News
ISM to secure Nigerian critical national infrastructure through Genesys2
May 2013 by Marc Jacob
ISM, in conjunction with systems integration partner, Active Intelligence, has been awarded the first phase of a nationwide contract that will help secure key national infrastructure in Nigeria, West Africa. The government project, which will secure a network of Data Centres, will initially be rolled out in capital city Abuja, Minna followed by Lagos.
Keeping data safe and meeting service-level agreements (SLAs) is crucial for any team responsible for implementing and maintaining the security of a data centre. Any breach in security can have disastrous consequences with the threat of such breaches an ever present, ever growing risk. The challenge facing the Nigerian government department was to secure this vital national infrastructure in the most effective way possible.
Partnering with Active Intelligence, (A UK-based IT solutions and intelligence provider with a military background), ISM designed a system to meet the requirements of the Nigerian government agency responsible for securing these critical sites. ISM and Active Intelligence had to overcome the many challenges unique to data centre security and the harsh environment in which the system will operate. For example, poor light conditions, humidity and high temperatures meant that the CCTV specified had to be of a certain type to work effectively for this project. Having no network connections outside the perimeter (to prevent a network incursion) is also a prerequisite for any data centre security system and must be carefully planned within the design.
Pivotal to winning the tender was the specification of Genesys2, ISM’s award-winning and patented integrated security management control room software. Genesys2 can integrate multiple systems across multiple sites using just the single software platform. The following key features of ISM’s Genesys2 software convinced the Nigerian agency they had found a world-class technology partner that would deliver an efficient, robust, reliable and cost effective solution.
High levels of security – Genesys2 can integrate all elements of the system seamlessly including access control, intruder and CCTV. This enhances security because an operator can visually detect and pinpoint breaches in real-time across multiple sites. And with levels of encryption using 256-bit AES means that any attacks on the data being transmitted between different workstations are prevented.
Network redundancy – Genesys2 operates as a standalone platform over LAN or WAN networks for remote and local sites with workstations that can be transferred to any operating security control room on the network. This offers the operator flexibility when closing down sites or buildings in off-peak or out of normal working hours, or in the unlikely event of a system failure. And the migrating server feature means that if any one PC fails, control is migrated to another PC seamlessly with no interruptions, no downtime.
Ease of use – The clear, concise, easy-to-navigate graphics and text acknowledgements along with real-time active icons enable the operator to view the activity of events and actions as and when they happen, making Genesys2 highly intuitive. With graphic plans in high-resolution 2-D or 3-D format, operator training, and ultimate knowledge transfer is straightforward.
Future proof and scalability – A clear upgrade path is available with all ISM’s software. For the Nigerian government agency it will eventually be possible to monitor all sites from one central location. This will significantly reduce operational costs.
