Digital video surveillance - Expert commentary

The average business owner or investor has some kind of security precaution in place, especially in the after-hours when there are fewer deterrents to inhibit criminal activity. Security guards, video surveillance systems, motion sensor lights, or even just fake cameras placed around the property are some of the common options people choose.  Future of overnight security Smart business owners are starting to realise, however, that some of these traditional security measures are becoming...

Daniel May of Consort reviews the integration of access control systems in healthcare settings, outlining the benefits and key considerations decision-makers must make throughout product specifications.  From patient safety and traversal to the protection of sensitive data and pharmaceuticals, healthcare environments are faced with several operational challenges. And where security remains at the forefront of decision-making, modern access control systems may often hold the answers. Physi...

Global transportation networks are becoming increasingly interconnected, with digital systems playing a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation of ports and supply chains. However, this reliance on technology can also create vulnerabilities, as demonstrated by the recent ransomware attack on Nagoya Port. As Japan's busiest shipping hub, the port's operations were brought to a standstill for two days, highlighting the potential for significant disruption to national economies and supply cha...

Our recent survey on the state of access control in 2023 showed that HID partners and end users, as well as security and IT professionals, may have varying needs and concerns but nearly all agree on one thing: the need for sustainable solutions. Operational transparency In fact, sustainability was a top issue for almost 90% of our survey respondents. Our end users and their consumers are primarily driving this demand, with ever-increasing numbers asking for operational transparency...

Open platform video technology software is more than just a product; it's a tool that helps customers achieve their desired business outcomes. Safety, round-the-clock security, and increased operational efficiencies are now the norm due to video technology. Responsible Technology Despite humanity’s impressive technological advances, we also recognise the immense responsibility that comes with technological innovation. It's not enough to focus solely on the positive impact video technol...

Inadequate security measures on your essential infrastructure can have severe consequences.  Consequences  Consider the rail industry: If a vandal cuts the cables on a vital mechanism that controls train signals, train safety is jeopardised. To avoid train collisions or derailments and thus significant damage to property and potential loss of life, the operating company must shut down the service until the infrastructure is repaired and the network is up and running again. The disru...

The security industry is going increasingly digital these days, with more small- and medium-sized businesses joining their global brethren by moving their data to the cloud, leveraging the benefits of artificial intelligence, and embracing more open solutions. Innovation is expected to continue at a rapid pace, thanks in part to the residual effects of the pandemic which has driven changes that might have otherwise taken five years or a decade or more to get into customers’ hands on a glo...

As the cost-of-living crisis intensifies in 2023, owners of construction companies will place a greater emphasis on environmentally-friendly materials, public safety, and strategies to increase value. Physical protection Key events in 2023 will have an impact on the physical protection of people, property, and businesses. King Charles III's coronation in May will be the focus of nationwide large-scale gatherings and celebrations and is already receiving security preparations. Even though this...

The nuances of data privacy continue to bombard organisations from all angles, and, amid the impending sunset of Universal Analytics (UA), it’s time to stop playing catch-up. Instead, by enacting future-proofing strategies around data as a first port of call, long-term compliance can be achieved as an automatic byproduct. Data privacy At data privacy’s ‘sunrise’, companies’ efforts were largely targeted towards the customer, ensuring that the ever-growing extent o...

Managing the technology stack and known vulnerabilities is becoming a key criteria for cyber insurance pay outs. Open source software has once again made the headlines following warnings to organisations about the release of a new version of OpenSSL. Released on 1st November 2022, the new version patched vulnerabilities in version 3.0 and above of the nearly ubiquitously used cryptographic library for encrypting communications on the Internet. Remote code execution The OpenSSL Project team to...

There’s a new security paradigm emerging across malls, server farms, smart office buildings, and warehouses, and its advantage over the status quo are so broad they are impossible to ignore. Instead of a lecture, let’s start with a short narrative scenario to illustrate my point. Darryl's work Darryl works as a security guard at the Eastwood Mall. Like any typical evening, tonight’s shift begins at 9:30 PM, as the stores close and the crowds thin. His first task: Ensure that...

If defence is the best form of attack, then in security, planned preventative maintenance (PPM) is the best way to protect your business from harm. Also known as PPM, the service ensures that your security efforts are up-to-date and effective. In the latest how-to guide, discover the benefits of planned preventative maintenance and learn how to add PPM to your building. What is Planned Preventative Maintenance? You have installed all of the necessary security measures for your business, now wh...

Nowadays the Internet of Things has become an integral part of business around the world. The enhanced functionality made possible by the Internet of Things (IoT) and associated technologies are responsible for many of the major changes seen across society today. Video surveillance Video surveillance is one area that experiences substantial evolution driven by IoT technology. The intelligent monitors and sensors of the IoT combined with emerging high-speed network solutions promise to improve...

Enable third-party application system quickly to incorporate the visual data, as part of their solutions. Each and every user has a unique set of platforms that they need to efficiently run their business. In the security and surveillance field, increasing interest in visual sensor networks drives the development of multi-camera applications in private and public areas. Thus, middleware is needed to facilitate video data sharing connections between software platforms. It works like video plumbi...

Although video camera technology has been around since the early 1900s, it was not until the 1980s that video started to gain traction for security and surveillance applications. The pictures generated by these initial black and white tube cameras were grainy at best, with early colour cameras providing a wonderful new source of visual data for better identification accuracy. But by today’s standards, these cameras produced images that were about as advanced as crayons and coloring books....

