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Business Continuity Data Safeguards
DDS Data Safeguards
DDS employs data safeguards at numerous levels:
- Physical access to the data residing at DDS
- Communications access
- Password access to records
- Physical access to DDS
- Data backup procedures
Communications Access Safeguards
DDS owns and manages a private MPLS network (The DDS WAN), used solely by DDS clients to access our applications. Database access is hosted on an IBM 2094-S08(704) System Z mainframe. DDS also hosts SQL servers for a small number of clients, allowing fast access to their client data.
Access to applications via the DDS WAN are controlled via a number of vehicles:
- In order to gain access to the DDS host, DDS personnel must create a virtual path between the client site and the DDS host site.
- Filtering is done at several levels within the access routers (Cisco) used on the DDS links. Filters are applied at the client site router as well as at the DDS main site router, which restrict data in and out of the specific parties.
- If the client employs the use of a firewall, DDS security personnel will work with the client to set up applicable rules to further govern the flow of traffic.
- DDS maps client LU (CRT logical unit) ranges to specific IP sub-nets, restricting the use of a particular device to that site only.
DDS Physical Security
DDS maintains physical security at the DDS data center by the following means:
- All entrances into DDS are locked, requiring a security card to access.
- The DDS computer room, communications and post-processing area are further restricted via security card access to only those employees that need it.
- DDS employs a security guard to monitor activity in the building, except for Monday-Thursday, midnight to 7:30 am.
- 7:00 pm - 7:00 am weekdays and all day Saturday and Sunday, access to DDS is limited to one entrance.
Data Backup Procedures
DDS employs the following data backup procedures for all client data and DDS programs:
- Daily - All data input (request and recovery files) for the previous day is copied in the morning and stored offsite at Vital Records in New Jersey and is maintained at Vital Records for three weeks, except for a recovery tape which is maintained for one year. We do full file dumps for all accounting records in the morning and those are also stored at Vital Records.
- Weekly - A full file dump of all data is done on Saturday night and is stored offsite at Vital Records. This data is kept for three weeks.
- Monthly - A full file dump is done at the end of the month and is stored offsite at Iron Mountain in New York and is kept for 15 years.
DDS Connectivity Recovery
In the event of a critical failure at our host site, DDS has provisions in place to automatically switch its communications infrastructure to our Sterling Forest Business Continuity (BC) site to communicate with the restored host and server environment. When we completed the conversion to a private MPLS-based network in 2006, it made it possible for every DDS client site to be backed up on our business conitnuity site automatically. No steps need to be taken by DDS clients to connect to this backup site. Communications will automatically re-route all clients at the time of the failure. As soon as the rest of the infrastructure is restored, you will have full access to the site. |  |