[February 3, 2005]

Premise Security Systems: Are Your Company's Assets as Secure as They Should Be?

BY ROBERT MESSINGER
Network Management Columnist

Security systems have made dramatic improvements since the days of the elderly security guard resting by the front door, and even the analog systems prevalent just a few years ago. New security technology includes many new features that provide better surveillance, facilitate scanning and retrieving specific events, and notify administrators automatically.

The security system market has become one of the fastest growing technology areas. This is partially due to many advancements and technology drivers that have developed in the security market. It is also due to increased government demand for improved security.

Recent Security System Developments

The most important advancement in security systems is the introduction of IP technology. IP technology enables a completely new range of features unavailable with previous analog and digital systems. Among these are the ability to view data from anywhere at any time, share images easily, since most systems use a standard .wav file format, and provide email/cell phone alerts when intrusions occur. Add-on features, such as sensors, enables capabilities such as record on motion, which facilitates security management, since images are recorded only when there is movement, giving administrators significantly fewer images to analyze.

Vector's Advice: Security system technology is inexpensive for the value it provides. Companies in many industries are facing competitive and regulatory pressures to implement robust safeguards. Combined with the availability of improved IP technologies, IT managers considering upgrading security systems should seriously think about IP-based security products.

Elements to Consider When Purchasing a Security System

Because there are multiple elements to each type of security system, IT managers have to ask questions about each element as well as how the system works as a whole. Below we have listed the major components of a commercial security system and the qualities to consider for each.

Web servers -- IT managers should know how many cameras a server can support, and at what zoom ratios. A major consideration for the server is the amount of storage purchased. This decision should be a function of the number of cameras used and other features included in the system, such as motion-based recording. Speed and internal RAM or memory are also important factors to keep in mind depending on the number of cameras configured with the system.

Control options -- With higher-end security systems, users can control camera operation or access information from PCs, laptops or even PDAs. There are many different ways to control DVRs and cameras remotely. Two of the popular remote capabilities include using a joystick, or a Web browser using an IP address. The joystick has to be within a limited range of the DVR and can fully control all PTZ cameras if necessary. The future of DVRs revolve around IP. Currently, most systems have this functionality, and can be controlled through software or a Web browser. Through these methods, a user can control the camera's viewing position and zoom in or out with focus capabilities as well.

Cameras -- cameras are available with an enormous variety of features. Options include black, white or color, wired or wireless, pan/tilt, night vision and others. There are a variety of cameras to choose from. Most commercial and residential installations will choose a standard fixed camera or a PTZ camera with remote control capabilities. Some additional cameras that can be used are hidden, where they are disguised as objects, such as clocks or radios. Gyro cameras are another up and coming item in the industry. These offer a 360-degree recording angle, which in certain environments is necessary to track objects or people continuously.

Recorders -- Recorders also include multiple features, such as time lapse, motion activation, simultaneous recording by multiple cameras, multi-screen or spot monitoring, etc. As with web servers, storage capacity is an important feature and should be aligned with how long surveillance period images must be retained.

Multiplexers -- Multiplexers are similar to network routers, cameras attached to them and the multiplexer feeds the recorder. A recorder will basically take the signal and store it locally. Usually multiplexers and recorders are built in together to create DVRs. If more than two weeks storage is necessary, additional recorders can be purchased.

Keycards -- Even the humble keycard comes with a wide variety of options: mag stripe, smart card and other varieties. Smart cards are becoming increasingly prevalent since managers can change authentication information quickly and remotely, adding a higher level of security. Because administration of keycards is becoming very easy and widely available to manage, even smaller businesses are taking advantage of this solution. Many of the systems are also on the network, so remote capability is a huge break for this technology. Key cards are becoming a commodity, like a personal identification card. If lost, they can be disabled immediately.

Questions IT Managers Need to Explore:

1. Which risk factors does the company want to protect against? These can include intrusions from campus perimeters, from the front door or within the building, etc.

2. What specific features does the company need today to meet business security and other industry security needs?

3. What features might the company require in the future?

4. What updates to the company's existing network will be required to provide the necessary functionality?

For More Information

To learn more about networking issues and solutions, please contact Lauren Ruberry of Vector Resources, 310-436-1000, or [email protected].

About the Author

Robert Messinger is a co-founder and principal owner of Vector Resources. He has more than 15 years experience in the telecommunications and networking industries.