A secure electronic equipment rack allows electronic equipment to be hung vertically to save space for deep components. This is done by providing a vertical rack apparatus with horizontal side panels on which components are mounted vertically. The side panels of the rack are shorter than the depth of the components to be mounted on, to, or within the panels, thus allowing space to be saved. The rack can be expanded based on user's equipment growth. The apparatus can be mounted on a wall or on a standard EIA relay rack. The apparatus has cable management for equipment that fits into wire channels and allows having a patch panel mounted without taking up a "U" space in the apparatus itself. The apparatus can include a built-in level for ease of mounting, and an integrated earth grounding stud. A secure version can include tamper resistance by adding baffling of ventilation areas, for example in both top and bottom vent patterns, and can be designed to be assembled in an overlapping fashion which allows no exposed hardware with the last piece to be assembled being the first to be removed in sequence.