Understanding And Enhancing Surveillance Systems
Surveillance cameras can do a lot more than in the 1990's and early 2000's, but there are still a few dangers and missed opportunities caused by being too reliant on new technology. You can expand surveillance systems to do a lot of great things, such as streaming content to the internet or storing data to new places automatically, but you need to protect yourself from casual spies and intruders who can sniff out tech weak spots. Here are a few security concerns and improvement points to get more out of your cameras safely.
Saving Surveillance Data To Multiple Locations
The core features of a surveillance camera system is to record video onto a central device. You can increase you recording capabilities by adding more cameras, which adds additional videos that can be saved separately or placed onto a single screen with multiple video boxes.
Why save the video to a single device? If you don't want all of your surveillance information destroyed by going after a single device, many surveillance systems can be connected to a computer. From there, you can use any number of computer file sharing techniques to spread the information as needed.
Most computers running Windows or Macintosh have programs that can automatically copy your information for backup purposes. Backup programs can be configured to save to a specific location, and that location can be another computer on a home network or even a storage locker on the internet.
You need to secure your network to be safe. Make sure that all computers have passwords, and if you're using an online storage account, check it for compromises at all times. Never store sensitive information in online storage lockers, because the storage website's security is out of your hands. It's your own risk if you trust someone else's website to store information, no matter how many security promises they give.
Streaming Surveillance Video As Online Content
There's no shortage of live video feeds that play from surveillance cameras, and you can get in on that action. If your home or business is in an interesting area or if you have an idea for a show, you can point your video device to the internet.
Just like the backups technique, you will need at least one computer to connect to the internet and use like any other computer. For all intents and purposes, you're turning your surveillance system into a webcam.
Ask a surveillance camera professional for a system that connects to computers easily, as connecting some cameras can be complicated if they need converters and special programs. Many surveillance brands will appear on the computer as video streaming-capable in any program such as Skype or Discord, or any video website such as YouTube or Twitch.
Once connected, make sure to connect only the cameras you wish to stream. Don't put your bedroom or other private area cameras anywhere near that computer unless you want to stream private content. Keep in mind that if they're connected and turned off or disabled, someone out there can figure out how to turn them on. Hacking simply means finding a clever solution to a given problem, and technology is still quite wild.
Contact a surveillance camera professional, such as from Enhanced Telecommunications and Data, to discuss other features and compatibility options for your system.
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