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Security Issues
Question - How can we be sure that the files are secure while being stored at TheFilingRoom.Com?
We have recently moved our file storage system to a new Quest Cybercenter. It is one of the most state of the art data centers in existence.
Here are some key features this center offers:
• Access to the center is limited to only authorized personnel. To enter the center, a key card is required, a pin id and a hand scan is done. The hand scanner reads the finger prints, palm prints, the vein mapping and checks for a pulse. Someone has watched way too many James Bond movies!
Only two of our staff members have access to the center and only two of our staff members have any access to the files stored at the center.
• Power coming into the building is cleaned before it comes into the center. In case of a power failure, battery backups immediately come on and can keep the entire center running for about ½ hour. After that, there are seven (7) diesel generators that come online one at a time to provide continuous power. Each generator is sitting on 3,000 gallons of fuel. If the entire state went dark (lost power), the hospitals would come up first and then the Cybercenter in order of priority.
• There are no signs on the building itself and if the physical address was entered in Mapquest, it would not give the correct location. From the outside of the building, it looks like a normal office complex. The glass windows can withstand the entire cartridge of a 357 magnum fired at point blank range. The funny thing is that the windows are only for looks. Behind the windows, there are floor to ceiling walls reinforced with ¼ inch steel mesh.
• The Cybercenter is sitting on two main Quest fiber optic drops rated at OC 192 coming into the center (10 gigs a sec).
• On the main floor of the center, if even a match is lit, within seconds alarms go off.
There is a lot more but this should give you some idea of the security employed by the Cybercenter. There was no expense spared in making this center protected, secure and online.
Here are the particulars of our system:
Our system operates on Dual XEON PIII 1.0 Ghz Intel processers, 1.0 GB EDAC memory, 2 mirrored disks for O/S and programs so that there is system partition fault tolerance, data disk drives are RAID5 disk array (hot swappable) so that there is data fault tolerance (drives are mirrored – if a drive goes down the system keeps running and a new drive can be installed without the system going down) and Win2K server version O/S.
We have two technicians that are on-call 24-7.
Besides what the Cybercenter already employs, our backup system runs nightly and holds seven tapes. Each night the tape rotates to the next in line and does not require an operator to change the tape. Once a week a tape is pulled and stored off site.
All of this sits behind a firewall that scans all incoming files for viruses and will quarantine any file coming in or going out that contains a virus.
In the event a hacker got past the firewall, there are additional security measures we have employed that keep them out of the program and data servers. It looks like for lack of better words, a “blind alley” and they would lose interest and move on.
In order to address the issue of software security, TheFilingRoom.Com implements various forms of safe guards against "script hackers". Without going into detail, the first is the way that TFR handles the physical file storage. Second, the files themselves are also uniquely handled within this storage space, making it even more difficult for an invader to target specific information.
All information transmitted to and from the site is encrypted using secure 128 bit file encryption.
With all this, how can you afford to offer your service for only $4.99?
How do I know you will not go out of business?
Our business model is such that we have very little overhead with the exception of the equipment that our system operates on and we own the equipment. This is where we invested our dollars, not in corporate infrastructure. In forming our business, we added partners that had all of the necessary resources to make this possible without borrowing money or brining in venture capital. Our business model was not to build an empire, but to build a self sufficient system that provided state of the art and affordable storage solutions. We built this system from the ground with our own funds and resources.
Since we own all our own equipment, our programming is done internally and we have no debt and very little operating overhead – it is a very sound business model. In fact, if we had no customers at all we could and would continue to operate the site.
One of the founders of the company, uses TheFilingRoom.Com extensively in his consulting business and would continue to operate the site for that reason alone. In fact, that need is what drove the development of the site to begin with.
Again, our concept is to offer efficient, easy to use and affordable storage solutions. We are not undertaking any concepts that will change that model. If we are not able to offer a solution or enhancement that fits that guideline we will not do it until we find a way to keep it within the constraints of our concept.
That in no way implies that we are remaining stagnant and are not looking to provide new features. We have lots of enhancements planned but we are taking our time in bringing them along to make sure that we keep it simple and affordable. Our plan is to bring these enhancements online over time and have the competition shaking their heads, wondering how we can do it for the price we are offering.
It's interesting, this question is the number one question we get, and we like that!
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