When it comes to protecting your business, closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras can go a long way towards deterring theft and vandalism and helping you catch criminals who steal your assets or deface your property. Read more
CCTV System Legal Requirements for CCTV cameras at home or for business
With the recent court ruling over the use of an Amazon Ring Door Bell, many customers are seeing advice on the legal use of CCTV Cameras at home and for their business.
Analog CCTV Cameras vs IP CCTV Cameras
IP CCTV Cameras represent the future of CCTV Systems. In this blog post we will cover the differences between the older analog CCTV cameras and the new, feature rich IP CCTV cameras and why we specify IP security systems for our customers. Read more
Redeployable Building Site CCTV
Redeployable CCTV Systems across Northern Ireland provide highly-effective temporary surveillance coverage to assist in the reduction of crime, vandalism, fly tipping and anti-social behaviour.
Should I get a home security system?
Commercial properties typically are equipped with business security systems. We have installed hundreds in Northern Ireland. Homeowners, by contrast, often rarely invest in security solutions and rely on traditional locks to get the job done.
Getting better results from SMB Installations
Small and medium businesses (SMBs) are an area of opportunity for security resellers, especially in video surveillance.
Surveillance systems for SMBs are more straightforward than for larger companies, however no matter how many employees or buildings there is, each successful installation would start with designing a system which is appropriate for the business.
Multi-Sensor Megapixel Cameras Redefine Camera Density Requirements
Surveillance systems which cover the extent of your facility are crucial in order to protect your assets and provide extremely important business data. Cameras are the foundation of any surveillance system and for the highest functionality it is important to provide the most camera coverage that is possible. This however, doesn’t require a higher camera count. It is important to consider the value of each individual camera and performance which it delivers, when looking at the density requirements of your camera installation. Businesses require security systems which perform to the highest of standards, therefore these cameras must have the resolution which would recognise faces and license plates, read numbers well and observe customer activity. Standard cameras provide 300,000 pixels per camera, while megapixel cameras provide atleast 1.3 million pixels per camera. Multi-sensor cameras have the ability to provide up to about 16 million pixels by combining several imaging sensors, therefore they can cover a greater distance while delivering higher performance and more capability, requiring lower camera densities to be built into the systems.
Choosing the most suitable Camera Resolution
It is not complicated to decide what camera resolution is right for you, however it can be confusing if you aren’t familiar with best practices. How to make sure your video surveillance system is capturing the needed detail in a scene, without incorporating high-level megapixel cameras which your customer may not require?
Video Management Solutions – Which should I choose?
Digital Surveillance Systems are Central Management System (CMS) / Video Management Systems (VMS) which have a wide range of features and functions within video surveillance. The DSS manages IP cameras and recorders and is able to connect to third-party cameras through the standard ONVIF protocol.
Ensuring your CCTV System is ICO Compliant
Installation
Data protection impact assessment must be performed. You must identify and document any possible impacts on individuals’ privacy. This must be taken into account when installing and operating a CCTV system. Regular reviews must be carried out in order to assess whether CCTV is still the best security solution. If your business processes any types of personal data, you must pay the ICO a data protection fee unless you are exempt. If you use non-domestic CCTV systems for your business, it is highly likely that you will need to pay a fee. There are three different types of fees, which amounts are between £40 and £2900. The fee amount you would have to pay would depend on the size of your business, turnover and sometimes the type of business that you are.
Policies
It is extremely important for your business to have a policy or a procedure which covers the use of CCTV and should have an appointed individual who is responsible for the operation of the CCTV system. This policy should cover the purposes for which you are using CCTV and how you will use this information, which includes guidance on recording and disclosures.
Your business may receive a Subject Access Request (SAR) from an individual, this would mean that you would have a legal duty to comply with this request within 30 days under GDPR and shouldn’t ignore these requests. If ignored, you will fail to comply with the requirements of GDPR and may as a result face fines imposed by ICO for non-compliance. Your business must have a process in place to recognise and reply to individuals who request copies of the images on your CCTV footage. You must promptly seek guidance from the Information Commissioner if there is any uncertainty. It is important for your business to be aware of people’s right to request a copy of image and be prepared to handle such requests. Before releasing any video footage you must ensure that images of any present third parties in the footage are redacted; which can be done by Advanced Overwatch. It is important that every staff member is made aware of the CCTV policy and procedures and must be trained for each area that is necessary.
Operation
Data within your business must be retained for the minimum time necessary for its purpose and then must be disposed of appropriately, when no longer required. The ICO’s guidance on retention period of data is that this time frame should reflect how long your business needs the data for its purposes. The ICO advises that your business should undertake systematic checks in order to ensure compliance with the retention period in practice. Long retention periods can affect the quality of the footage with modern cameras recording to hard disks. You must ensure that the CCTV images are clear and of high quality. It is important to select a system which provides high quality, clear images. As advised by the ICO, CCTV cameras should be placed in the best location that’s possible, to ensure that it provides clear images. It’s important for your business to ensure that CCTV images are securely stored, access is limited to only authorised individuals and that checks and services are regularly carried out on the CCTV system to ensure that it is working properly.
Public Awareness
The public should be well informed of your use of CCTV for your business, which can be done in many different ways such as by displaying signs in clear view which show that CCTV is in operation. Your company website should also outline the use and benefits of CCTV systems and their purpose.