Monitored Video in Commercial Security

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As we move into a new decade, the landscape of commercial security and its video surveillance capabilities is changing. As a result, service providers and integrators must move to meet these changes. This opportunity to expand and adapt monitored video capabilities to counter modern threats and vulnerabilities has put monitored video on an evolutionary fast track and driven development of proactive monitoring technologies.

 

Proactive vs. Traditional Video Monitoring

Traditional monitoring and proactive monitoring serve distinct industry and client needs, with each having its own benefits. Both make use of on-site cameras to observe areas of importance – recording security events such as theft and trespassing. Traditional monitoring systems use a DVR or NVR to store video data on-site. With the data being readily accessible, actions triggering an alarm can be reviewed by personnel to verify the security event was not a false alarm and then take further action if needed. Yet this method only serves to confirm an event has taken place and does nothing to prevent it.

Many large commercial properties have a significant area they must cover to prevent property crime. Traditional video surveillance may not be a hardened enough solution in these cases. A proactive monitoring solution can be integrated with traditional surveillance in these commercial settings as a cost-effective method to protect the property and assets on-site.

Proactive monitoring can prevent crime around the perimeter before the crime takes place. Using continuously advancing AI and video analytics alongside a human operator, these systems can detect, verify, warn, intervene, and respond to security events as they occur. Cameras monitor the site for any unusual activity while algorithms interpret the data and alert the human monitors at the monitoring center in the event of a security issue. These human intervention specialists can then take actions such as giving a live audio warning to the intruder – which generally will scare off all but the boldest of criminals. In this way, these systems function to prevent crimes before they occur, and allow the monitoring specialist to give real-time support to authorities should the warning not work, with police intervention becoming necessary.

This service reduces the need for human guards to be present and enhances the capabilities of existing guards to better monitor and respond to threats. The software can recognize the difference between a person moving through a site and someone loitering. It can differentiate between a human, vehicle, or animal. This functionality greatly reduces false alarms compared to a conventional surveillance and alarm system.

 

 Virtual Gate Guard

Instead of employing full-time guards year-round, proactive monitoring using virtual guard stations at gates can greatly reduce the cost of security while yielding similar results. With virtual gate guard systems, intelligent video monitoring is coupled with several gated entry points into a property. This technology is considerably more affordable over time than using a live guard company and is similarly effective.

 

Market Applications

Traditional video monitoring has long been established in the commercial market-space. However, there are many instances where proactive solutions make for a better and more economical security measure. A central application of proactive video monitoring solutions is asset protection, and industries such as car lots and large residential complexes present significant opportunity to benefit. Asset protection applies to other markets as well. This technology is useful in protecting public parks and other open spaces, helping to deter and prevent vandalism and loitering.

 

At Security Technology of South Texas, we design monitored video systems from the ground up to fit your needs or integrate intelligent monitoring into your existing system of cameras. Contact us today to get a quote on a video analytics system for your property.

 

Please contact us through email at admin@gostst.com on our website or via phone at 210-446-4863, 24/7 to schedule a consultation.

Commercial Security Implementation

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              In the commercial building segment there exists a universal challenge; how can we manage security without too aggressively eating into tenant privacy and quality of life. Safeguarding a complex requires a multi-tiered approach beginning with a well-trained staff and includes security integrators, CCTV/IP Video, access control, and lighting and landscaping choices to enhance the effectiveness of these systems.

             A security breach can do serious damage to the reputation of a facility. And so, more of the modern commercial building market employs networked technology to manage access to their facilities using access control, monitor alarms, and video access management. Regardless of size, these systems can provide greatly enhanced security at a fraction of the cost of using on-site uniformed guards.

             The key to balancing building security while still maintaining a welcoming and unobtrusive environment for tenants, staff and visitors comes down to the professionalism of the integrator and the role that any on-site guards take. Presenting guards from a customer service-oriented perspective rather than a police force greatly increases resident ease.

             In build-outs that do include a human security presence, security professionals should strive to maintain a concierge-level of customer service to tenants and visitors. This is  true of expensive down-town high rises and exclusive gated communities alike. Training for these professionals can include:

  • Specialized training modules in First Aid/CPR/AED and ADA Compliance
  • Fire/Life Safety training
  • Emergency and active shooter preparedness training
  • Lobby ambassadors specially trained in concierge-level customer service
  • Law enforcement liaison services

 (securitytoday.com)

 

              Controlling access during off-hours may involve security presence posted at access points around the property both to greet residents and act as a visible deterrent and barrier for people who do not belong on the property. Training in key control, reporting of suspicious activity, routine property tours are all important aspects of basic actions you can take to enhance effectiveness of your security presence.

             Making sure that your monitored video is recording all public areas is critical. These areas may include the reception desk, any parking lots, and public areas such as pools and lobbies. It is important that video be monitored by a professional monitoring company. In our case, we use Acadian Monitoring.

