Page 43 - Security Today, September/October 2023

important benefit of cloud. In fact, some cloud providers offer triple redundancy: Video is stored on three different discs and three differ- ent cloud servers. But it is more than redundancy of storage, cloud providers also offer application redundancy – that means the system’s settings and user permissions are also protected. That is not the case if you are running an on-prem system and your server dies. If that hap- pens, you not only lose video, but have lost settings for cameras and for staff permissions in your organization. That is a huge headache you don’t need to worry about with a true cloud provider. Redundancy benefits in the cloud also extend to power. If you lose power in one location, you can still access video from that lo- cation. We have seen the importance of power redundancy all too clearly during recent weather events, especially for businesses with many remote offices. Bad actors and insider threats are a huge problem today. How can cloud help? This should be a major concern for every business owner. Cloud offers better protection against insider threats. With an on-prem system, a bad actor could tamper with a hard drive causing severe damage to a business. That is much more difficult to do with a cloud video surveillance system because bad actors do not have access to the hardware. In addition, cloud video surveillance systems have audit logs. When video is accessed from the cloud, the audit log shows who ac- cessed what video and when. The audit also records the IP address, which shows the location of the person who accessed the video. These cloud features go a long way to deter and investigate insider threats. I keep reading about cybersecurity vulnerabilities in security cameras, are special cameras required for cloud video surveillance? A true cloud provider is an open system that works with many differ- ent camera manufacturers. The business owner is not held hostage by a specific manufacturer in a true cloud system. Cloud video management systems work with existing security cameras, new cameras, or a mix. However, all IOT devices are sub- ject to cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and an infected camera can cause business disruptions or much worse. Some cloud providers have addressed this problem with camera cyber lockdown features that reduce maintenance while making cameras significantly more cybersecure. Cyber lockdown prevents security cameras from communicating with the internet and it also blocks cybersecurity attack attempts from reaching the cameras. Even if a security camera has been previ- ously infected with a virus, camera cyber lockdown features prevent the camera from communicating with the internet. Cybersecurity is an ongoing process for all business owners, security integrators and for cloud providers as well. The threat landscape chang- es daily, and vigilance is an absolute necessity. Cloud providers should welcome questions from potential customers about cybersecurity. Armed with facts, cybersecurity becomes another reason that business owners and resellers are rapidly adopting cloud video surveillance. True cloud offers inherently better cybersecurity. You can bank on it. Hans Kahler is vice president of operations for Eagle Eye Networks. A.I. PROACTIVE GUARDING + CLOUD BACKUP Hybrid Cloud WWW.SECURITYTODAY.COM ↘ Cloud backup for on-premise solutions ↘ Powerful AI-based analytics reduces false alarms by 95% ↘ Gun Detection for campus safety ↘ Integrates with most video platforms ↘ Simple to deploy, easy to manage POWERED BY 877.917.9059 | ALIBISECURITY.COM CALL FOR A DEMO TODAY! MENTION THIS AD AND GET A SPECIAL DEMO OFFER