Behind the scenes of global game hosting and security

We take responsibility for protecting the data of our customers and the millions of players on i3D.net’s network. How do we safeguard all this data? Michiel van der Donck, former Security Officer at Smartdc, explains how Smartdc deals with information security for game hosting and what his role entails. 

What is the role of a Security Officer? 

Michiel van der Donck: My main objective as a Security Officer is to safeguard the assets of our customers. I focus on the so-called CIA triad, which forms the basis for information security. CIA stands for Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability. It is my responsibility to constantly manage data security within Smartdc and i3D.net to make sure we keep our standards high. I put effort into safeguarding the Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability of our client’s data. 

What can you tell me about the data protection of customers? 

MvdD: Nothing. 

Nothing? 

MvdD: That’s right, I can’t say anything! Both i3D.net and Smartdc are actively involved in monitoring and protecting the data of customers. Since i3D.net privately owns the network, they have complete control over all the data that goes through the network and our servers. But Smartdc and i3D.net never look at the data of the customers. The main focus is to protect all the data on the network and make sure the data is protected, handled with care, and always available for the customers.  

We have all different kinds of customers in the data center, so we are responsible for protecting a wide variety of different content, ranging from triple-A videogames to the vacation photos an employee has on his company laptop. 

How can we guarantee our customers that their data is safe within Smartdc? 

MvdD: We have to assure all our customers that we protect their data. To ensure we can safeguard the data on our servers, we take a variety of security measures. These are the three significant elements we keep in mind: 

First, we have the technical security aspect, including the physical protection of our data centers. Through our physical security design, we ensure that we only limit authorized access to the colocation space. We have applied several security layers, including organizational and electronic security measures, like automated security systems, entrance security, and camera security. 

Then there is the organizational aspect, focusing on protecting data and enforcing it within the organization. Security of the stored and processed information within Smartdc has a priority within its overall operational management. We are ISO 27001 and NEN 7510 certified to ensure this. 

And the third aspect; employees. They have to be aware of the protocols and how to deal with data protection. 

What is ISO 27001? 

MvdD: ISO 27001 is the international standard for setting up Information Security Management Systems (ISMS), published by the independent non-governmental Organization for Standardization (ISO). Being ISO 27001 certified means that the processes, policies, and procedures regarding information security are managed and implemented according to the highest standards. All measures to assure safe and trustworthy storage and data processing made it possible for both of our locations to be ISO 27001 and NEN 7510 certified. 

It’s essential for us to inform our customers about the security of data processing. Being ISO 27001 certified means that policies and procedures implemented at i3D.net regarding information security processes are managed on the highest level.