CCTV or video surveillance is often projected as a silver bullet that solves all security woes.
What more could you ask for when you can’t be physically present to monitor activities happening in the areas of your interest be it home, housing complexes or businesses!
However, to accept CCTV as a sure shot way of ensuring security is fraught with danger.
Risks of CCTV
Some of the key risks of CCTV are enumerated below:
1. Thinking that CCTV can PREVENT crime
As security professionals agree, CCTV is NOT a preventive control. It cannot actually prevent crime from taking place. It cannot really intervene when crimes are committed. While some may argue that the presence of CCTV itself deters crime, it is important to understand that determined criminals have ways and means to keep their identity secret when committing crimes.
Video surveillance systems are often paired with other systems/techniques to make them smarter. Basic in-built video analytics can help send out alerts based on predefined thresholds. For example, if someone enters a prohibited area, the system can send out an alert on the basis of which action can be taken. There are even more sophisticated video analytics software that can be used to do much more. However, the more high-end software is cost prohibitive for small and medium enterprises and the basic software throws up false positives. For example if a cat enters a prohibited area, you may get an alert.
2. Lack of Monitoring
Many organizations / societies etc. set up CCTV systems but do not put in place any process to monitor the video regularly.
In an ideal situation, the video feed should be monitored real time. However, that is not always possible due to the lack of manpower. Further, human errors due to operator fatigue leads to a possibility of missing out on some incident.
If live monitoring is not possible, a process of periodic review should be setup to check for incidents. In many cases, it is often seen that video footage is often reviewed only after a major incident takes place.
In case of businesses where there is a risk of insider theft, it is extremely important to check video footage very often. Employees should be hauled up for violations based on video evidence so that everyone becomes aware that they are actually being monitored. If employees are not caught the first time they steal, they begin to assume that the CCTV system setup is not being monitored and hence get emboldened to steal more!
If employees are not caught the first time they steal, they begin to assume that the CCTV system setup is not being monitored and hence get emboldened to steal more!
3. Technical problems with CCTV
Many times it has been found that the CCTV system was not working or configured incorrectly when video was retrieved post any incident. Either the system was configured to store video in low resolution or some component of the system was had stopped working.
Of course, regular monitoring of video feed would catch these problems early. The other solution is to set up in built hardware alerts that can automatically notify you in case of any hardware failure. There are companies like Zicom that even offer such monitoring as a service. (Full disclosure: Zicom is a client of my company Confidis)
4. Physical security of the CCTV equipment
There have been several cases where criminals have stolen the recording system (aka DVR/NVR). This defeats the entire purpose of having a video surveillance system. The key component of a video surveillance system like DVR/NVR should be physically protected. Most of the time it is kept in the open, ready to be ripped out by criminals!
The key component of a video surveillance system like DVR/NVR should be physically protected. Most of the time it is kept in the open, ready to be ripped out by criminals!
5. Inadequate area coverage
Some businesses do not do a proper risks assessment of the areas that should be monitored. This results in poor design of the system and inadequate capture of video.
It is essential to analyze and prioritize the areas to be monitored and then design and implement a CCTV system. Poor design can lead to a tearful postmortem!
It is essential to analyze and prioritize the areas to be monitored and then design and implement a CCTV system. Poor design can lead to a tearful postmortem!
So how does one protect what is valuable?
Security cannot be assured by just implementing a video surveillance system. Even putting in all the good practices cannot give you an assurance of 100% security. What is needed is a combination of security measures. This includes implementation of adequate preventive controls in addition to detective controls like CCTV. For example, in businesses, daily processes need to be analyzed and controls should be built in to prevent pilferage and theft. In housing societies, security measures like perimeter walls etc. should be checked and strengthened.
Summary
Video surveillance systems should never be considered the be all and end all of security. The risks of doing so are numerous and measures should be taken to mitigate those risks. It is important to combine preventive controls along with detective controls like video surveillance to get a better assurance of security.