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Q: Is it necessary for my door to unlock when people walk by it?
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Q: I have a hard time seeing people on my security monitor when it is bright outside. How can I fix that?
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Q: Is there a way I can get notified immediately when someone is in an unauthorized area?
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Q: Do you have a good way to find out who has visited our site, and where they are?
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QUESTION: I own four convenience stores in a mid-sized city, and I currently have cameras monitoring front and back doors and the register at each location. Even so, I've had five robberies in the past six months. By the time police arrive and we run the video for the officers to review, the robbers are long gone. Would a network allow me to share video with the police department more quickly? I'm tired of my stores being seen as an easy mark.
ANSWER: A video transmission system can be installed and set up to report to a central station monitoring company. This allows operators to remotely view your video cameras upon an alarm being activated. Video verification of alarms can improve police response time, since it has been verified that the alarm is not a false or nuisance alarm. The monitoring company also can assist in identification of intruders when reporting the alarm. There are a number of municipalities where verification of alarms is required before reporting them to the police.
There also are systems that incorporate features like remote control and intercom systems. These features can assist the central station operator to further identify and challenge an intruder to hopefully prevent any damages or losses before they happen.
QUESTION: We have installed cameras to monitor our front and rear entrances and our employee parking lot. Our company is located a short distance from a high school. Some of the students think it is fun to mess with the parking lot camera. After they spray painted the lens, we put it into an enclosure, which also has been spray painted several times. We mounted the camera higher—12 feet—but they still get to it. We thought about fencing, but it would require the loss of one or two needed parking spaces. What else can we do?
ANSWER: There are a lot of unknowns in this scenario that may ultimately influence the solution. However, if we are assuming a standard analog video system with a DVR, the simplest and most economical answer would be to add an additional camera at each location that would cross-shoot with the existing camera. This way, the two cameras can view the entrances and parking lot while “seeing” each other, providing valuable coverage against vandalism. It's possible the vandalism could happen again, but you're more likely to get images of the vandals. If you move the cameras up, even higher than you have already done, you may end up creating images that are unusable for the intended purpose because you would be looking down on someone's head verses a good profile shot. Of course, this scenario also assumes that you have spare capacity on your existing DVR. A qualified security integrator should be able to assess a better mounting option and calculate the lens required given the desired focal point and the distance to the mounting location.
QUESTION: I am overseeing the planning of a security system for our company’s new facility. It is a large office building that will have 20 to 24 cameras inside, along the perimeter and in the parking lot. We have a corporate network, so what would be a better choice for us as a recording device—a DVR or a network server?
ANSWER: There are some advantages and disadvantages to both solutions. The advantage to a network recorder is that you can take advantage of the investment made in the corporate network. Cameras can be added to the system using the network infrastructure. The storage of the video also can be managed using a server provided by your company. The disadvantage is that the video can use a lot of bandwidth and, if not configured properly, can slow down other applications. The other requirement is that the video storage server will need to be managed by someone internally. There is a lot of effort being put into the development of network video, and many enhancements and new offerings are still being developed. But network video is a viable solution and does work in the right environment.
Digital video recording is still a great solution. Most DVRs allow a combination of network and analog cameras. The big advantage is that the DVR can be installed and configured to work without much management. The DVR manages the storage of the video and allows the video to be accessed across the network from remote locations, similar to an NVR. DVR technology is a proven technology and can be used in most environments. One disadvantage is that DVRs are sized for a fixed number of cameras and adding additional cameras can be expensive.
QUESTION: I am a security director for a retailer with stores across several northern states. We operate a large warehouse in where the winters can be extremely cold and windy. The outdoor camera housings we use have had problems. If the heater stops working, we have to replace the entire housing. Also, the housings don't seem to be entirely airtight. Is there any advice you can give on a type of fixed and dome camera housing that might work best in our climate?
ANSWER: Most CCTV manufacturers design exterior enclosures to withstand varying environments. Temperature, humidity, precipitation and sunlight are considerations that all CCTV manufacturers factor when designing camera enclosures and domes. Factory- and field-installed accessories typically include blower, heater, window defroster, sun shroud and thermal insulation.
Wind chill and ice storms are the two most difficult factors that impact your CCTV enclosures. Wind chills that exceed -60 degrees Fahrenheit can play havoc with your PTZ camera. The mechanical components of PTZ are not designed for these conditions. You must ensure when purchasing PTZ cameras for extremely cold environments that your units are insulated and contain heat strips with maximum wattage output.
