Video technology has seen exponential growth in recent years, to the point that we actually expect cameras in almost all of our devices. Most people wouldn’t even consider purchasing a phone or laptop without video capabilities built-in. With the explosion of video-enabled devices, it’s no surprise that the security industry has also seen vast advancements in the camera technologies available for commercial properties, as well as significantly more video devices being installed around the world.
In fact, it’s estimated that between 2015 and 2018 the number of installed video security cameras in the U.S. alone grew by almost 50%, with that figure continuing to rise by a further 12% through 2021. However, more cameras also means more footage to watch, and more data to store and search through. This begs the question: When it comes to video security, is there a limit? How much is too much?
When trying to gauge the right level of video security for commercial applications, it’s important to understand that advanced video security systems are no longer out of reach to the average consumer: Smart doorbells and IoT devices let people see what’s happening at their door and in their spaces at any given moment — and that same expectation extends to the commercial sector.
One of the key issues driving the latest round of technical advancements in this space is the ability to monitor and respond in real-time — without being physically present. Similar to smart home doorbells, door readers and intercoms with built-in, live video capabilities help provide visual verification at the moment somebody tries to unlock the door. Equipped with powerful AI video cameras and analytics, businesses now have the ability to see security events in real-time, as well as maintain a visual record for auditing and investigations.
By providing security teams the ability to view and manage all active devices remotely from one platform via cloud-based platforms, it’s easier to understand and control security in a holistic way. And who wouldn’t want to have better 24/7 visibility?
However, without the ability to easily locate relevant files and ignore insignificant data, all this footage from video-enabled readers and security cameras quickly becomes overwhelming, even for a large security team.
The second challenge for video security lies in protecting all that data the systems are producing. All sensitive and identifiable information needs to be protected from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, with this particular consideration becoming increasingly important as the number of IoT and internet-connected devices using the local network opens up more vulnerabilities and possible entry points for hackers.
Luckily, the technology exists today to address these pressing concerns. Smart data analytics and intelligent video security software tools can help security experts take full advantage of advanced camera technology, without adding to the burden of managing a larger system.
By integrating novel AI technologies and machine learning algorithms alongside existing cloud-based video storage platforms, commercial users are able to improve the efficiency of video search and incident response. In addition, these smart video systems can automatically adjust bandwidth and storage processes to optimize the system for data retention and capacity limits. Finally, teams should assess where AI can assist humans in their workflows, not replace them. The goal should be for AI to help accelerate human decision making and play an advisory role to help teams make well-informed decisions when it comes to security events.
For example, AI-powered video security systems can be trained to search for and highlight specific events or behaviors both in real-time and when reviewing stored data. Plus, this advanced technology is capable of conducting forensic-level search of historic footage, reducing investigation times from hours to minutes. In practice, systems with this capability can also automatically notify admins of potential intruders or vehicle violations using machine learning algorithms. AI technology has huge potential to assist human monitoring teams in improving their operational efficiency and, in turn, reduce overall business costs. Looking at the example of small business retailers, who lose an average of $25,000 to $33,000 every minute to shoplifting, AI powered commercial security cameras can help on-site teams identify incidents and known offenders in real-time. The technology improves visibility and awareness, and enables faster responses in critical moments.
In addition, these same technologies can be configured to detect and respond to both known and novel cyberattacks, a growing concern that’s estimated to cost businesses an average of $4.35 million per year in related damages. Software programs can be designed to spot patterns in data that may correlate with sophisticated cyberattacks, such as abnormal behavior on the local network, or unauthorized login attempts. This technology improves the ability for human teams to monitor and assess access logs or recorded video security data, ultimately helping to protect sensitive information from potential breaches.
So, is the rising number of cameras truly a cause for concern?
While adding more commercial security cameras or video readers to a system may seem like it’s creating a daunting amount of footage to monitor, or exposing businesses to more risk, the right investments can actually prove the opposite. AI-powered video security systems have the potential to make security monitoring more efficient, faster and more agile, with tools like automations, alerts and remote cloud functionality already changing the way many security teams operate on a daily basis. In addition, these smarter systems can improve response times and pave the way for powerful automations that help save time, safeguard assets and protect people when it matters the most.
Author note: James Segil is a Corporate Vice President of Marketing & Inside Sales at Motorola Solutions, a company renowned for producing reliable access control, video security and cloud-based software solutions for commercial enterprise.
This article explores the potential issues brought about by the growing number of intelligent video security cameras in operation across the US, including how best to view and manage stored data, issues regarding common privacy and security concerns as well as looking to question the importance of widespread video security in modern commercial and residential installations.
Source: Story.KISSPR.com
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