One of the questions I ask when I perform physical security audits is “Do you have security cameras?” While the answer to the question may be somewhat obvious, especially if I’ve already seen a camera near an entrance, information about the behind-the-scenes equipment is really what I am after.
Today, most businesses have security systems, in particular cameras that are attached to either digital video recorders (DVRs) or computers. Larger businesses usually have state-of-the-art systems, with equipment neatly rack mounted in climate controlled rooms. Many small businesses, on the other hand, usually point to old DVRs installed in out of the way and very dusty places.
DVRs, most of them anyway, will function when they are configured with default passwords or have outdated firmware. They are critically important only when we decide we need information, like when there’s been a break-in or an employee is suspected of theft. Unfortunately, it’s usually about then that we discover the records of an event are unavailable, either because the DVR wasn’t properly configured, or the storage device was damaged or didn’t have enough capacity so the file was overwritten.
Today’s tip is to spot check your security system, in particular your DVR if your system uses one. Don’t just look at the menu and assume all is well. Select a date and time in the last week and attempt to retrieve one of the recordings from a specific camera. Were you successful?