April 1, 2008, Dallas, TX – As part of its continuing program of investing to provide customers with the best technology platform, SoftLayer has initiated a SAS 70 review, including the assessment of all processes and systems necessary to complete an accompanying Type II report.
A SAS 70 review is an in-depth survey of a service organization’s control objectives and control activities to determine the organizations’ effectiveness in meeting those control objectives. It is an important step for any service organization supporting outsourced, mission-critical, and information technology services. SAS 70 data centers have to maintain prescribed levels of data security and redundancy, as well as personnel controls. These requirements include a full assessment of the following elements:
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Firewall configuration and access |
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Database access |
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Data transmissions |
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Data backup and recovery |
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Application security |
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Product development |
In addition, data center staff cannot access servers or data without a specific procedure. All systems access and activity must be logged, and all physical access is highly controlled.
SoftLayer’s review will be conducted by an independent auditing agency and include extensive testing performed over a six-month period. It will involve all existing and planned SoftLayer data center facilities in Dallas, Seattle, and Washington, DC. The company anticipates that the Type II report will be delivered by year-end.
A completed SAS 70 report will allow SoftLayer to provide its customers with concrete assurance— as well as standardized auditing reports—that its controls are efficient and reliable based upon industry-recognized standards, alleviating the need for additional assessments.
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