FROM THE EDITOR

Networking Technology is Changing

No one will argue that the network has been one of the greatest evolutions in time. Think of it, everything that you used to do by hand, you can now do via computer. Well, almost everything.

One thing for certain is the network has opened up the world and, for the most part, closed the proprietary world that dominated the security industry.

Our cover story from Jeff Whitney of Arecont Vision by Costar, writes that another major shift is taking place. “Video surveillance is now in the early stages of a general move into the cloud,” he writes. The truth of the matter is that cloud technology is not new. The IT sector adopted cloud-based services long ago, but now there is growing acceptance for the security industry, especially video surveillance applications, to embrace this adjoining technology.

Whitney points out in the cover story that while the security industry may be a little slow in adopting new technology, the benefits of using the cloud are many. “A cloud-based surveillance system can reduce the amount of equipment and human resources needed onsite.”

I walked into a “cloud” in Amsterdam not long ago. I was completely impressed by everything on site. For starters, if a person doesn’t belong in the cloud, they don’t get in. There is no need for the “man off the street,” to wander in unannounced. The facility was secure from the outside in, and that security was maintained on each level of the building, and well into the various clouds in the facility.

The entire facility had one objective in mind, and that was to protect the cloud and all the data that was securely stored inside. Video tucked away in the cloud must be password protected with NIST-compliant data encryption to ensure appropriate access. A two-step verification process is a must, along with various other strong controls in protecting video data.

I think you’ll enjoy what Whitney has to say about “Shifting Towards the Cloud.”

This article originally appeared in the November/December 2018 issue of Security Today.

About the Author

Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher/Editor in chief of Security Today magazine.

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