Data Centers as Critical Infrastructure and Strategic Targets
Jadon Teh
Data centers are becoming our new neighbors and, seemingly, our new modern reality,
and we need to find a way to coexist with them. The purpose of the majority of data centers falls into three categories: to store, process, and distribute data. Virginia is the leading state when it comes to data centers, with upwards of 300 across the region. It serves as the backbone that upholds 70% of the world’s internet traffic, because AOL set up its network in Ashburn in 1997 as the network’s traffic hub. Virginia also holds an estimated 13% of global operational capacity with its data centers. This poses a question: when will it ever get to a point, and do we really need this many data centers? With our technological trajectory expanding by the minute, the contribution of building them is necessary to uphold that. Power demand in Virginia is expected to grow by about 85% over the next 15 years. “By 2035 the industry in Virginia will require 11,000 megawatts – or nearly quadruple what it needed in 2022.” Although we haven’t seen any physical or military attacks on data centers within the United States, it should rise as a concern,
given how critical the information they hold is and their proximity to D.C.
To understand how data centers are protected and regulated, government governance
must be viewed through a dual framework that separates virtual infrastructure from the physical infrastructure. Two primary government agencies support data centers and protect their overall well-being. The first is CISA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which was founded on November 16, 2018. Its purpose is to oversee virtual infrastructure, including networks, software, and clouds. The second is the Department of Energy, which was founded on August 4, 1977. It handles and regulates energy, grid infrastructure, and emergency safety protocols. Moving on to virtual and physical security. Virtual security firms include Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, and CrowdStrike, which handle network defense, firewalls, and threat detection. For physical security, companies such as Allied Universal, Securitas, and Convergint Technologies ensure facilities have guards, biometric patrols, integrated camera sensors with 360-degree CCTV, and anti-climb fences so the facility stays physically protected. Together, these two frameworks help govern massive power demands and keep facilities operational. Each balances the other to prevent physical tampering and network tampering.
As mentioned above, there has not been a reported data center attack in the United States. But the recent drone strikes targeting Yandex, which is often called Russia’s equivalent to Google, mark a critical turning point in modern warfare, given the sheer number of data centers that now exist. The attacks began on October 8, 2026, and targeted Yandex, Russia’s leading AI and tech company. Ukrainian forces carried out the data center strike, which was reported in Sasovo. No casualties have been reported at the moment. It also shows the importance of what these strikes do. The first is that it affects the country’s ability to process real-time intelligence. The second is that it creates disruptions in network activity. The third is that it adds long-term operational downtime compared to a temporary outage. Ultimately, as modern conflict shifts, American data center security needs to shift as well to accommodate it. To keep U.S. data centers safe, national security policy must bridge the gap between private perimeter defense and federal air defense.
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