NYT Revisits 2007 Verizon Data Center Heist

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- Nathaniel Rich of The New York Times published a feature looking back at the 2007 heist of a Verizon data center in London, framing it as a case study in the enduring importance of physical data security.
- Terry Ellis's fixer is described in the piece as wearing an overcoat, multicolored ascot, and Rolex, and having a husky voice — details the article uses to illustrate the human, physical dimension of the intrusion as cyber defenses grow more sophisticated.
Why it matters: The piece reframes data security as a physical-asset problem, not just a digital one, suggesting that even advanced cyber defenses can be bypassed by someone walking through the door — a cautionary lens for enterprises that have invested heavily in software controls but may underweight on-site access controls.




