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When I toured the Las Vegas Switch data center a month ago, I asked what all the AR-15s were for. The response was that it is required by their all ex-militar

by jftuga 8y ago

When I toured the Las Vegas Switch data center a month ago, I asked what all the AR-15s were for. The response was that it is required by their all ex-military security team as a requirement to host highly classified government servers.

drharby 8y ago
HA! those government requirements
- justinzollars 8y ago
  It reminds me of this desk from silicon valley: https://regmedia.co.uk/2016/05/09/silicon-valley-ep3-table.jpg?x=648&y=398&infer_y=1 https://regmedia.co.uk/2016/05/09/silicon-valley-ep3-table.j...
  - emiliobumachar 8y ago
    Is that from the TV show, or the actual Silicon Valley? I didn't watch the show, could someone explain the reference?
    - dx87 8y ago
      It's from the show. At that point in the show, the main company in the show had packaged their compression technology into a rack mountable device, and part of their service agreement with customers was a requirement for 24 hour support. The guy in the photo with the pony tail is a datacenter employee who is showing the main cast where their support personnel will have to sit. It's basically a waste of time and space to have someone at that desk 24/7, but it is part of the contract that their customers required.
spyspy 8y ago
Reminds me of Raymond Hettinger’s talk where he basically goes, “Government regulations may seem weird but they usually have some sort of disaster behind them.”
- gowld 8y ago
  "Regulations are written in blood."
jonwachob91 8y ago
I'd imagine you mis-understood the statement... I previously used to do "Physical Security Assessments" of Classified environments. An armed guard was never a requirement... The data center should be following physical security requirements listed in AR 380-5 [0] As for the all ex-military bit, that's just b/c veterans are the only people with security clearances and little to no professional skills. The DoD will give an 18 y/o infantryman a security clearance just b/c he asks. Good luck getting one from industry or any other government agency if you haven't demonstrated a 100% need for one in a professional capacity. [0] https://armypubs.army.mil/ProductMaps/PubForm/AR_Details.aspx?ID=0902c851800103a7 https://armypubs.army.mil/ProductMaps/PubForm/AR_Details.asp...
- briandear 8y ago
  > 18 y/o infantryman a security clearance just b/c he asks. Not true at all. Most enlisted infantry don’t have a security clearance. An standard infantry platoon officer typically has only a Secret clearance — only getting Top Secret in special cases and with special units. An 18 year old enlisted Ranger would have a clearance, but some grunt in the 3th Infantry Division almost never has a clearance unless there is a specific mission need. The standard for clearances is based on the need to access classified information. An industry or professional partner working in those areas has a higher risk profile because they are typically accessing or building classified systems — which is a far greater risk than the access afforded to a typical infantry enlisted soldier. clearances for non-military working on DoD projects were, until 2018 handled by OPM which has a significant backlog. So that made OPM clearances much slower. However in 2018, the law was changed to allow DoD to bypass OPM for clearances. As far as ex-military with little or no professional skills, that’s a bit insulting and heavily generalizing. It really depends on their role. If they are physical security, then “professional” skills (as you might define it) aren’t relevant. Their job is physical security. As far as other ex-military with no professional skills, that’s ridiculous. Many ex military have highly developed professional and technical skills. But nobody gets a clearance “because he asks.” An 18 year old kid in the infantry doesn’t get to ask for anything, let alone a clearance. Also, an 18 year old has considerably less background to check than a 35 year old software engineer. I had a clearance from State that took 18 months to process because I had lived in 5 different countries, including countries that weren’t considered “friendly.” But an 18 year old who lived his whole life in the same town — those clearances are issued very quickly. And you should have a 100% need to get a clearance. I am not sure why that would even be worthy of debate.
halbritt 8y ago
Are you sure that wasn't Switch in Las Vegas? They've had armed guards for over a decade. My colleagues would comment positively about this fact, "they even have armed guards" as if that's a good thing. No service that I've ever run has ever required armed guards and certainly don't ever want to have my services colocated with other services that require armed guards.
- messick 8y ago
  Longer than a decade. I saw the AR-15s in 2006-ish. They also made a big deal that they are allowed to seize diesel fuel from all the surrounding gas stations in a real power emergency. I just think it’s more marketing campaign on their part, honestly.
  - halbritt 8y ago
    That was my take as well. I remember the diesel fuel thing, too. Dumb.

