The type of digital security camera you’ll use depends on whether you need it for your home or your business, just as well as the size of your home and the type of business you are running. Whatever solution you choose, you’ll have to establish the best procedures for managing and storing your camera footage.
Here are 10 things to keep in mind:
Make Your Video Management Solution Compatible
When choosing systems for monitoring, recording, managing, and archiving video material from your digital security camera, make sure that they are mutually compatible. This is especially important for businesses, where digital security camera maintenance and management can cost time and money.
Choose Between Centralized & Decentralized System
Whether you need a centralized or decentralized video storage system depends on how many cameras you have and the bandwidth between different locations you have them installed at. Generally speaking, centralized systems are more secure than decentralized SD cards and USB drives.
If Video Loss Is Unacceptable, Consider SCSI & RAID
If you cannot afford to lose any video material from your security camera due to hard disk failure, opt for high-quality servers with SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) drives. Alternatively, equip yourself with a reliable RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) based video recording system.
Determine the Length of Video Storage You’ll Need
Do you need to store your video for weeks or months? Because this can be expensive, it’s best to determine the length of video storage you’ll need for each camera you have and then choose a decentralized video storage system with different storage lengths for cameras of different priorities.
Do You Really Need to Connect It to the Internet?
Traditional DVR/NVR/VMS systems are usually connected to a local network, which is then connected to the internet to enable remote access and management. If this is what you’re using, don’t connect the network to the internet until you’re 100% sure that each port is password and firewall protected.
Keep Your Video Storage System Password Protected
If you’re using a Public Network, you should have a separate password for each camera, while VLAN and Physical Private Networks require only one strong password for all devices. Unique passwords with more than 10 characters are needed for traditional and cloud-managed storage systems as well.
Managing Local Networks with Multiple Cameras
To prevent criminals from hacking into your video cameras and storage solution, you should have a physically separate network for your surveillance system. In case separating the two systems is not physically possible, the next best security practice would be to use a protected VLAN connection.
On-Premise DVR/NVR/VMS Must Have a Firewall
While cloud-based video storage solutions require no special in-house firewall technology, traditional storage systems do. If you own an on-premise DVR/NVR/VMS, hire a professional IT expert to install and configure a reliable firewall. Keep monitoring and finetuning the configuration on a regular basis.
Encrypt Your Video, Both in Transit & When Stored
Whether you’re using a state-of-the-art system with remote access or traditional storage that’s connected to the internet via a local network, you need to make sure that both the connection and the video material itself (in transit and when stored) are always encrypted with SSL or equivalent.
Managing Mobile & Physical Access to Video Storage
If you’re accessing your video storage via a mobile device, you need a strong password and a reliable firewall, in addition to an encrypted connection. When it comes to physical access to your video storage system, the best you can do is protect the room where the system is physically located.
The aforementioned procedures are equally important whether we’re talking about your family home or your business. If you’re not employing these tried and tested practices for managing and storing your video surveillance material, then you’re not making the best use of your camera system.
For the most comprehensive and trusted security solutions, reach out to Fulton May Solutions today!
