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Comment by sithadmin | Hacker News Reader

Not sure if I really buy that the Switch security bot is a serious project, given that over-the-top security theater seems to be one of Switch's main marketing points. Their employees wear military tactical gear; their facility walls and gates are designed like they're meant to house a prison; they have racks of what appear to be real guns and riot gear displayed prominently behind the security folks that check you in. Factor in the Bond-villain architectural aesthetic and it's really just too much to take seriously.

Bizarro security roleplaying aside, Switch is probably the most professional and competent data center operator I've worked with.

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I know half a dozen folks that have worked there who all independently described the security as a joke to impress clients. When I took a tour once they claimed that because of their government contracts they can legally commandeer fuel at gunpoint to run their generators if they need to, which is a cute fantasy.

> commandeer fuel at gunpoint to run their generators if they need to, which is a cute fantasy.

Indeed it is. But sometimes real life has odd moments, and some data can be extraordinarily important:

> The dramatic rescue of title books from doomed abstract businesses proved a greater public good when all official land records were lost [in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871]. John G. Shortall, who forced a passing wagon driver at gunpoint to load his records, would thereafter be remembered for more than the arrangement of legal conveyances.

> Shortall and Hoard, Jones and Sellers and Chase Brothers and Co. - who have saved nearly all of their papers, including the indices to every piece of property in Cook County, and actual abstracts to a large proportion of this property. We have one firm - J.H. Rees and Co. - who has saved copies of all the maps and all the plats ever made of Cook County property.

> In April 1872, the Burnt Records Act was passed by the Illinois Legislature, and the existing abstract records of the three companies were made admissible as evidence in all courts of record.

https://www.ctic.com/history2.aspx

They can, then they will be charged with an armed robbery afterwards

Or possibly shot for attempted armed robbery.

> Not sure if I really buy that the Switch security bot is a serious project

It isn't. Switch is famous in the telecom/datacenter industry for weird security theatre. Notably they started having conspiciously armed-with-AR15 guards at their Las Vegas area facility 15+ years ago. Compare them to any major carrier hotel/critical IX point in the USA, they stand out as weird. And they're not even as critical as they claim to be.

I can't share the details but the real, hidden, non-theater security behind some of the US's major traffic exchange points very much exists but is not on public display for touring the rube customers.

> Factor in the Bond-villain architectural aesthetic and it's really just too much to take seriously.

-- Sith admin

Presumably the Fed/State government people who hand out the DC contracts like the security cosplay. :)

Doesn't explain the high level of competence, though.

The fact that private sector can pay much better than the government can seems to explain it neatly. Concepts like honor and service to your country doesn't pay the bills as nicely as selling AMZN.

I would argue that that's half the problem. The other would be the incentives that govt workers have to excel. Where I am (not the US) , the government jobs have a reputation for cushy roles, where your progression is basically guaranteed.

This may have been true two decades ago. Now AMZN’s biggest customer is the government

When I worked at Oracle our DC had similar, but less stylish armed guards. It was because we had equipment for Federal Government contracts. Another smaller (former Siebel!) DC with no government stuff I visited basically had zero security in comparison.

So it might be a requirement?

it is.

"Prior to FedRAMP, the Security Control Assessor (SCA) had to visit the data center to check the “gates, guards and guns” every single time, even if that specific assessor had previously visited that data center. That is no longer necessary. The FedRAMP ATO takes care of all of that"

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/security-control-spotlight-in...

Isn't security theater exactly the thing that's needed to deter threats? When you see guards that look like Navy Seals, it is a pretty strong deterrant.

Regular datacenters don't seem to be having major problems with technicals full of insurgents stealing hard disks, but maybe I'm just out of the loop.

No? A cursory reconnaissance (e.g. "I'm a potential customer and I'd like a tour") will usually show that sort of theatre for what it is.

Is physical attack a common method to breach a datacenter? Sure you need some physical security and auditing but I would imagine the main threat is online.

Depends on your threat model.

(Ie any serious attacker will look past the theatre.)

Deterrent of what? Did someone ever hold a datacenter hostage?

[deleted]

I think you're confused, the poster you're replying to is talking about a company named Switch that makes robots for monitoring/patrolling/securing data centers.

Nothing to do with packet switched networks

You are absolutely correct. I removed the post.

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