II.
Computer Room Environment
A. Temperature
While a personal computer is somewhat insensitive
to its environment, some attention to the environment will prolong the life
and increase the safety of data stored in the machine. A rule of thumb to apply
when considering the physical environment is, “If you are comfortable, the
computer is comfortable.”
B.
Foreign Materials
Establish and enforce firm, consistent policies
regarding the presence of food, drink, smoke, and dust in the computer room.
C.
Radio Frequency Interference (RFI)
All electronic equipment produce radiation and
emanations of varying frequencies. Take care that the computer will operate in
the environment that contains emanations from other electronic devices and that
the computer will not interfere with other electronic devices.
If care is not taken, RFI may be received outside
the computer facility and, by sophisticated means, be used to determine the
nature of the data being processed by the computer.
D.
Power Surges and Brownouts.
Computers are susceptible to sudden surges or drops in
electrical line voltage. Depending on the importance of the data being
processed, efforts should be made to shield the computer from these variations.
Electronic devices ranging from inexpensive surge processors to
uninterruptible power supplies are available to provide the level of protection
required.