Data Center Physical Security Training VR to Support Procedural Memory Tasks

Abstract

The importance of physical security in a data center cannot be emphasized enough. Poor physical security would not only be out of compliance with government regulations, but also present an incredible risk to the integrity of the machines in question. Physical security means a set of policies, precautions, and practices must be adopted to avoid unauthorized access and manipulation of a data center’s resources. Physical security practices in data centers cover a great number of steps to follow, such as locking up the server room, setting up surveillance, using rack mount servers, and many other security protocols. Existing physical security programs use traditional learning methods such as online classes, books and onsite training. However, these materials have limitations to provide trainees practical and hands-on experiences that are based on procedural tasks.

We developed CiSE-ProS (Cyberinfrastructure Security Education for Professionals and Students) VR, a virtual reality training application that supports students in learning physical security principles through various procedural tasks in a virtual data center environment. Since physical security training consists of various procedural tasks, CiSE-ProS VR could be an effective environment which can support people through embodied scenario-based activities. We investigate how a virtual reality training tool would benefit a trainee in remembering sequential tasks of physical security in a data center in comparison to a training video. The pilot study shows that CiSE-ProS VR enhances trainees’ procedural memory formation of physical security concepts in the data center by allowing them to access the data center facility and dynamically interact with individual items in the data center.