Title: Failure of Supporting Utilities and Structural Collapse
Course: IN 2001 Principle of Information Assurance > Section: Module 9: Chapter Nine

Failure of Supporting Utilities and Structural Collapse
1. Supporting utilities, such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, power and water, have a significant impact on the continued safe operation of a facility.
2. Extreme temperatures and humidity levels, electrical fluctuations and the interruption of water, sewage and garbage services can create conditions that inject vulnerabilities in systems designed to protect information.

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
1. Although traditionally a facilities management responsibility, the operation of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system can have dramatic impact on information and information systems operations and protection.
2. Specifically, there are four areas within the HVAC system that can cause damage to information-carrying systems: temperature, filtration, humidity, and static electricity.
3. Temperature and Filtration
  - Computer systems are electronic and as such are subject to damage from extreme temperature
  - Rapid changes in temperature can produce condensation, which can create short circuits or otherwise damage systems and components
  - The optimal temperature for a computing environment (and people) is between 70 and 74 degrees Fahrenheit
4. Humidity and Static Electricity
  - Humidity is the amount of moisture in the air
  - High humidity levels create condensation problems, and low humidity levels can increase the amount of static electricity in the environment
  - With condensation comes the short-circuiting of electrical equipment and the potential for mold and rot in paper-based information storage
  - Static electricity is caused by a process called triboelectrification, which occurs when two materials are rubbed or touched and electrons are exchanged, and it results in one object becoming more positively charged and the other more negatively charged
  - When a third object with an opposite charge or ground is encountered, electrons flow again and a spark is produced
  - One of the leading causes of damage to sensitive circuitry is electrostatic discharge (ESD)
  - Integrated circuits in a computer use between two and five volts of electricity
  - Voltage levels as low as 200 can cause microchip damage
  - Static electricity is not even noticeable to humans until levels approach 1,500 volts, and you can’t see the little blue spark until it approaches 4,000 volts
  - A person can generate up to 12,000 volts of static current by walking across a carpet
  - Two types of failures can result from ESD damage to chips. Immediate failures, also known as catastrophic failures, occur right away and are usually totally destructive.  Latent failures, also known as delayed failures, can occur weeks or even months after the damage is done
  - It is imperative to maintain the optimal level of humidity, which is between 40% and 60%, in the computing environment
  - Humidity levels below this range create static, and levels above create condensation
5. Ventilation Shafts
  - One last discussion point within the topic of HVAC systems is the security of the ventilation system air ductwork
  - While in residential buildings the ductwork is quite small, in large commercial buildings, it may be large enough for an individual to climb though
  - If the vents are large, the security team can install wire mesh grids at various points to compartmentalize the runs
  - In any case, the ventilation system is one more area within the HVAC that must be evaluated for security
6. Power Management and Conditioning
  - Not only is electrical quantity (voltage level and amperage rating) of concern, but the quality of the power (cleanliness and proper installation) is of importance as well
  - Interference with the normal pattern of the electrical current is referred to as noise in the current
  - Any noise that interferes with the normal 60-Hertz cycle can result in inaccurate time clocks or, even worse, unreliable internal clocks inside the CPU
7. Grounding and Amperage
  - Grounding ensures that the returning flow of current is properly discharged to the ground
  - If the grounding elements of the electrical system are not properly installed, anyone touching a computer or other electrical device could act as a ground source, causing damage to equipment and injury or death to the person
  - Power should also be provided in sufficient amperage to support needed operations.
  - Overloading a circuit not only causes problems with the circuit tripping, but it can also overload the power load on an electrical cable, creating the risk of fire
8. Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
  - In a power outage situation, a UPS is a backup power source for major computer systems.
  - There are four basic configurations of UPS:
    - Standby
    - Ferroresonant standby
    - Line-interactive
    - True online
  - A standby or offline UPS is an offline battery backup that detects the interruption of power to the power equipment
  - A ferroresonant standby UPS is an offline UPS, with the electrical service still providing the primary source of power and the UPS serving as a battery backup.  The ferroresonant transformer reduces power problems
  - The line-interactive UPS is always connected to the output, so it has a much faster response time and incorporates power conditioning and line filtering
  - The true online UPS works in the opposite fashion of a standby UPS since the primary power source is the battery, and the power feed from the utility is constantly recharging this battery.  This model allows constant feed to the system while completely eliminating power problems
9. Emergency Shutoff
  - One important aspect of power management in any environment is the need to stop power immediately should the current represent a risk to human or machine safety
  - Most computer rooms and wiring closets are equipped with an emergency power shutoff.  This shutoff is usually a large red button that is prominently placed to facilitate access and includes an accident-proof cover to prevent unintentional use
  - Electrical power can be influenced by a:
    - Fault: momentary interruption in power
    - Blackout: prolonged interruption in power
    - Sag: momentary drop in power voltage levels
    - Brownout: prolonged drop in power voltage levels
    - Spike: momentary increase in power voltage levels
  - Surge: prolonged increase in power voltage levels

Water Problems
1. Lack of water poses problems to systems, including the functionality of fire suppression systems and the ability of water chillers to provide air-conditioning.
2. On the other hand, a surplus of water or water pressure poses a real threat.
3. It is, therefore, important to integrate water detection systems into the alarm systems that regulate overall facilities operations.

Structural Collapse
1. Unavoidable environmental factors or forces of nature can cause failures of structures that house the organization.
2. Structures are designed and constructed with specific load limits and overloading these design limits, intentionally or unintentionally, inevitably results in structural failure and potentially injury or loss of life.
3. Periodic inspections by qualified civil engineers assist in identifying potentially dangerous structural conditions well before they fail.

Maintenance of Facility Systems
1. Just as with any phase of the security process, the physical security of the facility must be constantly documented, evaluated and tested.
2. Documentation of the facility’s configuration, operation and function is integrated into disaster recovery plans and standing operating procedures.  Testing provides the information necessary to improve the physical security in the facility and identifies weak areas.