Cyber security is no longer just an IT issue — it’s a business-critical concern. Data breaches can cost millions, damage reputations, and disrupt operations. As more data is generated and stored than ever before, data centres have become prime targets. From ransomware to firmware-level attacks, the risks are growing in scale and sophistication.
For any organisation managing sensitive information, securing your storage infrastructure is just as important as securing your network. Yet too often, the focus is placed on perimeter defences, while the underlying storage hardware remains vulnerable.
Why Data Centres Are High Value Targets
Data centres sit at the heart of digital operations. They hold intellectual property, customer information, health records, financial data, research archives, and critical operational systems. If a threat actor can compromise the servers or storage systems inside a data centre, they can access vast volumes of high-value data.
And unlike a single laptop or endpoint, one successful breach in a data centre can expose petabytes of data.
There are several reasons attackers are increasingly targeting data centres:
- Concentration of data — large amounts of information stored in a single location
- Always-on access — systems are constantly available and often exposed to the internet
- Multi-tenant environments — shared infrastructure across customers, increasing attack surface
- Remote management — opening pathways through which firmware or remote access attacks can be launched
The Rising Cost of a Breach
The cost of a data breach continues to climb. According to IBM’s 2024 Data Breach Report, the average cost of a breach globally is NZ$7.5 million. For highly regulated sectors like healthcare and finance, the cost is even higher.
Beyond financial damage, breaches lead to loss of customer trust, downtime, and regulatory action. In some cases, businesses never fully recover.
Common Threats to Storage Infrastructure
Storage systems are increasingly under attack because they are often overlooked as a security priority. Key risks include:
1. Physical Theft or Access
If storage drives are stolen or removed from a rack, the data on them is often fully accessible unless encryption is in place.
2. Firmware Attacks
Attackers are developing tools that compromise firmware — the low-level code that runs on storage controllers or server motherboards. These attacks are hard to detect and can give full access to the system.
3. Boot-Level Attacks
Malware embedded in the boot process can run before the operating system loads, making it difficult to remove and easy to conceal.
4. Insider Threats
Not all risks come from outside. Admins or contractors with too much access and too few controls can introduce risks, either intentionally or by accident.
5. Remote Exploits and Misconfiguration
Many data centre systems are managed remotely. If access controls are weak or configurations are wrong, attackers can gain control through software vulnerabilities.
The Need for Hardware Level Security
Modern cyber security needs to start from the hardware level. If attackers can bypass software-based controls by compromising the firmware, the entire security model collapses.
That’s why the best defence includes hardware-backed security features like:
- Trusted Platform Modules (TPM) — for securely storing cryptographic keys and checking the system’s integrity at startup
- Secure Boot — ensuring only signed, trusted code is loaded when a system powers up
- Firmware Encryption and Verification — protecting the system’s firmware against tampering
- Disk Encryption — making sure data at rest is unreadable if drives are stolen or removed
These controls don’t just prevent attacks — they also help organisations meet compliance standards and build trust with customers and stakeholders.
How Novodisq Embeds Security from the Ground Up
At Novodisq, we understand that data storage isn’t just about performance or capacity. It’s also about trust.
That’s why we’ve built security into the core design of every Novodisq product. Whether you’re deploying into a private data centre, edge location, or shared facility, our systems help protect your data from physical, firmware, and software-level threats.
Novodisq systems include:
- TPM 2.0 modules for secure hardware-based cryptographic key storage
- Secure Boot, ensuring the system starts in a trusted, unmodified state
- Firmware encryption and verification to protect the foundational code
- Optional full disk encryption, securing data at rest in case of theft or unauthorised access
We take a layered approach, combining solid-state storage technology with these security features to reduce attack surfaces and strengthen resilience.
And because our systems are compact and energy-efficient — packing up to 11.5 petabytes into a 2U unit — there’s less hardware to manage, less physical access to control, and fewer potential points of failure.
Storage You Can Rely On
Every organisation is now in the business of data. Whether you’re storing customer records, health data, video archives, or AI training models, the need for secure, scalable storage is only growing.
Cyber threats aren’t going away. But with the right hardware in place, you can reduce your risk and gain peace of mind knowing your systems are protected from the ground up.
If you’re reviewing your storage infrastructure or planning a data centre refresh, Novodisq offers more than just capacity. We offer a secure foundation for your most valuable digital assets.
