Category: Video Surveillance Systems
How COVID-19 Made Security Systems Planning Essential Part Business Continuity Planning New York
One thing the shutdown during the Coronavirus pandemic in NY certainly has done is interrupted many businesses and made Owners question how well they have planned to ensure business continuity in all aspects of their business.
COVID-19 has exposed vulnerabilities in both processes and systems, including security systems, and the lack thereof when a business moves from onsite work to remote and offsite work. It has also created the need for new standard operating procedures to be developed and managed remotely. And when a business has moved offsite or even temporarily shut down, in many cases, it has left its facility vulnerable to security breaches both physical and digital in nature. Despite the temporary lockdown, every piece of property must be secured.
Therefore, part of any Business Continuity Planning is security planning for your business and risk management. First, let’s understand Business Continuity from a higher level:
What is Business Continuity Planning (BCP)?
A Business Continuity Plan or BCP is the process involved in outlining procedures on how a business will continue to operate during an unprecedented event. Having a prevention and recovery plan ensures a company has the capacity to run its critical business operations during emergency situations. Emergencies can include pandemics, business crises, workplace violence, natural disasters and other events that can disrupt business operations.
Important Factors To Consider When Creating A Security System Business Continuity Plan
- Safety of Employees and Customers. Thermal Temperature Screening is fast becoming the preferred method of screening staff and patrons entering your facility. While not a perfect solution, these systems show everyone that you take this situation seriously and are taking steps to ensure their safety.
- Security of the Company’s Premises. It is said that idle hands are the devil’s workshop. Vandalism has increased during this time and no doubt will continue to be a major concern going forward. A professionally installed burglar alarm system coupled with high definition cameras go a long way in protecting your building, and your peace of mind.
- Company/Team Communications. New technology such as Zoom video conferencing and Microsoft Teams have enabled staff to continue working as one group, even when they are all stationed remotely.
- Alternative Work Locations. Many businesses have relocated staff to satellite offices. When doing so they may find that their Access Control (keyfob system) just isn’t up to the task. A properly designed modern Electronic Access Control (EAC) system will allow you to bring new locations online quickly while managing them all from a single user interface.
- Customized Security Services. Everyone’s security needs are unique. Our team of Security Consultants will help you tailor a customized solution that fits your needs and your budget.
- Security Resource Planning. Using Digital Wellness Planning we can help you apply your current security infrastructure to enforce your new health and safety policies.
- Security Assessment to Prevent and/or Minimize Disruption. We have always offered a free onsite security assessment of your school or business and have now added new guidelines which have been outlined by the CDC and FDA during the pandemic. We will provide you with a report that outlines your current situation and offers valuable information and guidance on how to improve your overall security.
- Damage Assessment and Recovery Team. Should you suffer damage to your premises, we can work closely with your architect to get you headed in the right direction in regard to your security and low voltage needs.
Why Business Continuity Planning Matters
Because continuity means consistency. Consistency impacts more than just Operations and profitability; it impacts market perception and ultimately trust in your brand, an invaluable intangible that then impacts the value of your business.
The Business Continuity Planning Process As It Relates to Security System Planning & Integration
The four stages of a business continuity plan in regard to your security systems are typically:
1) Business Impact Analysis: We will work with your team to gather all of the information needed to complete our security assessment.
2) Recovery Strategies: We will identify weak points in your security infrastructure and offer solutions to offer better redundancy and operation.
3) Plan Development: We will develop a plan that offers solutions to your current security infrastructure concerns. We will also educate you on the latest technology which may help you better handle an emergency situation.
4) Testing and Exercises: Once improvements have been made, we will conduct field exercises to test the new system capabilities and properly train your staff on what to do when things start to happen.
Security System Products That Reinforce Your Business Continuity Plan: A Closer Look
Looking at business continuity from just a security systems point of view, there is a lot that can be done to help a business maintain superior security levels while decentralizing its operations for example. Business continuity programs should therefore include all of the necessary systems to maintain and improve your business security too. Here are five things Digital Provisions recommends to significantly improve your business continuity program (BCP) as it related to New York Business Security:
Remote Security System Access – Both your video surveillance system as well as your intrusion (burglary alarm) and EAC systems should be accessible remotely. Additionally, each should be sending you real time updates about certain conditions that you have outlined as requiring your notification. Lastly, a second backup internet service provider (ISP) is an excellent way to provide redundancy into your organization while you are not there.
Intruder Alarm Systems – A properly functioning intrusion alarm system must be monitored by Central Station operators to be truly effective. We sometimes have customers choose to self-monitor and later regret it when they miss that critical call either due to bad reception or being out of pocket. Central Station is always going to respond and they can be instructed to call the authorities if they are unable to reach the designated contact at your organization.
