In an era
where cybersecurity is at the top of every CIO’s list of business
concerns, it can be easy to overlook the importance of physical security
in protecting legacy hardware solutions and ensuring critical assets
remain safe. But despite the lack of industry enthusiasm surrounding
physical security solutions, advances in cloud technology and digital
cameras have created somewhat of a renaissance in the physical security
world.
From cloud-based cameras to
motion detectors and even IoT-connected monitoring solutions, never have
there been more options available to enterprises and consumers alike
when it comes to protecting their most precious resources. Even better,
many of these options are relatively simple to set up and deploy, even
without a strong technology background.
New Solutions for New Problems
With
the increase of targeted attacks against both virtual and physical
assets, it’s only natural that the means by which we protect these
resources become more advanced to prevent theft or property
destruction. And while many people still think of physical surveillance
solutions as a standard video camera connected to a CCTV network, the
breadth and depth of available options for monitoring infrastructure and
protecting hardware has changed rapidly within the past decade.
Some
of the most commonly seen devices are cloud-based IP cameras, which
take the old-fashioned CCTV model and add a persistent Internet
connection, so data is stored in a remote database instead of in a dusty
hard drive in the manager’s office. This not only allows companies to
access their data from anywhere and at any time, but it also ensures
that data is preserved in case of a fire, flood or other natural
disaster.
IoT-connected cameras also
are finding their place in the world of physical security and
surveillance. Like their cloud-based brethren, these cameras store data
remotely in a public or private server, but also allow users to control
the pan, tilt and zoom of said devices remotely from a computer or smart
phone. Currently, these devices are most commonly used for personal
security in homes and in small businesses, but the rapid growth of IoT
solutions is bound to make these security devices more prevalent
throughout midmarket and enterprise companies.
The Rise of Cloud-Based IP Solutions
There’s
no doubt cloud technology has played a critical role in the evolution
of physical surveillance, especially in terms of protecting enterprise
assets. But before we look at how cloud-based IP solutions have taken
over the market, it’s important to understand what trends have
influenced the mass migration of compute resources to the cloud in the
first place.
Prior to the more
widespread use of modern surveillance solutions, cameras had severe
limitations, including resolution problems, limited storage and issues
with light flare and, subsequently, dark areas. However, the new breed
of security solutions are more like computers than traditional
surveillance equipment, and feature built in solutions to compensate for
such issues, said Duston Miller, founder and vice president of
engineering at
NDM Technologies, a Spokane, WA-based security provider.
“When
we first got into it [physical surveillance] it was a lot of
retrofitting existing coaxial systems into IP-based video,” said Miller.
“But now it’s pretty much all IP from point to point.”
With
the steady increase of reliability in cloud services over the past
several years, enterprises have continued to utilize public, private and
hybrid clouds to house critical customer and company data as a way of
protecting it from theft or loss. Currently, about 51 percent of all
compute information is housed within the cloud, as more people begin to
realize the benefit of storing their information outside of the physical
location, said
Dean Drako, CEO and founder of
Eagle Eye Networks.
“There’s
an argument saying [that data] isn’t as secure in the cloud as it is
onsite, and the reality is that it’s actually false. It’s actually more
secure in the cloud,” said Drako. “And the reason it’s more secure in
the cloud is because the cloud provider can’t afford a data breach, so
they actually spend money and get the proper personnel and put the
energy and focus into making sure that they are really secure.”
And
despite a minimal amount of physical security data currently being
stored in the cloud, customers are increasingly showing greater interest
in storing their data remotely, according to a recent survey from Eagle
Eye Networks.
The study of 250 respondents
showed about 65 percent expressed interest in some cloud recording,
with only 35 percent of respondents wishing to keep their physical
security data entirely on premises, Drako said.
“This
actually gets me really excited because it basically expands the market
for physical surveillance and provides more value than just security,
and I think that’s actually great for the industry,” said Drako.
The Pros (and Cons) of IP-based Physical Surveillance
Despite
the promise of IP-based physical surveillance, companies that fail to
take responsibility for the back-end protection of their systems can,
and have, experienced massive breaches from bad actors and other
malicious parties. With the growth of connected cameras, companies must
also utilize their IT departments to protect data flowing their
infrastructure, lest it be compromised. And for companies that haven’t
clearly defined these roles, a resulting failure can be disastrous.
“There’s
a lot of concern around bad guys using these physical security systems,
and there’s been a number of cases where door controllers and HVAC
systems have been used as a point of entry into systems, and that’s a
scary thing for people,” said Drako. “It was much safer when there was
no Internet connection and it was a closed loop system.”
This
issue is compounded by the fact that modern surveillance equipment is
more technical than ever before, said Duston Miller of NDM Technologies.
This poses a particular problem for surveillance providers who don’t
have an IT background. As a result, the need for IT experience when
selling and deploying surveillance solutions is larger than ever.