Most pan/tilts have stepper motors that generate heat. This is a great by-product to help keep the unit warm. It also dictates the constant running of a blower motor to help circulate air during the summer months. This helps preserve the life of your unit's circuitry when things heat up. The constant movement of air helps keep the enclosure or dome's plexiglas defogged.
Don't hesitate to ask your security systems integrator to ensure that he or she has properly sealed your dome after opening the unit for a preventative maintenance check. Room temperature vulcanizing is a silicone that works great when resealing your dome. Technical support recommends that you apply RTV not only to the dome seal, but also to the last two to three threads of the mounting bracket as it mates to the dome.
QUESTION: Three years ago, my husband and I purchased a 30-room boutique hotel. About six months ago, we started having problems with theft and vandalism— both inside and outside. Can you provide an idea of what security measures we might take in order to bring these problems under control? We don’t have a lot of money, but we also cannot continue to suffer the losses.
ANSWER: A site survey and risk analysis should be conducted to determine elements such as crime levels and trends, as well as lighting levels during the day and at night. Area location also must be taken into account— certain weather conditions can have a corrosive effect on all exterior equipment affecting product life and function.
In general, the security plan should provide perimeter protection and video surveillance. Perimeter protection can be provided by a card access system that gives authorized entry to both individual rooms and hotel entrances; this system should send alarm signals to a remote monitoring station though the use of an alarm panel. Video surveillance should cover parking areas, building entries, lobbies and other common areas. IP and megapixel cameras should be considered to provide the necessary flexibility and video quality. Video analytics can provide real-time alerts to appropriate staff when suspicious activity occurs in the camera’s field of view; some of these activities are loitering, unattended objects, tailgating and removed objects. While the cost of a security system is a consideration, it is important to keep in mind that the impact of crime and vandalism can cost much more.
QUESTION: I oversee security for a professional services firm. We have our headquarters in a downtown high-rise that includes an access control system. About two years ago, the firm leased a smaller office to be near a major client base. There was no access system, so one was installed to match what we have in our headquarters. The two systems communicate over the corporate network. Recently, we have added another outlying office that had an existing access system from a different manufacturer. Can we add this system to our network, or will we need to replace it with one to match our other systems?
ANSWER: Most access control systems operate in a similar way from a user standpoint using the Windows® operating platform that features drop-down menus, cardholder picture input and interfacing with select DVR units. They also tie into industry-standard locking hardware, card readers, door contacts, motion detectors and turnstiles, to name a few of the devices that are common to access control. In most cases, the cable requirements are the same from the panel to the field devices, and can be reused.
However, this is where the similarity ends. Each manufacturer has its own proprietary software and access control panel hardware that work together and form the core of a manufacturer's system. In your case, the control panel would need to be changed to match the system that is installed in your corporate facility and provide an IP address to plug the panel into.
After this is accomplished, the cables should be able to transfer directly to the new landing points on the panel and the system should work just as the other offsite location currently does.
QUESTION: I work with a small, but growing company. Our employees wear badges and we have access readers on all entrances. During an average day, we have 10 or more vendors moving about our offices. Currently, we have them sign in and fill out an adhesive name label, but we would like to have a better and more accurate record of who comes and goes. Do you have any suggestions?
ANSWER: Paper guest books have been around for a very long time. They are easy to use and very inexpensive. Unfortunately, most companies find the data collected is usually incomplete, often difficult to read and impossible to analyze. And perhaps more importantly, confidential information about who has recently visited your facility is out in the open and readily available to anyone who wants to flip through the book’s pages.
We have seen a recent trend at many organizations of all shapes and sizes to replace outdated paper logs and adhesive name labels with electronic visitor management systems.
These systems can improve security and help enforce a company’s visitor policies and procedures. Visit times can be limited, and visitors can be associated with the company’s host employee. Log books are eliminated and visitor privacy is maintained.
A scanner is used to provide positive identification for visitors, capturing information from a business card, driver’s license, passport or other official credential. An inexpensive USB camera can photograph and capture the visitor’s picture. Printed, professional-looking badges with pertinent visitor information, including visit expiration time and date, and clearance levels are printed.
The visitor management system software provides an audit trail and a utility can generate a variety of reports from the captured information. Watch lists can be generated to prevent visits from undesirable individuals.
QUESTION: We have a number of small buildings surrounding our main warehouse. All of them are located within 50 yards of the main facility. Although our most expensive materials are kept in the warehouse, these smaller buildings also house valuable equipment. We would like to extend our access control system to include those five buildings. Are there wireless systems that can work for us? We are located in the upper Midwest, where the winters can be brutal.