For the past few years, security professionals have had to change the way that they go about protecting their organisations. From challenging old assumptions around access control through to implementing more access management and authentication policies, security has been at the heart of how companies have responded to the pandemic. The journey to more modern security processes that could support more flexible working was a rapid one. Remote work programmes have bedded in, based on how IT sec...

The banking market continues to evolve through the growing use of digital and mobile devices, as more branch operations aim to enhance convenience and service for the customer. These advancements also create more significant opportunities for fraud and loss. Together, these two trends come full circle: Increasingly sophisticated fraud techniques require organisations to pursue new approaches to preventing and detecting such activities. Digital transformation But before we lead down that path,...

Integrators need to be well versed in Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), when discussing video surveillance options with their customers. Business leaders are looking for the best, most economical technology that will address their security needs, and they also want to avoid being blind-sided by unplanned technology operations and service costs. While most folks understand that the initial cost of a video surveillance system is not the same as the total cost of ownership, many might be surprised to...

Back in 1890, Samuel Warren and Louis Brandeis published a ground-breaking article in the Harvard Law review called ‘The Right to Privacy’. To this day, it is regarded as one of the most influential essays in the history of American law and is widely regarded as the first publication in the United States of America to advocate a right to privacy, articulating that right primarily as a ‘right to be let alone’. In this essay, the authors questioned whether the arrival of p...

In the era of the ‘Great Resignation’, it may seem counterintuitive to say that people will power business security in 2022. However, a convergence of challenges over the past few years has led to an undeniable trend in the security industry: With more technology comes the need for more people to monitor, analyse and leverage the data that technology produces. Always-on approach to security Since businesses were forced into lockdown two years ago, we’ve seen technology adopti...

Most individuals have strong opinions about what is more essential to our civilisation: personal privacy or security. After more than a decade of technology enabling greater and greater amounts of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and data harvesting, now the pendulum is swinging towards a society that places more emphasis on individual rights and privacies. This shift is manifesting in a variety of ways, quickly changing the technology, security and cyber security landscapes, and requi...

Corporate global security operations centres (GSOCs) bear the responsibility for protecting C-suite executives from physical and reputational harm amid the social upheaval, extreme weather events, and escalating cyber threats. That mission, daunting as it is, becomes more difficult when GSOCs lack the data necessary for conducting a comprehensive threat assessment. Threat intelligence Unfortunately, many centres never move past basic threat intelligence which focuses on scenario-driven queries...

In the new era of work, our relationship with the workplace is defined by flexibility and mobility. Employees are working across the home, office, and blended spaces more than ever before, as well as working varied hours to suit the modern work schedule.  This new hybrid workforce model holds the potential for more diverse talent and better productivity, but it also comes with its challenges – one being how to ensure security, health, and safety in the workplace.  Strong a...

More and more business security practices are going digital. Mechanical keys are still the backbone of most corporate security plans, and it can be very expensive for companies to switch to electronic access control on a large scale. Therefore, enterprises need to choose the most suitable access control system. What is key management? Key management is the process of protecting, tracking, and scheduling mechanical keys. Why is this important? Because the key carries access to sensitive locatio...

Ensuring employee health and safety remains a key priority for organisations this year, especially as we see COVID-19 cases continue to rise in different areas of the world. As an ongoing challenge, COVID-19 has shifted the priorities of many organisations. In fact, “improving health and safety for employees” is the top strategic goal this year of manufacturing and logistics organisations in the U.S. and U.K., according to research conducted by Forrester on behalf of STANLEY Securit...

Cloud-based technology can reduce IT costs, streamline application management and make infrastructure more flexible and scalable. So, it’s no surprise that cloud video surveillance solutions (also known as video surveillance as a service or VSaaS) are gaining momentum in a big way. In fact, according to recent reports, the VSaaS market is forecasted to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 10.4% by 2025. But some company owners may wonder – what services does a cloud model de...

The evolution of smart video technology continues at pace. As in many other industries, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic expedited timelines and the artificial intelligence (AI) video world is continuing its rapid evolution in 2021. As video demand and the use of AI to make sense of the visual data increase, the number of cameras and subsequent data produced are growing rapidly, and these are forcing the creation of new edge architectures. Cameras and AI in traffic management ‘Smart f...

Since the early 1920s, when the transition to fast food consumption began with the grand opening of White Castle in Wichita, Kansas, fast-casual dining has appealed to a fast-paced way of life – offering convenience and affordability. Today, fast-casual restaurants are as popular as ever, continuing to challenge restaurants to offer a consistent brand experience. This requires security and safety operations to be conducted at a volume and pace too rapid for humans to consistently monitor a...

Urban populations are expanding rapidly around the globe, with an expected growth of 1.56 billion by 2040. As the number of people living and working in cities continues to grow, the ability to keep everyone safe is an increasing challenge. However, technology companies are developing products and solutions with these futuristic cities in mind, as the reality is closer than you may think. Solutions that can help to watch over public places and share data insights with city workers and officials...

Every building starts with the entrance. A solid enterprise risk mitigation and security strategy include protecting that entrance. Often, risk mitigation strategies protecting the entrance have included high-resolution video surveillance cameras, video management systems, and access control solutions. But that strategy and set of security solutions only tells part of the story. Imagine a security guard who is protecting a facility after hours, when an individual approaches the entrance and see...