             Because commercial buildings are held to a high standard, they must ensure that their security methods and staff training for all heavily trafficked areas be fully comprehensive for both contract security and building staff. A building with a relatively open environment can certainly be more welcoming to tenants and guests, but of course carries its own set of risks. Seemingly hospitable doors open policies can lead to people under the influence entering the building, theft, and disruption from disorderly outsiders. Because tenants expect a high level of safety, come compromises to openness must be made.

             Making use of a private security integrator will help your building manager to design a fitting security solution backed by well-trained and experienced professionals. When it comes to securing a commercial building, one should think twice about going for a DYI approach.

Security Technology of South Texas is happy to offer custom access control and surveillance solutions to the commercial building market, and is partnered with Acadian Monitoring to bring you the best in monitored video solutions

 

Please contact us through email at admin@gostst.com on our website or via phone at 210-446-4863 24/7 to schedule a consultation.

Source: https://securitytoday.com/

Biometrics in Access Control

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Overview

The word biometrics has its etymological roots in Greek. Bio has the meaning “life” and metrics refers to “measurement”. While biometrics have been used for decades in physical access control, emerging technologies are expanding the field and making its technologies increasingly robust. In many cases, biometric methods are chosen over traditional means of identification such as PIN numbers and passwords due to their precision and sensitivity. Biometrics systems today look at more than just fingerprints, and can include vein pattern recognition, retinal scans, hand geometry, voice ID, facial recognition, and even DNA. Here we will look at the types of biometrics sensors and systems, how they work, and where the technology is moving in the future.

              A biometric sensor is composed of a transducer that modulates a biometric signature into an electrical signal that can be processed by a computer. These sensors can read energies such as light, heat, and electrical capacity. Modern biometrics may include several sensors including IP cameras for facial recognition and microphones for voice ID. Instead of just fingerprint scans, some devices are made to scan the unique pattern of veins under the hand.

              These biometric access control systems are classified broadly into two types: Physiological Biometrics and Behavioral Biometrics. The physiological methods include the techniques looking at the unique signatures of the human body. Behavioral biometrics is a newer technology that uses analytics to identify based on keystroke, personal name signature, and the cadence of one’s voice.

Fingerprint Recognition

              Modern fingerprint techniques use a specialized program to look at features such as arches, whorls, the outlines of edges, and the minutiae and furrows of the fingerprint. Three ways of matching a fingerprint exist:

Minutiae Based: a digital representation of the fingerprint plane including a set of points are stored on the computer and matched against the corresponding points on the finger.

Correlation Based: an overlay of the fingerprint is matched against the scan and the association between pixels is calculated.

Ridge Feature Based: similar to minutiae based matching, this novel technique is useful as a confirming measure alongside the other methods.

              To capture the prints, optical sensors use a CMOS image sensor; transducer technology which uses thermal, capacitive, piezoelectric sensing. Ultrasound sensors can also be used. In this method, acoustic signals are sent by transmitter near the finger with the signals reflecting back and captured for processing. The fingerprint method has advanced over the years and has multiple levels of redundancy. This makes it a viable means for safeguarding entry to doors, keeping track of and restricting access based on identity, and even managing computer logins. Some banks are even employing fingerprint scans on ATMs.

  

Facial Recognition

              This technology has only recently become viable as machine learning has enabled computer vision techniques considered impossible a decade ago. These systems work by comparing over 80 “nodal points” on the human face including length and width measurements of the nose, cheekbones, eye sockets and more. These systems store this data as a “face print”. While not presently in widespread use as an access control method, the technology is used on phones reliably and on social media sites to tag photos. Because other measures are more precise for access control, facial recognition today remains in the realm of personalized advertising and smartphones.

Voice Recognition

              Voice Identification technology combines physiological and behavioral biometrics captured by speech processing tech. These programs measure nasal tone, frequency, inflection and cadence. Conversational technique and vocabulary form the behavioral component. This technology is generally not used outside of smart phones and government surveillance programs. For example, the NSA has built a bank of “voice prints” on an unknown number of people.

Signature Recognition

              This method leans towards the behavioral biometric approach. Here, a program is used to analyze the physical activity of signing a signature by hand. Pressure applied, speed and stroke order are measured and compared to visual images of the signature. Two methods exist: Static and Dynamic.

              Static mode involves the system taking an image of the signature written on paper and examining its shape. Dynamic mode has the user write the signature on a tablet where it is digitized and analyzed in real-time.

Moving Forward

              As we move into a new decade, we can expect access control to grow as an industry with biometrics in tow. With these technologies paired with machine learning, their accuracy will increase with time and become increasingly reliable. The advantage of biometrics techniques is that unlike a password or PIN, they cannot be stolen or copied easily. They remove security risks such as password sharing and enhance accountability. It is possible that we may reach a point where these technologies become so accurate that passwords will be made a secondary measure or obsolete altogether.