ANSWER: Based on your question, I assume that you currently have no connectivity between these buildings. There are several options to extend your access control system. If you simply wish to allow a single card to work in all buildings and maintain an audit trail of who accessed each area, a dial-up connection may be the most cost-effective. Access control systems can typically push badge updates and retrieve transaction history data on a regular basis via standard PSTN lines. This is a low-cost solution that works well in many circumstances.
Although more expensive, wireless options may provide a better solution for this application. A wireless network could be deployed to connect the buildings through a WiFi network. The access control system could then connect panels via TCP/IP, thus having a constant connection for real-time updates and system integrity. Another big advantage to this solution is that it allows you to use the new WiFi network for other security and business applications.
Regarding the effects of harsh weather in the Midwest, many card readers are now manufactured to withstand extremely harsh climates. These card readers are sealed to prevent water and moisture damage and have operating temperatures of -30°F to 150°F.
QUESTION: I am an office manager for a small, six-person professional services firm. Our files are full of highly sensitive client data that we must adequately protect. We have only two doors into the office, so a full-blown card access system seems a little over the top. Is there some type of door lock that would give us the benefits of a deadbolt with some of the advantages of an access control system? Price is a consideration, but protection of our client's data is most important to us.
ANSWER: The first investment for a small firm with sensitive client documents is often a fire-safe file cabinet to provide protection from fire loss. Ancillary locking devices can provide added protection against forced entry.
Several major lock manufacturers have locking systems that combine traditional locks with access control system capability for securing the two office doors. This hybrid product consists of digital keys and cylinders and offers many of the features of an access control system, such as scheduling, audit trails and the ability to easily add and delete user keys. These products install without any wiring, door or frame modifications or additional hardware. Most doors can be upgraded in less than five minutes.
Also, consider installing a traditional intrusion detection system to sound the alarm in the event of a break-in.
QUESTION: We will be opening offices in several states, in addition to our home office. We have been well-served by our security integrator in Michigan, but the company does not have the reach to help with our new facilities. Can you give some advice on how to pick security firms in that will give us the same type of service we have come to expect?
ANSWER: I would begin by itemizing the service deliverables you value that are being provided by your security integrator—prompt service response, qualified technicians, systems design expertise and system documentation. Next, ask your security integrator if they are networked with reliable integrators in other states. If the answer is no, you can get the names of product-certified integrators from your access control software supplier. After identifying software-certified integrators, narrow the field and find a reliable integration partner by asking these questions: What is the financial stability of the integrator? How long has the integrator been in business? Does the integrator have the technical strength and personnel to manage your project? Does the integrator employ network-qualified personnel? What do existing customers of the integrator say about their technical capabilities and service response time?
As a Security-Net Partner, D/A Central has security partners throughout the US and abroad. Please contact us for more information.
QUESTION: We recently had a corporate spy get into our company's design center, an area that is growing and vital to our successful operations. This person got past our receptionist and through an access controlled door following an employee. Fortunately, he was discovered before he had a chance to see anything of importance. Are there systems that can better monitor who gets past our lobby?
ANSWER: The answer here is absolutely and maybe. Intelligent video can be an answer here, but it is very situational sensitive. In other words, if there is adequate lighting, space and background for differentiation to be made possible, intelligent video (IV), or video analytics, can be a big help here. If two people at a normal distance of 2 to 4 feet apart are walking towards a door or through an area where the camera has their profile or 45 degrees of it, IV can help here. If those same people are piggybacking, or at least appear that close, throughout the camera-covered area, then IV will not have much of a chance.
Another solution is turnstiles. Optical turnstiles are nice in a lobby environment and are non-contact through use of optical beams that have to be crossed in a sequence at a time interval. These and mechanical turnstiles will prevent piggybacking, where two or more people are admitted with one card read. Mechanical turnstile offers more absolute prevention, but can be perceived as offensive in the wrong environment. IV is non-offensive, but unless there is careful planning and thought to the camera placement and the physical action necessary to prevent intrusion, it may be useless. Weigh your budget, the true need and environment, then talk to your security systems integrator.
QUESTION: We are going to replace our outdated security system and have formed a team within the company to determine our needs. It was suggested that we bring in an independent security consultant to do an analysis of our plant and make recommendations. The thought process was that a consultant would have no ties to specific equipment manufacturers and would offer an unbiased opinion. That being said, I cannot locate a security consultant in my area. One opinion is to bring in three or four security integrators, tell them what we want, and see what they offer. Hopefully, we will get enough information that we can pick one of them to install the system we need. Any input?
