For Data Centers, Community Engagement Is A Vital Physical Security Tool

The data center physical security playbook is in the process of being rewritten, said Brandy Byrd Chapman, a data center security expert for Ameristar Perimeter Security.

As the artificial intelligence boom drives rapid data center development, these facilities are becoming political lightning rods in local communities due to concerns about the usage of land, water and, especially, power.

This negative perception is creating a new category of risk, Chapman said. Data center owners and operators must now face the prospect of organized protests that can block entrances, delay construction and interrupt business operations.

“One solution can be to create a designated area where protesters can stand and exercise their rights to free speech without disrupting the flow of business,” Chapman said. “Proactive community engagement is another critical line of defense.”

Being a “good neighbor” and one that is over-communicative aren't just the nice things to do, she said. It’s an important and effective risk-management strategy for physical security.

Chapman will be speaking on a panel devoted to physical security at Bisnow’s National DICE Construction, Design & Development-East event on Feb. 18 in Rockville, Maryland. Click here to learn more and register.

Bisnow caught up with Chapman to get her take on the latest challenges data center developers face when it comes to physical security and how Ameristar Perimeter Security is helping clients navigate these challenges and identify opportunities.

Bisnow: What should data center developers be thinking about in regards to physical security right now?

Chapman: For the layperson, the narrative around AI is pretty scary right now. AI data centers are making negative headlines: that they use too much energy, that it takes too much water to run them, that they’re being built up fast and that they’re taking up a lot of physical space. And now, there is the news that they’ll be using nuclear power, which brings up a whole other negative image set for people.

As local stakeholders near proposed data center construction become more aware, their opposition grows. People are going to town hall meetings trying to block permitting for data centers, and they are also physically picketing data centers.

Most critically, the perception of a lack of communication, on the part of the data center developers, is generating opposition, which, in turn, increases the threat level at a given site.

Peaceful protesters are one thing, but you could also see that escalating to a violent extremist threat.

One way I’ve seen developers address this is by going out into communities, which are typically rural areas, showing up at the town hall meetings and ... communicating regarding what’s happening inside them and what economic benefits a given data center project will bring to the area.

Bisnow: What proactive benefits are data center developers deploying?

Chapman: Some provide payments, in the millions of dollars, to the local power utility to make necessary infrastructure upgrades. I’ve also seen developers donate to local school districts. It’s about being a good neighbor.

Bisnow: Beyond communicating and being a good neighbor, what else can developers do?

Chapman: We recommend planning ahead with the assumption that you will have protesters at a given site. There are good ways to handle protesters and not so good ways, like turning the sprinklers on them.

Instead, you can designate an area on your data center site where protesters can stand. It’s much easier and better to figure it out in the construction planning stage. Otherwise, you’ll wake up one day to a protest blocking the entrance to your data center.

Bisnow: How does Ameristar advise clients on these issues?

Chapman: We educate clients on the many roles the fence, or physical security barrier, plays in the overall security of their project. First of all, a fence is a clear definition of a boundary, marking private property. It’s a visual deterrent that says: Don’t come through here.

Second, it’s a delay. For some people, a fence isn’t going to keep them out forever. They’ll climb over it, cut through it or crash a vehicle through it. But the fence gives the property’s security personnel the critical three to five minutes to arrive at the scene.

Bisnow: What role do drones play in the physical security of data centers?

Chapman: Drones are used on construction sites and live data center sites in myriad ways. Data center property managers use drones mounted with cameras for security monitoring. There are huge sites, and it’s difficult for staff to monitor the site by simply walking the site. A drone can help with that, extending the reach.

Drones are also used by power utilities to check the condition of electrical lines going in and out of the site and by general contractors during the construction phase. And then, there’s the hobbyist flying their personal drone above a data center site without malicious intent.

Like with many other security issues, communication is key. It behooves the data center team to form a relationship with the power company to foster communication about when the utility will be running the drones, for instance. When you know who to contact, it makes things a lot easier. It helps to have formal policies set up in order to quickly determine whether a drone is a threat or not.

Bisnow: What are some other ways data center developers and owners should think ahead when it comes to physical security?

Chapman: Due to the current reality of global supply chains and the issues they face, we recommend thinking proactively about replacement and maintenance parts for physical barriers. We’re in the middle of a data center boom and everyone is rushing to get these built, but any time you choose a specialty item, rather than something standard, it’s going to have a longer lead time when it breaks and needs to be replaced. In our business, that means the site will then be vulnerable for an extended period because of that design decision during the construction phase.

Ideally, we’d have general contractors adding security experts to their teams to get ahead of these kinds of issues. 

Click here to register for Bisnow’s National DICE Construction, Design & Development-East event.

This article was produced in collaboration between Ameristar Perimeter Security and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.