How do you stop phones and cameras entering a data hall?

Screening people at the boundary is the practical control, because access control confirms identity but not what someone is carrying. Ferromagnetic concealed item detection finds phones, cameras and recorders whether carried, taped to the body or concealed, and works on devices that are switched off. It is rapidly deployable, needs no archway, and emits nothing, so it can be used on the same staff daily.

Can screening detect drives or hardware being removed?

Yes — and for many data centres this is the more important direction. Detection responds to the magnetic and metallic content in drives and hardware, so exit screening can identify items leaving that policy prohibits. Screening only on entry, when the real risk is data leaving, gives the appearance of control without the substance.

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Data centres · colocation · secure facilities

Screening For Data Centres

Most screening asks what is coming in. In a data centre the harder question is what is going out — and both directions are about devices rather than weapons. It is a screening problem, but not the one most suppliers are set up to talk about.

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What You're Actually Trying To Stop

Data centre security is dominated by access control and CCTV, which handle identity and observation well. What they do not do is tell you what a person is carrying.

Phones and cameras entering the data halls — where customer contracts, certification or client audits prohibit recording devices in the white space.
Drives and hardware leaving — the exfiltration case: small, high-value, easily pocketed, and rarely detected by a badge reader.
Contractor tooling — engineers and installers moving in and out with bags, where a policy exists but nothing enforces it.
Audit evidence — being able to show a client or an auditor that the policy is actually enforced, not just written down.

Concealed item detection system indicating an alarm with zone indicators showing where an item is located — Zone indication turns a search into a question: it shows roughly where the device is.

Our recommendation

What We'd Recommend

Screening people in both directions, quickly enough that it doesn't become the thing everyone works around.

Concealed Item Detection

Finds phones, cameras, recorders and drives carried, taped on or concealed internally — including devices that are switched off. Rapidly deployable, no archway to build.

Concealed item detection →

X-ray With AI Detection

Bags, toolkits and deliveries screened at the door — and AI detection flags USB devices and concealed drives automatically, exactly the small item a tired operator scrolls past. We recommend AI on every X-ray we supply outside aviation.

AI detection →

Garrett Paragon Archways

Where volume justifies a fixed point, networkable archways with zone indication and live checkpoint statistics — so the security manager has numbers to show an auditor rather than an assurance.

Archways →

Just as important

What You Probably Don't Need

You don't need an airport checkpoint at the door of a hall. Data centre populations are small, known and repeatedly screened — that is a very different problem from screening the public, and it rewards speed and dignity over depth. A screening regime staff resent is a regime staff defeat. You also don't need to screen every person every time to get the benefit: a consistent, visible capability applied at the right points changes behaviour, which is most of the value. And be honest with yourself about the direction that matters — if the real risk is data leaving, screening only on entry is theatre.

In practice

How It Runs Day To Day

Both directions

Entry screening for recording devices, exit screening for drives and hardware — with AI flagging USB devices on the X-ray image automatically. The outbound direction is the one most sites are missing.

Fast and repeatable

Passive detection that emits nothing, so it can be applied to the same staff daily without cumulative concern.

Evidenced

Networked systems can report live statistics and alarm counts, which is what turns a policy into something you can show an auditor.

Screening can be permanent at the boundary or deployed to a hall for a project, an audit or a contractor visit — we will specify around your access points and shift pattern.

What Leaves Your Data Centre?

Tell us your policy and where people cross the boundary. We'll tell you what would actually enforce it.

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