 

Security Technology of South Texas is happy to offer custom access control and surveillance solutions with video analytics to the greater South Texas area, designed either turn-key and from the ground up, or integrated into an already existing series of cameras.

Please contact us through email at admin@gostst.com on our website or via phone at 210-446-4863  24/7 to schedule a consultation.

Intelligent Video and Machine Learning

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ML “Machine Learning”

Although we are still likely many decades away from anything considered close to “true AI”, many cameras and analytics systems are marketed and sold as being AI-driven or otherwise enriched through machine learning. While some of this is undoubtedly just marketing, there is truth to the notion that data analytics is making an impact in the field of video surveillance.

The ideas behind machine learning reach back into the earliest days of computer science, but only recently (within the last 5-10 years) has both the volume of data and processing power necessary become affordable enough to start making real strides. There are of course the famous industry examples like Google’s DeepMind and IBM’s Watson, but even without access to supercomputer hardware like that there are still many useful things that can be accomplished with a strong, stable connection to the cloud and a quality camera to create good data for analytics to process.

 

As they employ a subset of Artificial Intelligence, it would be more accurate to refer to these “smart” devices as Machine Learning, (ML) devices, that is if ever the average consumer becomes weary of the term AI being thrown around every industry from phone apps to kitchen appliances.

The way this type of technology works is through building a mathematical model using sample data, sometimes referred to as “training data”. This model is used to make predictions or decisions without the need for a programmer to directly intervene in the process. Machine learning is particularly important in the field of “Computer Vision”, the science and technology behind a computer’s processing and analysis of images and video. Because of this, ML has come to reflect a considerable portion of industry leading video surveillance and analytics systems. Historically it has been impossible to use conventional algorithms to perform such a task effectively.

Instead of trying to answer the question “Can we build machines that think?”, ML proposes that we try to “build machines that do what we (as thinking entities) do”.

 

“Smart” Cameras

Here we will take a look at the effect of this emerging technology and its practical application in video surveillance and analytics.

Let’s take a look at what exactly is possible using intelligent video. Smart IP cameras are able to classify the objects they see on their own. Objects entering or leaving the scene can be identified as a person, car, bike, truck, or other object. Because the camera can differentiate objects, it can be told to only alert in the case of a break-in, ignoring things like leaves in the wind or animals wondering through. New low-light cameras allow color-filtering even in scenes with very little ambient light. Even at night, color detection is possible in this way.

Alarm detection can be set to be even more specialized. Rules can be configured to look for specialized behavior patterns such as fighting, running, loitering, path following, abandoned luggage, entering an area, and more. The alarm engine in each camera coordinates with the others in a logical way to interpret this information and determine threat status. All this allows for a very robust alarm condition solution and prevents false and missed alarms.

What’s more, stored metadata enables forensic analysis at a later time. This means that retroactive searches for a specific car or person is possible even if it was not a determined item of interest until well after the event was recorded. Metadata is compact and only barely adds to the size of recordings. It is quick and easy to search through to find a specific event.

 

The logical next step is to continue to improve analytics for video metadata until we approach 100 percent practical use. Predictive analysis of human traffic patterns can predict shoplifting and identify potential events before they take place, and the more data that can be made useful the more accurate these types of predictions will be.

The same technology can monitor customer dwell time at different displays in a store and determine the effectiveness of in-store advertising and product locations. Analyzing customer engagement with these displays can help increase customer engagement with products and lead to increased sales and revenue. As the IoT expands, this type of technology will be more and more critical as there will be many more points of data to analyze. There is no way to fully anticipate the eventual effects this will have on our industry or the world at large.

 

Even though huge volumes of video data are collected every day, most statistics indicate that only 10 percent of this data is ever used. The majority of data collected loses its value very quickly after being generated. The reason for this? Our primary focus tends to be delivering the correct information in a crisis or providing it as evidence after criminal activity has taken place. This causes much data to be “wasted” in the sense that we lose out on the opportunity to perform useful analytics.

Video analytics is an increasingly powerful tool. It helps to improve usability of these vast amounts of video information. Analytics software acts as the “brain” of a surveillance system and is built into IP cameras themselves or processed in separate computing infrastructure. This creates a smarter system that “knows” what it sees and alerts guards to potential threats as soon as an alarm rule or condition is met. Analytics gives operators the chance to act faster and more efficiently with better intel.

 

ML Analytics is like an ever-vigilant system operator within the security system itself. Content analysis information, a form of video metadata, is stored as well. As they reduce operating costs and increase efficiency, intelligent cameras deliver a solid return on investment which can be measured in tangible results to the business or other setting in which it operates.

 

Security Technology of South Texas is happy to offer custom access control and surveillance solutions with video analytics to the greater South Texas area, designed either turn-key and from the ground up, or integrated into an already existing series of cameras.

Please contact us through email at admin@gostst.com on our website or via phone at 210-446-4863  24/7 to schedule a consultation.