by jftuga 8y ago

drharby 8y ago

HA! those government requirements

justinzollars 8y ago
It reminds me of this desk from silicon valley: https://regmedia.co.uk/2016/05/09/silicon-valley-ep3-table.jpg?x=648&y=398&infer_y=1 https://regmedia.co.uk/2016/05/09/silicon-valley-ep3-table.j...
- emiliobumachar 8y ago
  Is that from the TV show, or the actual Silicon Valley? I didn't watch the show, could someone explain the reference?
  - dx87 8y ago
    It's from the show. At that point in the show, the main company in the show had packaged their compression technology into a rack mountable device, and part of their service agreement with customers was a requirement for 24 hour support. The guy in the photo with the pony tail is a datacenter employee who is showing the main cast where their support personnel will have to sit. It's basically a waste of time and space to have someone at that desk 24/7, but it is part of the contract that their customers required.

spyspy 8y ago

Reminds me of Raymond Hettinger’s talk where he basically goes, “Government regulations may seem weird but they usually have some sort of disaster behind them.”

gowld 8y ago
"Regulations are written in blood."

jonwachob91 8y ago

I'd imagine you mis-understood the statement... I previously used to do "Physical Security Assessments" of Classified environments. An armed guard was never a requirement... The data center should be following physical security requirements listed in AR 380-5 [0] As for the all ex-military bit, that's just b/c veterans are the only people with security clearances and little to no professional skills. The DoD will give an 18 y/o infantryman a security clearance just b/c he asks. Good luck getting one from industry or any other government agency if you haven't demonstrated a 100% need for one in a professional capacity. [0] https://armypubs.army.mil/ProductMaps/PubForm/AR_Details.aspx?ID=0902c851800103a7 https://armypubs.army.mil/ProductMaps/PubForm/AR_Details.asp...

briandear 8y ago
> 18 y/o infantryman a security clearance just b/c he asks. Not true at all. Most enlisted infantry don’t have a security clearance. An standard infantry platoon officer typically has only a Secret clearance — only getting Top Secret in special cases and with special units. An 18 year old enlisted Ranger would have a clearance, but some grunt in the 3th Infantry Division almost never has a clearance unless there is a specific mission need. The standard for clearances is based on the need to access classified information. An industry or professional partner working in those areas has a higher risk profile because they are typically accessing or building classified systems — which is a far greater risk than the access afforded to a typical infantry enlisted soldier. clearances for non-military working on DoD projects were, until 2018 handled by OPM which has a significant backlog. So that made OPM clearances much slower. However in 2018, the law was changed to allow DoD to bypass OPM for clearances. As far as ex-military with little or no professional skills, that’s a bit insulting and heavily generalizing. It really depends on their role. If they are physical security, then “professional” skills (as you might define it) aren’t relevant. Their job is physical security. As far as other ex-military with no professional skills, that’s ridiculous. Many ex military have highly developed professional and technical skills. But nobody gets a clearance “because he asks.” An 18 year old kid in the infantry doesn’t get to ask for anything, let alone a clearance. Also, an 18 year old has considerably less background to check than a 35 year old software engineer. I had a clearance from State that took 18 months to process because I had lived in 5 different countries, including countries that weren’t considered “friendly.” But an 18 year old who lived his whole life in the same town — those clearances are issued very quickly. And you should have a 100% need to get a clearance. I am not sure why that would even be worthy of debate.

halbritt 8y ago

Are you sure that wasn't Switch in Las Vegas? They've had armed guards for over a decade. My colleagues would comment positively about this fact, "they even have armed guards" as if that's a good thing. No service that I've ever run has ever required armed guards and certainly don't ever want to have my services colocated with other services that require armed guards.

messick 8y ago
Longer than a decade. I saw the AR-15s in 2006-ish. They also made a big deal that they are allowed to seize diesel fuel from all the surrounding gas stations in a real power emergency. I just think it’s more marketing campaign on their part, honestly.
- halbritt 8y ago
  That was my take as well. I remember the diesel fuel thing, too. Dumb.