Backup Power Supplies – Every component of your security systems must be connected to some form of backup power supply. A UPS will ensure your system is unaffected by power spikes or short power outages. For further protection a backup generator system is recommended.
Video Surveillance Floorplans – Your video surveillance system must be capable of displaying your cameras on a floorplan of your facility. This will help staff and possibly first responders better deal with emergency situations.
EAC Threat Levels – Your Electronic Access Control system should have the ability to apply predetermined security templates in relation to the security challenge at hand. What is a threat level? Think of it as a way to set specific security measures in motion whenever there may be a problem. By pre-defining your actions, you can instantly place your building into lockdown or take other actions, all automatically.
Additional Reasons Why A Future with A More Decentralized Office Structure Will Impact Digital & Physical Security Planning in the Long Term
We may never go back to exactly how things were before COVID-19. I think many of us know that to heart. That’s because any challenge, any tough situation, often has a silver lining where new ideas and new solutions are generated. Solutions that can fundamentally change how we operate as businesses. When those solutions improve profits or drive incremental revenue or new profits centers are created, the financial impact alone can be enough to prompt permanent change. One example is curbside pick-up for retailers and food. Is there a reason to not offer this into the future? Coupled with financials is the fact that many of these shifts were already in play around the Globe. For example:
Remote work was already a trend. Data security will be more important than ever. With a trend toward remote work and at-home work already in process well before COVID-19, the current situation has been a catalyst to even more at-home work and potentially permanent restructuring of many business’ infrastructure and workforce. Combine that with an increasingly international and global world and the vast improvements in technology and communication, many questions where in person work is the most optimal system to begin with. Needing to keep your business and information secure in this new environment is critical.
Working with less overhead means leaner and more profitable operations. However, businesses will still keep their buildings for a more “hybrid” approach to scheduling home/at office work. As many companies will learn, to work smarter and “leaner” in terms of personnel and organizational design, the COVID-19 at home workforce may in fact stay at home into the future if it proves to be beneficial for business profits and is acceptable and desired by the work force. However, they will still need to be able to manage security offsite and onsite with equal ease of control, including from mobile devices and 24/7. Remote access control will be increasingly more important, we suspect. Perimeter control will continue to be essential, because it is your first line of defense. All of these systems need to be integrated and also kept up to date, all the time.
Employee scanning will be important on site. Whereas IP cameras were used primarily for security, they will increase function and scan for elevated temperatures and potential health issues. This is part of ensuring a healthy work environment and will continue to be important to future of security. Keeping people out will be balanced with ensuring the health of those you let in; security systems will help this process immensely.
Summary
Has COVID-19 changed the New York business landscape forever? When we look back, will we say it actually has helped us manage our businesses better? COVID-19’s silver lining is that has exposed weakness we can now correct. What does this mean for you the New York business owner? Never before has business continuity planning been so important to keep workers safe and secure, ensure smooth operations, build contingency plans that reduce risk, and make businesses less vulnerable overall to the changes that are inevitably happening in society from COVID-19. Security systems play a large role in ensuring you are reducing risk.
Contact Digital Provisions to Plan A Security Business Continuity Program for Your Business
Plan to put your business in a better more secure position. When you think about BCP going forward, also think about your security continuity. A little planning will go a very long way.
Contact Digital Provisions today at 631-209-2600 for a security consultation.
Additional Resources:
Here is a resource with both a system to self-assess your risk levels but also six steps to create your own business continuity plan: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_dialogue/—act_emp/documents/publication/wcms_740375.pdf.
School Safety: Having The Right Tools Means Better Overall Security
Having worked in a school setting, I can honestly say that the security of students and staff is on your mind all day long. From the moment you step foot in school in the morning, to the minute that bell rings at the end of the day, keeping your students and staff safe is your top priority.
Part of the struggle in keeping schools secure is quickly and effectively reacting to a situation with as much accurate information as you can possibly obtain. A stranger at the door, a car approaching the gate, a loud sound in a remote area of the building – these are all scenarios that happen on a regular basis and many times are perfectly harmless. However, to truly be prepared in any given situation, you must first be ready and equipped with the proper tools for the job.
Violent or threatening incidents in a school environment are happening across the country at an alarming rate and school security has become an increasingly hot topic of conversation. The good news is that many schools are responding to this by implementing or adjusting their safety procedures in hopes to diffuse a volatile situation.
