanctions and supply chain issues, many Chinese chip design houses have come to Malaysia to establish additional sources of supply outside of China to support their business in and out of China.” 

Top Stories of 2023 

Finally, as 2023 draws to a close, Data Center World has been looking back at another eventful year for the data center industry. 

Our expanding list of Top 10 articles takes stock of the myriad challenges and opportunities the industry faces across a wide range of domains: 

Stay tuned for more of these Top 10 articles, along with our 2024 predictions, over the coming week. 

Until then, happy holidays from the Data Center Knowledge team. 

Other Great Reads on DCK This Week 

TSMC Chair Steps Down in Power Shift at Global Chip Linchpin. Mark Liu, who joined TSMC in 1993, will step down as chair of the Taiwanese chipmaking giant next year. 

Safeguarding Your Data Center: Extinguish Fires, Protect Business Assets. Discover the most recent advancements in site-specific fire protection for mission-critical facilities. 

Micron Gives Strong Forecast After Data Center Demand Grows. CEO reports strong demand for hardware used in data centers amid AI boom. 

MIT Experts Call for Expanded AI Governance and Regulation. New policy brief outlines the need for AI regulation in various sectors, emphasizing AI's legal and ethical governance challenges. 

IT Leaders Turning to Distributed Cloud for Efficiency, Security. A pair of new research reports from Akamai highlight the opportunities and the potential challenges for organizations moving to a distributed cloud deployment model. 

Industry Impact: Celebrating IT's Milestones and Achievements This Year. Jeff Stewart, vice president of product at SolarWinds, reflects on some of the tech industry’s biggest achievements in 2023.