Surge protection mechanisms SHALL be implemented throughout an organization's facilities, including surge-protecting power strips and best practices for connecting hardware to circuits.
Control Type: Physical
Control Function: Preventive
Power Surges are incidents that occur when electrical voltage suddenly spikes past a normal/acceptable level. Most outlets in the US supply 120 volts. A surge will result in the supply's volts periodically increasing past that level. Surges can occur because of a variety of factors, such as lightning strikes and sudden power outages. Surges can seriously damage computer hardware due to the excess voltage being supplied. A power surge could result in an organization’s infrastructure being completely crippled in a split second, derailing availability and potentially resulting in large replacement costs.
Surge Protectors defend electronics from surges by absorbing the excess voltage produced in the event of a surge. Every business should implement reliable power strips with surge protection functionality. They should be present in offices, server rooms, and all other areas where company assets are present. Businesses can consider implementing a building-wide surge protection system, which offers surge protection on a holistic basis. A proper cost-benefit analysis must be performed if a business is considering implementing a whole building system.
In addition to physical surge protectors, businesses can follow a few common-sense practices to lower the risk of surges occurring. These include upgrading old wiring in business facilities, avoiding any device overloads on individual circuits, and having regular inspections performed by a licensed electrician.