Modernizing infrastructure? Don't overlook server security

For many growing businesses, a data center refresh is no longer only about improving performance or adding capacity. As infrastructure ages and cyber threats become more aggressive, security and resilience need to be built into modernization from the start.

Modernization projects are accelerating rapidly, largely due to intense pressure placed on infrastructure thanks to AI. Research from McKinsey, for example, specifically highlights AI as the trigger behind “one of the largest infrastructure build-outs in modern history”.

Data center modernization projects are a huge endeavor for any organization and a highly complicated process. IT leaders are forced to balance an array of considerations here — be that simply the level of investment required or the technical expertise needed to achieve success.

Alongside scalability and performance requirements, security has rapidly emerged as a central consideration when it comes to server modernization. From ransomware attacks to increasingly sophisticated threat actors, organizations face growing pressure to strengthen security across their infrastructure stack. As a result, IT leaders are placing greater emphasis on server platforms that incorporate security and resilience features by design.

Modern server platforms increasingly serve as the foundation of cyber resilience strategies, helping organizations protect critical workloads and data while simplifying security management.

Businesses have sharpened their focus on heightened cyber resilience in recent years. Research from the World Economic Forum (WEF) in January 2026, for example, specifically highlighted cyber resilience as a key focus for organizations globally.

Notably, legacy infrastructure and systems were identified as a key hurdle for organizations on this front. Nearly one-third (31%) of respondents highlighted legacy infrastructure as “one of their greatest challenges to achieving cyber resilience”.

“Where technological innovation outpaces an organization’s capacity to adopt and upgrade its existing infrastructure, additional security controls often become necessary,” the WEF says.

With this in mind, security and cyber resilience should be key considerations when overhauling server infrastructure. Choosing the right server platform can help organizations modernize aging systems, reduce risk, and build a stronger foundation for future growth.

Choosing the right servers

IT leaders have an array of options at their disposal when it comes to data center hardware but choosing the right option is easier said than done. Cost, performance, and efficiency are key factors in decision making processes, which is why selecting trusted vendors is vital.

Dell Technologies, for example, ticks all these boxes with its PowerEdge server series with Intel Xeon 6 processors. These servers are designed specifically for data center operations and cloud environments, capable of handling intensive AI, virtualization, and HPC workloads.

For organizations with lean IT teams, ease of use is critical. PowerEdge servers with Intel Xeon 6 processors are designed to simplify deployment, management, and modernization efforts, reducing operational complexity while helping organizations replace aging infrastructure with confidence.

Dell offers a wide range of PowerEdge servers with Intel Xeon 6 processors tailored specifically for organizations varying in size, and with differing workload requirements.

Performance is a key focus. Thanks to the combination of Intel Xeon processor technology with end-to-end NVMe storage architectures, businesses can capitalize on the performance and efficiency needed to contend with modern workloads.

PowerEdge also offers hardware-accelerated security capabilities, helping to provide a cyber resilient architecture and secure foundation from the get-go. Indeed, in a January 2026 whitepaper, Dell noted that the fundamental process of designing PowerEdge incorporated zero trust principles.

“By anticipating how customers want to use these capabilities while they are setting up their zero trust deployments, we have adapted our approach,” the company noted.

“We made it easier to work with us no matter where customers are on their journey towards zero trust adoption.”

This flexibility and focus on zero trust has become increasingly important in recent years and that trend will continue. Research from Zscaler’s 2026 VPN Risk Report found 81% of organizations plan to implement zero trust strategies within the next 12 months.

Boosting resilience

Cyber resilience extends beyond preventing attacks — it also requires strong visibility, simplified management, and the ability to recover quickly when issues occur. Just as important, modern infrastructure should make security and operations easier to manage for IT teams.

PowerEdge includes a range of tools and features designed to strengthen security and resilience. The Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC), for example, is designed for both local and remote server management processes. This is a vital tool for organizations with distributed IT estates, enabling administrators to deploy, monitor, and update these servers remotely.

“A hardened architecture, modern transport security, and granular role-based access controls help protect your management environment,” the company notes in official materials.

A dedicated credential vault provides users with a secure storage space for credentials, certificates, and mission-critical data. This is encrypted with a silicon-based key that is unique for every server.

Elsewhere, iDRAC also provides certificate-based authentication and configuration lockdown features aimed at supporting security and compliance policies — vital features for organizations working in highly regulated industries such as financial services, energy and utilities, and healthcare.

Modern infrastructure should also make day-to-day operations easier. Tools such as iDRAC help centralize management and automate routine tasks, reducing manual effort and giving IT teams more time to focus on strategic initiatives rather than maintenance and troubleshooting.

Stay secure with Intel Xeon 6 processors

Security is increasingly shifting closer to the hardware layer, helping organizations protect critical data and workloads throughout their lifecycle. This approach is reflected in both Dell PowerEdge servers and Intel Xeon 6 processors, which combine infrastructure-level protections with processor-based security capabilities.

Intel Xeon 6 processors include several key security features, including:

• Intel Software Guard Extensions (Intel SGX)
• Trust Domain Extensions (Intel TDX)
• QuickAssist Technology (Intel QAT)

With SGX, this enables users to essentially partition specific applications into “hardened enclaves”, Intel says. This helps protect select code and mission-critical data from modification or disclosure, according to the company.

TDX, meanwhile, also plays a key role in protecting sensitive data and applications from unauthorized access by enabling hardware-isolated virtual machines (VMs).

“Intel QuickAssist Technology offloads cryptography and compression workloads from the CPU, helping improve performance while protecting data at rest, in transit, and in use,” the company notes.

Together, Dell PowerEdge servers and Intel Xeon 6 processors provide a secure, resilient foundation for infrastructure modernization. By building security into the infrastructure itself, organizations can reduce risk, simplify operations, and scale with greater confidence as business needs evolve.

In placing security and resilience at the core of modernization programs, growing businesses can upgrade and scale with peace of mind while capitalizing on best-in-class performance and efficiency capabilities.