Ask the Expert Sample Article

This month's expert discusses Warehouse security, and more.

READER QUESTION: I own three warehouses that I lease to tenants. I provide security that consists of fire and burglar alarms, and two card readers and cameras at each location. Lately, there have been several break-ins. I am recording the cameras, but not monitoring in real time. Would it be wiser for me to hire a couple of guards to monitor at night or work with a local monitoring company?


SOLUTION: The development of systems that digitize video and transport it via TCP/IP across the Internet has made it possible to monitor video remotely. In fact, many monitoring companies now offer video monitoring services that work in conjunction with existing burglar alarm systems. These services consist of both video alarm verification, where operators at the monitoring company view video that has been associated with an alarm sent from an alarm panel, and video tours, where operators periodically check-in at a site and look for unusual activity as defined by the owner.

In both cases, two-way audio can be used in conjunction with the video monitoring to provide an added level of service.

Ask questions when making a decision on whether or not to use video monitoring services. Will the security and video systems need to be upgraded to provide adequate protection? Are the cameras placed in such a way as to provide quality video? Will the monitoring company be able to remotely monitor the existing video system? What are the legal and ethical commitments to tenants regarding site security?

In summary, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

 

READER QUESTION: We will be opening offices in Kansas and Missouri, in addition to our home office in Ohio. We have been well-served by our security integrator in Ohio, but the company does not have the reach to help with our new facilities. Can you give some advice on how to pick security firms in Kansas and Missouri that will give us the same type of service we have come to expect in Ohio?

SOLUTION: I would begin by itemizing the service deliverables you value that are being provided by your Ohio integrator—prompt service response, qualified technicians, systems design expertise and system documentation. Next, ask your Ohio integrator if they are networked with reliable integrators in Kansas and Missouri. If the answer is no, you or your Ohio integrator can get the names of product-certified integrators from your access control software supplier. After identifying software-certified integrators, narrow the field and find a reliable integration partner by asking these questions: What is the financial stability of the integrator? How long has the integrator been in business? Does the integrator have the technical strength and personnel to manage your project? Does the integrator employ network-qualified personnel? What do existing customers of the integrator say about their technical capabilities and service response time?

READER QUESTION: I own four convenience stores in a mid-sized city, and I currently have cameras monitoring front and back doors and the register at each location. Even so, I've had five robberies in the past six months. By the time police arrive and we run the video for the officers to review, the robbers are long gone. Would a network allow me to share video with the police department more quickly? I'm tired of my stores being seen as an easy mark.

SOLUTION: A video transmission system can be installed and set up to report to a central station monitoring company. This allows operators to remotely view your video cameras upon an alarm being activated. Video verification of alarms can improve police response time, since it has been verified that the alarm is not a false or nuisance alarm. The monitoring company also can assist in identification of intruders when reporting the alarm. There are a number of municipalities where verification of alarms is required before reporting them to the police.

There also are systems that incorporate features like remote control and intercom systems. These features can assist the central station operator to further identify and challenge an intruder to hopefully prevent any damages or losses before they happen.

 

 

Featured

  • Maximizing Your Security Budget This Year

    Perimeter Security Standards for Multi-Site Businesses

    When you run or own a business that has multiple locations, it is important to set clear perimeter security standards. By doing this, it allows you to assess and mitigate any potential threats or risks at each site or location efficiently and effectively. Read Now

  • New Research Shows a Continuing Increase in Ransomware Victims

    GuidePoint Security recently announced the release of GuidePoint Research and Intelligence Team’s (GRIT) Q1 2024 Ransomware Report. In addition to revealing a nearly 20% year-over-year increase in the number of ransomware victims, the GRIT Q1 2024 Ransomware Report observes major shifts in the behavioral patterns of ransomware groups following law enforcement activity – including the continued targeting of previously “off-limits” organizations and industries, such as emergency hospitals. Read Now

  • OpenAI's GPT-4 Is Capable of Autonomously Exploiting Zero-Day Vulnerabilities

    According to a new study from four computer scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, OpenAI’s paid chatbot, GPT-4, is capable of autonomously exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities without any human assistance. Read Now

  • Getting in Someone’s Face

    There was a time, not so long ago, when the tradeshow industry must have thought COVID-19 might wipe out face-to-face meetings. It sure seemed that way about three years ago. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West
Most   Popular

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis. 3

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure. 3

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.” 3