Seeing surveillance cameras everywhere is becoming more of a norm these days, especially for large cities such as London, New York and Beijing.
Many members of the public have their reservations about this for privacy reasons. Often, this can be solved through educating the greater public about security technologies. However, concerns still remain that such captured data can fall into the "wrong hands". Surveillance footage is meant to be used for security purposes only, but with hacking and leaks becoming increasingly common in today's world, the fear of unauthorised video being made public is a legitimate concern. So how can access to surveillance video be managed to avoid this? Let's see what some of our Expert Panellists have to say.
The leaks that are technologically simplest are where CCTV monitors carrying private information can be seen by the public. For example, we‘ve all visited buildings and signed in at a Reception desk which carries easily visible displays of their secure areas. This is illegal if deemed a breach of the Data Protection Act. Don’t give people the opportunity to eavesdrop with their eyes. Years ago CCTV on videocassettes could only be secured by keeping it under lock & key. This basic principle should not be overlooked with digital CCTV at all vulnerable points in its network. IT systems’ electronic protection procedures are widely known and hence proven for restricting CCTV, e.g. password, token, biometric, dual-authorization, etc. Disabling ports such as USB, eSATA, etc. can help prevent unofficial video export. Maybe copyright infringement technology will get used to finding leaked CCTV across the Internet for takedown notices to be issued.
Often video gets released to the public not because someone hacked into a system but after the video is obtained by an "insider" who works with the system. With the trends toward sharing video among multiple jurisdictions and with other parts of a company, the challenges become even more complex. Stringent internal processes at the end user level can ensure that only the right people have access to surveillance video, and VMS systems enable enterprises to specify users and customize permissions to ensure only authorized operators can access video. The ability to copy or download video should be strictly reserved to those who are authorized, such as managers or supervisors. Accountability is key. Policies implemented to limit how much video is recorded or how long it can be saved are additional tools to manage the risk of unauthorized video getting made public.
Keeping video safe and secure is critical as users face a wide range of threats from both network and physical sources. Manufacturers should design solutions that enforce strict access policies to ensure that only authenticated users can access surveillance video footage. Operators can easily limit access to specific cameras based on individual access levels and design specific privileges based on what type and actions can be taken. In addition, customers should leverage a secure storage infrastructure for video, and treat video surveillance footage like any other critical data source that the organisation wishes to protect.