“With
surveillance solutions you have to know your wiring, you have to know
your routing, you have to know IPs, you gotta know servers,” he said.
“So it’s a perfect fit for IT solution providers as opposed to
[traditional] surveillance companies or security companies.”
Despite
the increased risk of data being breached, Drako said there are very
few customers who would accept the reduced functionality of closed
circuit surveillance over cloud-based surveillance to decrease the risk
of a data breach. Furthermore, breaches are far less often the fault of
major cloud service providers and often a case of oversight on the part
of the information holder.
“There
are some folks who say that the remote access will outweigh the risk of a
security breach,” he said. “If you look at all the breaches that have
been going on … all the breaches have basically been people doing their
own security. It hasn’t been the cloud provider that has been breached
and given up or lost data. I think we’re kind of entering an era where
there is gonna be a lot of innovation driven by moving a lot of it
[data] to the cloud.”
How Can Channel Partners Effectively Sell Physical Surveillance Solutions?
Selling
physical surveillance offers the chance for channel partners to build
long-term working relationships with customers and to create recurring
revenue streams. But while initially this may seem like a simple
process, selling physical security is more difficult than simply
shipping cameras to a customer. Unlike other markets, physical security
requires a lot of hands-on training and education for both the channel
partner and the customer.
One of the
greatest issues in the physical security market is a general lack of
understanding of how devices work and what is needed to provide
customers with effective solutions to fit customers’ individual business
needs, said
Michael Hughes, senior vice president of Worldwide Sales at
Barracuda Networks.
For channel partners looking to sell physical security solutions to
their customers, an intimate understanding of each device is necessary
to be truly efficient at selling solutions on a long-term basis—a skill
many lack as they look to enter the physical surveillance industry.
Once
again, the importance of communication between traditional IT and
security is paramount to this success, especially as IT becomes more
deeply involved in all aspects of an organization’s security assets.
“As
IT has taken over, as cloud management has taken over, security is
becoming one thing,” said Hughes. “And oftentimes it’s the same people
we’re talking to [for both cyber security and physical security] because
the same guy we’re talking to who manages the networks and the IT
happens to be having physical security leverage those same assets and
that same networking.”
While many
surveillance vendors do not offer any kind of formal training for
channel partners to learn more about physical security solutions,
companies like Axis Communications, a cloud surveillance solution
vendor, focus on educating and enabling channel partners on how to use
and deploy the solutions they eventually will sell to customers.
And
even though many resellers initially may not be interested in selling
physical surveillance solutions, increasing customer demand for a
one-stop-shop for all of their IT needs is forcing many partners to
reconsider their options when it comes to entering the security market.
This, in turn, leads to an increase in the number of partners selling
security without the correct qualifications.
“The
main issue we see with our IT partners is that they don’t know how to
get started [selling the solutions],” said Bill Rhodes, director of
Channel Sales at
Buffalo Americas,
an Austin, TX-based surveillance provider. “Most are standoffish about
surveillance because it’s a new technology, but all are being asked
about it by their customers.”
Departmental Divisions Are Hurting the Growth of Physical Security
In
a situation very similar to the “walled garden” approach taken by
traditional newspapers and their online departments, physical security
and the data center often are two separate entities within a company,
with each area being controlled by different administrators. Although
the reason for this division is complex, the problem basically boils
down to a lack of shared responsibility for protecting corporate assets
among IT professionals. Although physical security and surveillance
increasingly are becoming part of the everyday responsibilities of many
IT managers, there is still a lack of concern among these professionals
for the overall safety of these assets, said said
Vince Ricco, technology partner manager at
Axis Communications.
One
market where this divide is less pronounced, however, is in the K-12
education market, according to Ricco. Education professionals better
understand the importance of interdepartmental collaboration when it
comes to protecting student information, because the consequences of a
breach are particularly damaging—to both the students and the district.
So
what can physical surveillance gurus do to convince their IT brethren
of the importance of physical security? Training and education are the
key to understanding the gravity of physical security, said Ricco, whose
company runs a series of online and in-person training seminars for
channel partners and professionals looking to boost their knowledge of
surveillance equipment and protect critical assets.
“When you train to change a perspective it has to be about education,” he said. “That’s always been my message.”
Opportunity Abounds for Channel Partners
With the video surveillance market
estimated at $13.48 billion in 2014
and an ever-increasing number of Internet-ready and smart surveillance
solutions on the market, there has never been a better time for channel
partners to begin selling surveillance solutions. For channel partners
willing to put the time and resources into learning the ins and outs of
physical surveillance, selling security solutions can be an incredibly
lucrative market. But like surveillance itself, success depends not only
on proper planning, but on delivering the right solutions at the right
time to each specific customer.
HDVIEW 360 Dennis Mancino
SOURCE: http://thevarguy.com/var-guy/072815/physical-security-enterprise-it-renaissance-cloud-based-security
