Business Security Information

If your business uses security cameras, recording is essential.  The recorded security camera feed can be used for a variety of purposes, especially after a business has been burglarized or robbed.  Currently, most businesses use a DVR (digital video recorder) to record their security cameras, but some still use time-lapsed VCR.  No matter which method you use to record your security cameras, what will prevent the criminal from taking the video tape or the DVR’s hard drive when they burglarize or rob your business?  If there is nothing to stop the criminal from taking the recorded security camera video, you should consider the use of lock boxes.

It seems no matter where I go I run into security issues.  It was no different recently when I took a trip to another state and stayed in a hotel.  The hotel belongs to a national chain and is located in a major city in Ohio.  Obviously, just because a hotel is well-known and located where you think security would be evaluated more closely does not mean this is always the case.  This article is mainly geared towards those who own a hotel or travel a lot for their job.

This week I stopped by what use to be an auto dealership in a city near where I live and saw some examples of good and bad security that I thought I would share with you in this post.  While there, I took some pictures to illustrate what I saw.  If you look closely at these pictures, you will see that the business installed a metal barrier which  prevents vehicles or other equipment from easily being taken from the lot.  It is a simple design of steel piping that is secured in the ground with the openings to the lot being protected by a sliding gate made from the same material.  The steel posts in the ground are close enough that even if the top steel piping was removed, it would not allow a vehicle to be driven between the steel pipes.  Not placing posts close enough together is a major problem in most dealership lots I have evaluated.  The pictures show a good example of how to do it right without making the barrier an eyesore.  In addition, the business secured the steel piping in the ground with concrete and even formed a raised concrete lip, making it difficult to remove individual steel piping from the ground even with the right type of heavy equipment.  Please note:  this type of lot protection is good when you are trying to prevent theft of vehicles or equipment, but additional security is required if you are trying to protect against parts theft.

A couple of weeks ago I went with my family to get some pizza.  It was one of those day we had been rushing around and just wanted to get some good hot food, so pizza it was.  Like most food service businesses, this one had a security camera system that was visible as soon as you walked into the store.  While I was standing there waiting for our pizza, I started looking at the positioning of the security cameras.  What I noticed was that the security cameras covered the cash registers and other employee work areas, but the camera system did not cover the customer area in front of the checkout area.  With this positioning of the cameras, their purpose seemed to be just to monitor employees work and to address internal theft issues.

It seems like there are numerous websites on the Internet covering the main aspects of computer security but very few on physical security for a typical business.  On this website I try to cover all types of security on this website, but today I want to focus on physical security.

Physical security is mainly related to the protection of people, buildings, equipment and other physical or tangible assets.  Physical security is often overlooked in this high-tech business world where protecting digital assets of a business is emphasized. Adequately protecting digital assets, though, depends on implementing physical security as well.

Let me begin by saying that I am not a big proponent of using security cameras to secure a business.  I have dealt with a number of businesses that install security cameras without looking at their overall security needs.  Businesses that have installed security cameras often think they have adequate security but find out they don’t when a theft occurs.  Even though they have a nice recording (if the camera image quality is good) of the theft or other security incident occurring, the cameras did not stop or prevent the event from happening.  Security cameras can be used as a part of security to protect a business but should not be the first, and definitely not the only, element of security they use to protect their business.

IP Cameras are surveillance or CCTV cameras that use IP (Internet Protocol) to transmit a video image and any control signals for the camera over an Ethernet network.  IP cameras are also referred to as network cameras.  They are usually recorded using a digital video recorder (DVR) or a network video recorder (NVR).  The use of IP cameras allow the video to be stored and retrieved from anywhere on the existing network.  IP cameras also allow a business to view the cameras through an internet connection or across private networks such as LANS (local area networks) or WANS (wide area networks).  Also, IP cameras are able to be deployed or used across a wireless network.  Resolution of IP cameras, just like digital cameras, has improved over time.

Video Analytics is some times called video analysis or intelligent video but is very different than the older technology of basic video motion detection.  Video Analytics is basically computer software or algorithm that can be configured to analyze specific behavior that the security camera sees.  It usually encompasses a combination of hardware and software.

Traditional video motion detection uses a simple rule that when a set number of pixels change in the video, an alarm is sounded or the video starts to record the movement or both.  Video motion detection has a high false alarm rate due to the fact that any motion, not just security incidents, causes changes in the video picture.  Currently, this technology is used mainly to reduce storage space needed to record security cameras.  This way, security camera footage is only recorded when motion is detected.

This week, I read two stories that prompted me to write this post.  The first was about construction sites using wireless security camera systems to reduce vandalism and theft.  Wireless security camera  systems were being used because of the temporary nature of construction sites.  The system can be taken down and used at another construction site when the job is completed.  The second story was about the murder of Byrd and Melanie Billings, a couple from Florida.  If you have not read the story, a number of men broke into the couple’s home and killed the couple while eight of their children were in the house.  If I remember correctly, the couple actually adopted 12 children with many of them having a variety of developmental disabilities.  They have a total of 16 children.  The couple had an extensive security camera system in the home, as much for security as to keep track of the children when they were in the house and yard.  The security camera footage provided some leads for the police but sadly did not prevent the crime from happening.