On-site management of video surveillance has been the predominant model for many decades but is quickly being surpassed by the benefits of cloud-based video surveillance management. From the protracted process required to deploy traditional systems and large capital expenditures to having the flexibility to scale your deployment, on-site surveillance storage and management has its fair share of difficulties. With cloud-based video surveillance, you are often able to bypass these challenges and provide enhanced capabilities for video surveillance while maintaining a more structured investment in your technology that allows your solutions to evolve with the market. Still not convinced cloud-based video surveillance is for you? Here are a few more unexpected benefits that you will appreciate when you move to the cloud. 

Security and surveillance systems have been a target for criminals for years, with nearly every spy movie created showing how unsavory individuals are able to hack their way around security systems. Even so, there is a new threat attacking connected security systems: cybercriminals are employing malware and viruses in an attempt to break through IP cameras as a tunnel into the broader network of your organization. The IP-based surveillance community is facing an extensive array of attacks according to cybersecurity leader Trend Micro, whose software blocked more than 5 million attacks in a 5-month period alone. With an increasingly-connected environment as opposed to closed-loop surveillance that existed in the past, cybercriminals are always looking for ways to infiltrate your systems. This makes having managed security and surveillance services a vital tactic in your cybersecurity arsenal.

Did you know that your business is under attack on a daily basis? From malware and ransomware to the threat of IoT (Internet of Things) devices that can be hacked, companies are being infiltrated at astounding rates. We have all seen the movies where someone taps a few buttons on a computer and then has complete control of the video systems, or has a nifty handheld device that can bypass a specific video camera. While crooks certainly can cover up crimes by hacking into a video feed, it's much more likely that you will be in a situation where you're dealing with ransomware or other types of network-based technology attacks. Surveillance cameras are viewed as a critical aspect of building and personnel security, making them a particularly vulnerable target for cybercriminals. Overcoming these issues requires a dedicated focus on the intersection between cybersecurity and physical or digital surveillance technologies.

People are quick to record nearly anything on cell phone cameras and post it to social media, but it's not unusual for a specific angle to capture only a portion of the story. When law enforcement professionals have high-quality body cameras, they are able to capture both visual and audio proof of exactly how events occurred, which often provides a more thorough overview of activities than will be captured from cell phones of bystanders. Body cameras are quickly becoming standard issue for many law enforcement professionals at the national, state and local levels to provide a variety of benefits for both the officers and the public. These recording devices are meant to help officers stay accountable while also improving police-community relations. Many officers note that they see an immediate sense of calm come over individuals during a traffic stop when body cameras are present -- a powerful statement about the value of adding these devices to your law enforcement arsenal.

There is a revolution coming in terms of access control, security, and surveillance -- and automated license plate readers (ALPRs) are leading the charge. This technology is extremely safe and efficient, allowing corporations, municipalities and law enforcement professionals to actively scan up to several hundred license plates per minute. This information captured by networks of high-speed cameras is then quickly translated into machine-readable text that includes useful metadata such as the geographic location, time, and more. Once this information has been stored, it's readily accessible and corporations to charge tolls or parking fees to individuals that are skipping out on their fair share. While the base technology is well understood, there is a range of features that can cause the cost of ALPR systems to vary dramatically, from a few thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands for a large or complex system. From the speed of the vehicles moving through your system to the storage capacity of the servers, here is a quick overview of the various factors that affect the price of ALPR systems.