Page 36 - Security Today, February 2018

SECURITY NETWORK
THE COST OF CYBERCRIME Consider these best practices to ensure a secure network
By Jennifer Hackenburg
Cybercrime is a large and dangerous busi- ness and it impacts individuals, businesses and governments worldwide. According to Forbes, cybercrime costs are projected to reach $2 trillion by 2019. Hackers are re- lentless in their attacks on businesses, gov- ernments and consumers, and cyber-at-
tacks are continuing at an alarming rate across all industries.
Cybersecurity pertains to every device that is connected to the internet, including IP networked surveillance cameras. Aside from their many advantages over analog systems, such as better resolution, clearer images, cost savings, easy installation and ad- vanced analytics, they can also be the gateway for hackers into your organization’s network. Systems that provide total access for use by outside agencies and/or municipal surveillance increase cybersecurity vulnerability, since they require network devices to be placed on public networks outside the protection of local net- work firewalls. Wireless technology also poses cybersecurity risks,
as wireless signals can be compromised without penetrating a physical network — but wirelessly. Add in the Internet of Things, which allows many ancillary devices to easily be integrated into physical security networks, and the challenge increases further.
With cyber threats at an all-time high and with so much at stake, all enterprise stakeholders need to recognize that cyberse- curity is a shared global problem. Security professionals need to implement appropriate measures to ensure their IP cameras are secure and their networks are protected.
Lax Procedures
In video surveillance and security operations, cyber intrusions are often the result of lax operational procedures, such as not reset- ting default passwords when new equipment is installed or failure to implement firmware patches when they are issued. This negli- gence can result in vulnerabilities that allow hackers easy network access and/or the ability to deploy automated scripts to uncover old firmware that uses default passwords. Once the hackers locate camera firmware, they can easily access these devices in the host’s network and affect their operation – for example, by dimming a
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