Electronic security systems depend on secure connectivity

It is the job of a systems integrator to know how converged networks can affect the performance of electronic security systems. Establishing a book of best practices prior to implementing any security solution can negate headaches on the back end. Here are some key guidelines our firm recommends.

The Importance of Having a Separate and Dedicated Wi-Fi Network for Security

In the last few years, more businesses have been concerned about safety and secure access to their surveillance camera and access control systems. As we have become more cautious of who goes in and out of our businesses, the need for surveillance systems has increased, as well as the need for remote access to those systems. In addition to providing a sense of safety, surveillance camera systems need to have reliable and dedicated Internet access to ensure video evidence can be viewed, exported and/or shared with appropriate parties without disruptions. Often a quick and timely response to an event can make all the difference, so it is crucial to ensure that the quality of the footage is not compromised by having to share a Wi-Fi network with other technology devices.

For security systems that need to integrate and connect multiple locations, such as multiple buildings in a community, campus or corporate location, rather than trenching and causing major disruption and additional costs by laying or burying fiber to connect the buildings, our recommendation is to provide a wireless network system which has antennas with direct line of sight between the buildings. We install this on our projects quite regularly and strongly recommend that others do the same. When there are multiple buildings that need to be connected, such as residential communities often with 20, 30, or 40 buildings, and there isn't a direct line of sight from the main location to all of the buildings, you can configure a ‘‘daisy chain’’ network whereby the buildings are all connected by antennas with line of sight to one another. This ensures dedicated connectivity, lowers installation costs, and minimizes disruption.

Addressing Network Threats from Both Cyberattacks and Unintentional Access with a VLAN

Although technology is constantly advancing and innovating, there will always be people and systems capable of figuring out how to identify vulnerabilities and hack into networks and devices. Business owners must take effective preventative measures to protect their networks from falling victim to these security threats. Once these attackers are able to break into the network via any device and system connected to it, organizations are vulnerable to major threats. To prevent this from happening and to provide added protection for their networked security systems, organizations should establish a VLAN, which is a virtual local area network, in order to secure, isolate, and partition off the security technology on that network. Once the security systems are networked on a VLAN, it will prevent unauthorized intentional or unintentional network access and their ability to access and/or modify their security systems. Unintentional access and changes can occur when networks don’t utilize VLANs, so people accessing printers and other Internet-connected devices on that network can use that access to delete data, modify or deactivate security systems.

Organizations need to prepare for that worst-case scenario when they must be sure that the security technology is connected and accessible, so ensuring that security systems have dedicated Internet connectivity that is not to be shared with other applications is extremely important. Once the separate VLAN network is installed, the chances of businesses experiencing major security issues are reduced significantly and lower the severity of potential threats that come with networks that are not configured correctly.

The Reliance on Safe and Dependable Internet Connectivity and Secure Networks for Security Systems Will Only Increase

The commercial security industry is seeing increasing movement to the cloud and great reliance on remote access and video analytics, all of which will require greater diligence for installing and configuring robust Internet connectivity and secure networks. Additionally, organizations are looking to lower their dependence on on-site security guards since remote monitoring and real-time alerts, as well as detection and recognition from video analytics, can lower their reliance and cost for hiring more security guards as their security systems expand.

The added investment will position businesses to be better protected against security threats such as hacking and cyberattacks that continue to put an increasing number of them at risk. This provides security professionals with options to undertake better long-range system planning, clients can recognize cost savings and can have confidence in their system online connectivity and ability to prevent unauthorized access.