ANSWER: There are different ways to go about selecting an expert to help plan your security needs. A consultant is one option. But working with a systems integrator is another very viable choice. Ask for advice from no more than three in your area. Their qualifications should include factory-trained technicians on staff, five years’ experience with similar systems and guaranteed response times to your service calls.
The systems integrator that you select will ensure that your security system is consistent throughout your buildings. Review their scopes of work, drawings and hardware implementation lists. You must have an understanding that your security integrator’s project manager serves as your hammer to ensure product and project consistency. You develop that relationship with your integrator by visiting their sites and speaking to their customer references. You must be willing to pay for this professionalism. You can always find a security dealer who is less expensive, but do they have factory-certified technicians? Do they have the ability to create engineered drawings? Long term, you will pay more for corrections in the first 24 months than if you paid a fair price at the beginning of your project.
Your security systems integrator will provide you with equipment choices. Your ultimate hardware decision should be based on what works best in your environment. A well-designed, seamlessly integrated security management system is feature-rich. If you are replacing an existing system, compatibility issues may drive the selection of your new system. Further, you may be attempting to achieve hardware/software consistency throughout your buildings by replacing one system and purchasing a product that is identical to an existing system where you have a high comfort level. Always ensure that the manufacturer that is recommended to you allows you a migration path for your anticipated growth.
QUESTION: I operate a successful restaurant/nightclub in an urban area. Each night we bring the proceeds into a counting room to tally and prepare the bank deposit. Additionally, we have dozens of credit card numbers at any given time. We have a deadbolt lock on the room, and only an assistant and I have a key. But we have had several restaurant robberies in our area recently. Can you recommend some ways to better protect ourselves?
ANSWER: An intrusion system that is connected to a central station can offer panic buttons in the form of key fobs that each person can carry and use to initiate a panic call to the central station. Some central stations have the ability to monitor surveillance cameras, and this would allow the central station to assess the current situation during a panic event and provide valuable information to the responding authority. The central station also could be alerted when the employees are ready to leave the counting room with deposits and monitor the surveillance cameras in the parking lot to verify everyone safely got to their cars. Again, panic alarms should have the range to reach from the parking lot.
QUESTION: I own three warehouses that I lease to tenants. I provide security that consists of fire and burglar alarms, and two card readers and cameras at each location. Lately, there have been several break-ins. I am recording the cameras, but not monitoring in real time. Would it be wiser for me to hire a couple of guards to monitor at night or work with a local monitoring company?
ANSWER: The development of systems that digitize video and transport it via TCP/IP across the Internet has made it possible to monitor video remotely. In fact, many monitoring companies now offer video monitoring services that work in conjunction with existing burglar alarm systems. These services consist of both video alarm verification, where operators at the monitoring company view video that has been associated with an alarm sent from an alarm panel, and video tours, where operators periodically check-in at a site and look for unusual activity as defined by the owner. In both cases, two-way audio can be used in conjunction with the video monitoring to provide an added level of service. Ask questions when making a decision on whether or not to use video monitoring services. Will the security and video systems need to be upgraded to provide adequate protection? Are the cameras placed in such a way as to provide quality video? Will the monitoring company be able to remotely monitor the existing video system? What are the legal and ethical commitments to tenants regarding site security? In summary, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
QUESTION: Our small business is finally ready for a video surveillance system. I called a local security dealer and was given a quote for an analog system using a VCR for recording. It was a good deal, but I keep reading that digital systems are the future. A digital system will cost more. Is it worth it to bite the bullet now or purchase the analog system and upgrade in a few years?
ANSWER: While there are no hard and fast answers, ask yourself: How long do I expect to keep this facility/system? What is the likelihood of expanding this system? What are my specific surveillance and recording requirements?
An analog system will usually require dedicated cabling infrastructure—probably coax. This cable will serve no purpose apart from transmission of the analog CCTV images back to the monitor/VCR of the system. In the not too distant future, this cabling, these cameras and especially the VCR will become obsolete and more expensive to maintain, as digital cameras and recorders become more prevalent.
With a digital CCTV installation, you may be able to use your existing network cabling for surveillance transmission, depending on existing bandwidth capabilities. If you do need to install a new network cabling infrastructure for the digital TV system, it will be adequate for your expansion and replacement needs for years into the future, and it will allow you to take advantage of emerging digital technologies.
