Lights, Camera, Action
Add IP Surveillance
Without Crashing Your Network

So you've decided to take the plunge and purchase that new surveillance system for your business. Good choice. The growing popularity of internet protocol-based surveillance (also called IP surveillance) is a testament to its quality and convenience.

Installing your new surveillance system means adding cameras that will compete for the same bandwidth and storage used by existing network devices and applications. A few smart choices when selecting your equipment can make all the difference between an IP-based system that hums along unobtrusively and one that drains your network.

Assess Your Network
Before the video cameras roll, take a closer look at your network. IP models can quickly zap bandwidth -- and waste storage space. If existing uses already tap more than 50 percent of your network assets, you’ll want to upgrade to avoid overburdening the network. Relevant additions might include adding a VLAN to segment traffic by type (internet, file and print, video) for better throughput.

In some cases, you may need to place your surveillance equipment on its own separate network to further ensure healthy throughput. Larger installations can almost always benefit from this approach. But even systems with one or two cameras may do better. The question is how important is surveillance continuity for your company? Can you afford to lose surveillance time if your original network goes down? If not, a separate network is essential. We can assess your network and help you decide the best option.

Choose Adjustable Cameras
When selecting cameras, remember that even one poorly configured unit can slow your network. To avoid that problem, we can show you models with the following features:

Motion-activation | These cameras shoot video only when they detect motion within the frame, potentially saving you a bundle on storage.

Adjustable bandwidth | This feature lets you designate the amount of network bandwidth used, with 0.2 Mbps to 2.0 Mbps being a common range. Using the lowest-end settings will save bandwidth without significantly altering image quality.

Adjustable frames per second (fps) | Video cameras typically record 30 fps. Dropping that number to 5 to 12 fps lets you keep a watchful eye, while significantly reducing resource use. Sure, it means choppier video, but an intruder's face is still easily recognizable and individual frames can be blown up later for a closer look.

Adjustable resolution and compression | By dropping resolution from 704 x 576, to 176 x 144 (or anywhere in between) and increasing compression to maximum, storage needs are reduced enormously. Typically, the adjustments don't hurt image quality. But lower resolution means your security personnel must view a much smaller image on their monitors. Base your choice on your specific situation.

Choosing the right settings on your cameras can make an enormous difference. For example, a single day of storage for one camera running continuously at the highest resolution (2.0 Mbps/10 fps) requires 43 GB, compared with just 1 GB at the lowest bandwidth settings.

Calculate Storage Needs
The amount of storage you'll require depends on the number of cameras used, and how long you need to save those images. If it's just for a day, you can purchase a day's worth of storage and reuse throughout the week. If you'll need to review incidents days after they've happened, increase your storage accordingly. Your industry may have laws requiring you to keep surveillance images on hand for 30 or 60 days. If so, you'll have to budget for significantly more hard-drive space. We can help you make an insightful choice.

The Bottom Line
Adjusting your cameras can save you an impressive amount of network bandwidth -- especially when done in conjunction with a network assessment and related upgrades. And, it can bring down your storage costs significantly.

Ask us to help you chose the right equipment and ensure an installation that won't break your network -- or your budget.

Why You Should Switch To IP Surveillance
IP surveillance systems offer many benefits over traditional closed-circuit television (CCTV) technology.

Flexible off-site monitoring | Surveillance images can be viewed from any PC within a network, eliminating the expense of the high-end dedicated phone lines required for remote monitoring via CCTV.

Versatile image capturing & sharing | IP surveillance systems can be configured to enhance the visual quality of images, or capture images only when motion is detected. And unlike CCTV owners, end-users don't need time-lapse photography equipment to share images with security personnel.

Simple cataloging & storage | Media is saved on hard disk and easily reviewed and logged from a desktop; the data can then be burned to a CD-ROM or DVD. This is cheaper than CCTV videotape, with its significant storage requirements.

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Blended Threats
Multipronged Network Attacks Require A Multilayered Defense

Every time you turn around, there's a new virus or worm threatening to tear through your network. Now can you imagine a threat that combines the worst traits of viruses, worms, Trojan horses and malicious code, all in one malevolent cocktail? So-called blended threats do just that. And their punch is even more potent because it's delivered via multiple channels to spread the damage further, quicker.

According to Symantec, a leading maker of network security software, the increasingly prevalent tactic now accounts for more than 50 percent of internet attacks. In 2003, three of the most malicious blended assaults -- Blaster, Welchia and Sobig.F -- caused an estimated total $2 billion loss as they raced through millions of computers worldwide.

With a little knowledge, you can prevent your business from being hammered.

Multiplying The Damage
Blended threats scan for vulnerabilities in your network, and then enter via e-mail attachments, shared file folders, wireless devices, web pages, laptops, telnet and other portals. Once in, they quickly replicate, flooding and harming your network with their ability to:

• Plant Trojan horses that can erase hard drives, steal data and launch denial-of-service attacks
• Embed malicious code in HTML files to infect your web site visitors
• Send unauthorized e-mails with worm attachments
• Inject malicious code into a network's .exe files
• Alter security access levels

Is Your Network Vulnerable?
Despite a diligent IT staff, you may need to take a closer look at network security. There are several reasons why your network may become vulnerable over time:

1. Your employees may inadvertently create vulnerabilities. Remote workers access the network via laptops and PDAs, which can create potential security breaches if their entry via a virtual private network (VPN) isn't fully protected.
   Temporary employees and outside consultants who access your network and lack familiarity with your security procedures may also create unsecured portals. Along these lines, consider whether your company has been diligent about enforcing those procedures, and whether your firewalls and other security measures control where users go once inside your network.
2. Your network setup may leave you vulnerable. FTP servers, telnet and web servers are often included automatically during installation of network components. Those elements can open unsecured holes where blended culprits can launch attacks.
3. Traditional security approaches have become outdated. Antivirus measures alone can't stop all blended threats. That's because they can enter via numerous unsecured portals, and spread so quickly antivirus applications cannot be updated in time to contain the threat. In some cases, a blended threat infection rate is hundreds of PCs per second.

Respond With A Multilayered Defense
Protecting your network on all fronts means guarding your internet gateway, web server and individual desktops. Closing unnecessary portals and adding new integrated security tools can block intruders before they infiltrate.

1. Add the latest tools. Today's products protect your network from end to end. Security manufacturers now offer comprehensive, systemwide detection and reporting products that monitor your vulnerabilities, manage security policies and block threats before they enter. Use them in conjunction with advanced firewall software or appliances to manage entry by remote workers via VPNs.
2. Seal unnecessary entry points. Discover where FTP, telnet and other potentially unneeded functions can be removed to further tighten security. Consider asking us for a security assessment to identify these and other problems.
3. Change passwords regularly. Create a password policy for remote workers -- and enforce it. Strengthen the plan by requiring that employees change their VPN and key application passwords routinely -- every six months, for example.
4. Update network software. Make sure your applications are patched for security and upgraded as soon as updates become available. Or ask us about outsourcing your network maintenance -- we can ensure those easily forgotten tasks are completed on schedule.
5. Encourage common sense. Instruct your employees not to open attachments unless they are expecting them. That may be easier said than done, but the results will save your IT staff some major headaches -- and related expense.

Remember, successfully safeguarding your company from blended threats means enlisting a comprehensive approach much broader than traditional firewall and antivirus protection. Contact us for an in-depth assessment of your network, and the latest news on security products that can keep blended threats at the gate.

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THIS ISSUE

Lights, Camera, Action

Blended Threats

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