Conversations about data security often revolve around the threat posed by hackers keen to exploit software vulnerabilities and pilfer information from servers remotely.

While cybercrime is certainly a danger that data center operators need to be aware of, those in the digital infrastructure space also have to contend with another aspect of security: physical intrusions.

And what better way to protect servers than to put them underground? A growing number of data centers across the globe are being housed in subterranean facilities, taking advantage of the fact that many former military and industrial facilities are being decommissioned and can be acquired relatively cheaply, with power already in situ.

In this supplement, we take a look at the appeal of subterranean data storage. Anthropologist A.R.E. Taylor explores why burying sensitive information is something that has fascinated humans for thousands of years.

Charlotte Trueman visits Lefdal Mine Data Center, which is housing a supercomputer in a former olivine mine under a Norwegian mountain.

Meanwhile, in the UK, a decommissioned nuclear bunker nestled away in the Kent countryside has been repurposed as a data center. Matthew Gooding speaks to the company running the bunker, Cyberfort, about its plans to boost its clients' digital sovereignty.

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