The bottom line is that school safety is about being vigilant. To successfully monitor your surroundings, it is paramount to upgrade your school’s security surveillance system. Being proactive and collecting as much information prior to an individual stepping foot inside your school building is the best and safest way to proceed. In order to achieve this, it is crucial to install security cameras with high resolution imaging. Installing access control systems in different areas can also help oversee the flow of people in and out of the school building.
The benefit of having an effective school security system is the ability to control your environment from a safe vantage point. From your computer screen, you can view real time images, zoom in on faces and license plate numbers as well as any other minute detail that could illicit action and diffuse a situation. Having each staff member equipped with a key to enter the building is also a proven method to keep a building secure.
In having the proper security equipment, you are actively choosing to do all that you possibly can to assess a situation to achieve a safer result.
Digital Provisions believes in providing smart and proactive tools to maintain a level of safety and security for all students, teachers, fellow community members and all who spend their days in our schools. We specialize in designing and installing audio and visual surveillance specifically geared for schools on Long Island and New York City.
Contact us to learn more about the tools and technology we offer to keep your school safe and secure. Call 631-209-2600 to schedule a FREE site security design.
Article Written By Lindsay Butler
Protecting Your Car Dealership Against Invalid Claims: A Video Surveillance System Is Your Ally
It’s becoming a problem in our society with people being able to sue anyone for anything these days, more often than not most claims are false. People are always trying to get over on somebody else’s dime, but this doesn’t have to be you.
Through the use of advanced video surveillance, and audio surveillance, you can protect yourself and your company from liability – if you have a properly designed system. Recently one of our customers who owns a large new car dealership has been using his system for this exact purpose, for protection against invalid claims.
Here are two examples:
A customer claimed to the dealership that his vehicle was damaged when in for service, large dent on the rear quarter panel. The dealership’s owner reviewed the footage of the car entering the shop and the large dent was already on the vehicle, obviously not done by the dealership. He was able to send an image to the customer of the condition of the car prior to entering the service shop because he had a properly designed system that was viewing vehicles entering and exiting the service shop.
Same dealership but different scenario, customer claims sales person took over an hour to come and greet/help her. The customer wrote a bad review online referencing horrible customer service at this dealership. The dealership contacted the customer who made the claim and asked for the time and date of the occurrence. When going back to the video it was discovered that this customer was greeted within 60 seconds upon entering. The bad review that was posted online was retracted when the customer was shown the proof.
These two examples are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to verifying a claim that someone makes against the actual truth. Having a video surveillance system saved this dealership a lot of headaches, possible bad reviews but most importantly money. Security cameras are a necessary tool in business, the key is to have a system that is tailored to your specific needs in order to be effective.
Contact us to find out how this proven new technology can protect your assets and your property. Even better, call and ask for a free car dealership security systems design to see how the system should be laid out and what investment will be required.
Is Video Surveillance Enough To Truly Protect Auto Dealerships?
Many business owners invest heavily in video coverage, but often end up only recording crimes against them and not apprehending the criminals or preventing the crimes from happening. While traditional video and audio recording systems can provide automotive dealerships with a host of valuable information (see “Video Surveillance – Beyond Security”) they do little to deter criminals from committing crimes. By itself, an auto dealership video surveillance system does nothing to protect a lot from attack, serving merely to document the incident and perhaps yield a few clues.
In a recent example, a Texas Chevrolet dealer endured an extensive heist that left 48 cars without wheels and tires, at a cost of approximately $250,000 in damages. The event was captured by the dealership’s extensive array of security cameras, however despite being on the property for approximately 4 hours the perpetrators went undetected during their caper. A small amount of valuable information was collected from the video of the incident but the crime wasn’t discovered until the next day. Having not captured anything uniquely identifiable the video evidence is useful only in establishing a timeline for the crime and provided very few additional clues.
Remote Guarding with Interactive Audio Challenge
With the advancement of a host of different technologies, remote guarding has become a viable solution for protecting car dealerships and other outdoor lots with vehicles or equipment under threat of burglary or vandalism.
Remote guarding leverages the power of high definition video, audio, advanced motion and perimeter breach detection systems with the internet and remote security agents to form a substantial level of protection for an outdoor space. Considering the ability to have 360 degree coverage all the time it can easily be argued to be more effective than a vehicle based roaming guard service.
Live audio interaction with the property changes the game against a criminal. Knowing they have been detected and that police are on the way will generally put an end to the crime. The shock value alone of a loud voice piercing the night while they are committing a burglary is incredible.
Properly designed systems can have a live agent challenging a suspect via loudspeaker in around 3 minutes of them breaching the perimeter. This is a powerful tool that works almost as soon as the threat is established, reducing and even eliminating damages or loss of property.
