Page 38 - Security Today, March 2017

Securing the Security Camera Protecting your critical infrastructure against physical and cyber attacks
By Haley Ellison
FTLIR’s IP-mmune, which protect cameras against the threat of viruses and malicious software, is an optional extension to FLIR’s Latitude video management system.
oday, protecting critical infrastructures is almost un- imaging cameras give security forces time to locate, contain, and neu- thinkable without the deployment of security cameras. tralize adversaries before they can access or cause damage.
24/7 camera monitoring enables security professionals The entire product spectrum of security cameras is very wide to react and respond in time to possible incidents, but and integrators have a vast array of functionality at their disposal what if those same security cameras become a liability to protect critical facility perimeters or even vast areas inside or
in your company’s security efforts? What is the role of your camera outside the facility.
network in view of the ever increasing concern of cyber-terrorism? Our country’s critical infrastructures provide the services that are vital to our society - the essential backbone of our nation’s economy, security and health. We experience it daily via the water and power we use, our transportation systems, the stores we shop in, and communica-
tion systems that allow us to stay connected with friends and family. Today, terrorism has become a fact of life. Terrorists are becoming bolder every year and are now also targeting our countries’ critical in- frastructures and industries. For example, recent attacks on the United States Power Grid have convinced security specialists that terrorist at-
tacks to these targets must be addressed with the highest priority. Roughly speaking, there are two types of security threats that industrial and utility facilities are facing every day: physical threats and cyberattacks. The former type refers to physical intrusions by people, animals or vehicles into the protected area of your facility. The latter refers to the threat of viruses and other malicious software attacking the IP network. These latter threats are diverse, evolving, and capable of any attack a programmer can dream up. The impact of malware can be very serious, ranging from infecting the organi- zation’s computer systems and networks to destabilizing the entire
utility infrastructure.
Protecting Against Physical Threats
Video surveillance is probably the hardest intrusion detection tech- nology for adversaries to defeat. For critical infrastructure projects, it is even better to go for thermal security cameras, because these de- vices offer true 24/7 video surveillance and see intruders better during the day and at night without requiring any form of lighting. Thermal
• Thermal imaging cameras enabling to monitor and protect a site perimeter 24/7, day and night and in the most difficult weather conditions.
• Video analytics, in combination with visual or thermal camer- as, creating a fully integrated perimeter security solution and enable accurate intrusion detection of people, animals or ve- hicles, and instant visual alarm assessment while minimizing false alarms.
• Cameras with precision pan/tilt control and fully program- mable scan patterns and radar slew-to-cue and slew-to-alarm functionality.
• Cameras with a wider field-of-view, providing excellent situ- ational awareness, and long-range cameras that can detect in- truders from kilometers away.
From Analog to IP-based Digital Infrastructure
The predominant camera technology today is IP. This is definitely the case for new installations and with companies that already have an analog camera network in place, an increasing number of them are seeking ways to switch from analog to IP security cameras in a cost-effective way.
It’s not difficult to see why IP cameras are the preferred technol- ogy. First of all, the image quality of a digital camera is much better than an analog one. Additionally, IP cameras are able to capture a much wider field of view than comparable analog cameras, meaning
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0317 | SECURITY TODAY
CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE