FROM THE EDITOR
Networking Technology is Changing
- By Ralph C. Jensen
- Dec 01, 2018
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.