System Design and Installation
Effective protection of a car dealership or similar lot begins with understanding the unique vulnerabilities of the particular location. To properly recognize the threats a lot is subject to, a detailed forensic threat analysis is required. During this process our team would identify weaknesses in the physical perimeter, potential or active routes of attack, site lighting conditions and other environmental factors that impact security of the perimeter and pathways throughout the interior. We examine and inventory the current security infrastructure (if it exists) to determine which if any components can be incorporated as part of our design.
With the threats understood a formidable defense can be designed. Each system is engineered from a core base of components, but no two systems are exactly the same. A well designed system will have solid perimeter protection and good spot motion coverage throughout the interior of the lot. Generally the installation will require some coordination with the IT managers as secure connections to the internet will be required.
After the installation is complete the system is tuned to peak performance and minimal false levels. Delivery and cleaning personnel patterns and behaviors are learned and any effects of vegetation are dealt with by either trimming or sensor relocation.
Installed systems are reviewed by our team on a daily basis to establish any false alarm patterns that develop and to observe the general health of the system.
Digital Provisions has been installing video verified intrusion systems since 2011 and knows what it takes to get it done right. Contact us to find out how this proven new technology can protect your assets and your property.
Original article about the burglary incident at a Texas Chevy dealership can be found here:
http://autoweek.com/article/car-news/180-wheels-stolen-texas-chevy-dealership
Importance Of Video Surveillance Systems At Car Dealership Service Bays
If you are an owner or manager in the automotive sales industry, the need to have a surveillance system has increased dramatically. There are many reasons for car dealerships to have video surveillance; it’s not just for catching thieves trying to steal parts or entire cars, or monitoring employees. One significant use of such systems is for viewing customers’ vehicles coming in and out the shop for service.
Verifying the condition of a vehicle entering the service bays has already helped many of our clients avoid false claims by customers. Customers have stated that the dealership caused the damage while servicing the vehicle, and the cameras have proven otherwise.
By placing high-resolution IP cameras in the proper locations to view and record vehicles coming and going through the shop, you can solve this problem. It’s not just a matter of putting up a camera in the shop to view everything. If designed properly by an experienced integrator, you will have cameras specifically placed to capture different sections of the shop. We have heard from dealership owners time and time again, “I’m tired of customers telling me this dent or scratch wasn’t on my car before it came into the shop!”
By investing a small amount now with the right firm to design a video surveillance system to meet your needs, you can avoid situations like this and avoid having to pay out hundreds or even thousands in repair work to a customer that came in for a $40.00 oil change.
Please contact us at 631-209-2600 for a free security consultation to review your security needs.
Exporting Video Surveillance Footage: 4 Things To Consider When Comparing Export Features
One of the most important abilities of a video surveillance system is exporting videos. Undoubtedly if you have a surveillance system, you had exported video before or at least tried. Every system is different, and some systems are better than others. When reviewing features of competing video surveillance systems, the importance of the exporting process is often overlooked. Some things to consider when comparing export features between systems are digital signature & encryption, proprietary video player availability, password protected export, and the ability to prevent re-export. I will explain the differences between these and how you may use them.
Proprietary Video Player
I am typically not a fan of proprietary software, but there is a good reason to export video that will only play with a special player. By exporting video as an AVI or MPEG, it is essentially viewable from any computer with no special software. When a video clip has to be exported, and it does not require any privacy or protection against video tampering, then an AVI would be an acceptable method. If there is an incident where the video has privacy concerns or may be used as evidence, then using the proprietary video player becomes mandatory. A standard video file format such as AVI was never designed to include any special features such as password protection, digital signature nor encryption. Because of this, a special player has to be exported with the video to enable these important features.
Digital Signature & Encryption
Enabling digital signature and encryption forces the VMS (video management system) to do an additional task when exporting video. It will create a digital signature of the video using a hash algorithm and store the digital signature with the video. When the exported video is being used as evidence by a police officer or judge a manual verification of the video can be done to check for video tampering. To use this function, a password must also be set to the video.
Password Protected Export
Password protecting a video export is another feature that can protect the exported data. It will ensure that export video is viewed by who it is intended for. You can password protect video while not having to have digital signature & encryption enabled.
Prevent Re-export
Preventing re-export will stop someone from re-exporting the video from within your original exported video file. This may be necessary to further protect the video evidence.
The features outlined above are very powerful and can be used to allow video to hold up in court. Depending on what you may be using video surveillance for, it may be worth making sure the surveillance system you currently own or looking to purchase will support these features. It may be the difference between winning and losing a lawsuit.