Electronic security systems observe and notify when personnel are away from the site. It complements a physical security system. The physical security slows down an intruder and the electronic security system notifies and records the incident.
Each day, electronic security systems become more advanced, but there are deficiencies in the buying guides. In the context of CCTV systems, these advances mean a simple doorbell camera can connect to a multi-location server and smart systems. When you add on Alarms, Access Control, and Intercom systems, and depending on the solution, you will have many options for a system. What you need to do first is to understand what functionality you need for the systems.
An electronic security system can have components that either deter or detect. Systems that focus on deterring uses outer signage, supervised videos, and alert lights. Systems that focus on detection use hidden videos and silent alarms. Most of the time, a combination of both is best, but the use case will determine how the focus shifts.
Most of the time, you want potential intruders to think you will detect them, not that you want them to intrude and give you a case to process. Conversely, you want the detection to notify a rapid response.
CCTV: the important questions
The three summary questions to ask with CCTV are total coverage, quality of images, and prescriptive storage. Total coverage means that every access route, every entryway, and every internal region of the building that requires protection should be covered by a camera, and that adequate lighting should be used to improve image capture during low light conditions. Quality of images means that the resolution should suffice to be able to capture and identify a face or a number plate, and that images are uploaded to prove an occurrence. Prescriptive storage refers to how footage is archived, for how long, and how and when it can be accessed.
Analytics such as number plate recognition, line crossing, and loitering detection have now become the standard. They should all be included in the case of clear use and should be omitted when they cause more false alerts.
Alarms and monitoring
An alarm that operates independently is just a noisemaker. A monitored alarm is a service that captures the alarm’s signal to an alarm receiving centre where an operator then carries on to review the incident via surveillance, contact the keyholder, and finally send the police or a private company, according to the service level.
It is true that with the increased monthly fee, one of these private alarms does the work that a local bell does not. The fundamental question is whether your location requires that work. A home that is located in a closely packed neighborhood, in which people will most likely notice an alarm and take appropriate action, may not offer that work. A commercial building that is located in an industrial estate, in which no one is likely to be there after six p.m., almost certainly will.
Access Control and Intercoms
On the scale of simple everyday locks to fob and card systems, mobile credentials, and biometric readers, access control measures are continually evolving, and their advantages over simple everyday locks are also evident. They offer a record of people and the time they enter the premises, and they allow for access to be revoked immediately, consequently increasing a building’s security and controlling the number of people with access.
The scale of the systems available for access control are determined by the number of users, employee turnover, and the cost and risk of unauthorized access. For a small office of five with employees who are not likely to change, access control may be less of a concern when compared with a building with many tenants and contractors who may visit often.
At the intersection of access control and visitor management are intercoms and video doorbells. For businesses, they are often the easiest way to verify a visitor and unlock a door. For residential units, video doorbells are the new and standard way to add a security layer to a home.
For a system to be fully integrated and designed to work as a unit, it has to be put together as a unit , and every security measure needs to work in sync with every other measure it complements. A good installer is one who can offer their systems to be designed as a unit, not sell a single device.
Common Errors Identified
Common errors include purchasing cameras based on megapixels instead of coverage, buying monitoring for a system the operator can’t see into, installing access control that is never used or properly trained on by staff, and viewing the system as “installed and forgotten” rather than something that requires periodic evaluation. Equipment only functions if it is maintained, tested, and reviewed against the changes of how it is used on site.