Data cabinets – Why a data safe is essential for your business

Posted on by Safeguard Safes
23 Jan

Data cabinets – Why a data safe is essential for your business

Apart from the fact that IT equipment is very expensive, it’s important to safeguard your servers, routers, laptops and other associated devices, as well as the sensitive personal information you may have stored on these equipment.

So in this blog we explain: 

  • What is a data media safe? 
  • What items can be safely stored in it? 
  • Why is a data cabinet an essential investment for your business or home?
  • What is the average cost?
  • What are the leading and trusted data safe brands in Australia?
  • What is the difference between a data cabinet and a server rack or server cabinet?

Data safes or data cabinets are specially designed to store and protect sensitive items such as digital media, photos, film, data media, magnetic tapes and paper documents. A high quality data cabinet will be certified and be fire tested and approved. They can vary in their security features. 

For example, they have options in locking, which can be electronic digital, fingerprint scan, combination dial and even standard key locking. 

They may also differ in their time allowance as a fire tested approved safe being from 30 minutes upto 120 minutes. This is usually specified on the safe’s Certification Label. 

Data safes come in many different sizes, for example,  small compact data safes, wide data cabinets or tall narrow data cabinets. So there is a data safe size to fit any home or business environment.

How much does a data safe cost? What’s the average price?

Depending on the quality and the size of the data cabinet, for example, a small cheap data safe may set you back only a few hundred dollars and this may be adequate to store your required data related items. However, for a small high quality data cabinet with security features such as electronic digital locking, solid secure locking bolt work and a fire protection certification label may cost approximately $1000. 

The certification plate provides you with a guarantee that the data safe has been tested and manufactured in an environment that has been checked by the certification body.

So always buy an accredited data cabinet. If you require a medium size high security data cabinet with an extended fire rated time to protect your computer media against fire for 2 hours or more, it may cost around $2000. However, if a large capacity data safe cabinet is required that provides combined fire and burglary protection for data media in your office or home, you can spend anywhere from $3000 upwards.

Some of the most trusted brands in data safe and data cabinets are:

Why is it essential for your business to invest in a data cabinet safe?
The impact to your business would be great if all your data was destroyed in a fire.
Is your computer data properly stored and protected in a certified approved data safe, to help them survive a fire on your premises?
Computer data may also be affected by fire, humidity, heat and water.

Computer media may be easily damaged in low level heat or humidity and a small fire can quickly escalate into furious inferno in a very short time. So make sure all your computer disks, tapes, magnetic data get proper protection and are securely stored in certified fire resistant data cabinet. Also remember, even a small fire that is rapidly extinguished by a sprinkler system can cause extensive water damage to your data if it is not protected.

Whilst a server cabinet or server rack is sometimes called a data safe this is not the case. Server racks are a specifically designed unit to hold and organize IT equipment such as routers, switches, hubs and of course servers, as well as holding multiple pieces of IT equipment in one area, a high quality server rack is made of strong metal and will usually come with locks on the doors to prevent unauthorized access. 

To speak to a safe and vault expert for free advice, call 1300 764 971 or email sales@safeguardgroup.com.au or visit our contact page and click into your state.

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