QUESTION: Just over two years ago, my company, a large tool manufacturer, made the switch from VCRs to DVRs. Now, I am starting to read about NVRs. As we begin to update our CCTV system, we are considering changing to IP-addressable cameras. If we do, are the NVRs really ready and a good choice from both performance and investment points of view?
ANSWER: We recently responded to an RFP that addressed the replacement of an existing CCTV system. Their current system is made up of a DVR and traditional analog cameras. The RFP was written because the DVR, as well as some of the analog cameras, had begun to fail, and the camera coverage requirements had changed.
DVRs are built using industry standard hardware. The life expectancy of computer hardware is limited. The migration paths to upgrade a DVR is limited, and with all the responsibilities placed on the IT department to secure the network, it is becoming more and more difficult to attach DVRs to the network and take advantage of the network infrastructure to share video.
IP-based video solutions and NVRs have shed some light on this fast-paced technology.
- NVRs allow the IT department to build, maintain and control the servers used to store the video and the software to run them.
- Existing network infrastructure can be used to move and add cameras.
- The IP video market is quickly becoming the standard for the future.
Overloading the network with streaming video is a concern. As network technology has advanced, so has the ability to handle streaming video on the network. IP-based cameras and IP converters are continually being deployed with the latest and best compression algorithms that deal directly with bandwidth and storage requirements.
The NVR solution is definitely the next generation in the video management evolution process. As more people learn and understand the benefits, we expect to see the deployment of NVRs increase.
QUESTION: I manage a two-acre warehouse site, where our company also keeps valuable equipment outdoors. We have a 10-foot, chain-link fence topped with razor wire surrounding the site. Yet there were two successful break-ins in the past six months. How can I improve my perimeter security without spending a lot of money?
ANSWER: Outdoor environments are always challenging, with weather and other external influences always at play. Depending on the size and shape of your facility technologies—such as perimeter fence protection systems (fiber optics and taut wire) that are surface-applied—perimeter-pulsed infrared or other beam technologies, or exterior motion detection, might be suitable. Several manufacturers are packaging self-contained systems that include detection technology, solar power and wireless transmission in a single enclosure, eliminating power, wiring and conduit that can add to installation cost. Also consider the use of video surveillance technology, with video motion detection and off-site monitoring of your facility. Video has the added benefit of not only detecting activity, but also verifying the nature of the activity prior to response. Plus, there’s a record of the activity for investigation and prosecution purposes. Also plan on a few false alarms caused by environmental conditions. No matter what technology you select, make sure your security integrator takes into account the type and nature of your operations, the physical integrity of your fencing and the placement of assets within the secure area.
QUESTION: I’ve read many articles about video analytics, but I am still not sure if they are right for my operation. We have a 20,000-square-foot office/warehouse with six surveillance cameras indoors and five outside to watch the perimeter and parking lot. We aren’t able to hire a person to monitor the video. Yet I would like to know immediately if someone is messing with our outdoor equipment. Are analytics appropriate for our small system, and are they affordable?
ANSWER: This is a great question and one that we are asked to address on a regular basis. Numerous studies have been performed that conclude that the attention span is very limited and is diminished as we add cameras. So, the answer would be yes they are, but we should set up the system to be event-driven. Video analytics should be a part of how the system is designed. We can use certain devices to trigger events, which can be recorded and tagged as such, but with the development of video analytics this has enhanced our capability dramatically.
The quality of the video analytics will continue to improve, but we need to be prepared to deal with false positives. Once an event has been generated, the system can be designed to alert the authorized personnel or a third-party facility to view the video. With the use of network connectivity, the video can be viewed remotely with a laptop and air card or with a PDA. We would have the option to view the video live and/or recorded.
QUESTION: We have a highly sensitive office in our facility and have thought about adding a biometric device to enhance security. I know the fingerprint is the most common biometric measurement. Is it truly reliable and difficult to defeat, or should we look at another possibility? As with any business, cost is an issue.
ANSWER: For interior applications, the most common and cost-effective biometric technology is fingerprint recognition. With recent improvements in imaging technology, lower cost for storage and improved template algorithms, fingerprint readers are increasingly reliable, secure and affordable. For a low user count, a one-to-many template match allows the convenience of simply presenting an enrolled digit (finger). The device then searches the template database usually stored directly on the reader for a match and grants access.
For larger user populations or high security environments, a one-to-one match, where a PIN code or card is used to identify the user and the fingerprint is matched to a specific template, is more common. Today’s smart card technology allows user templates to be stored on the card rather than stored in a central database, addressing local storage issues and privacy concerns while increasing security.
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