Perimeter security: taking it to the edge

By Robert Wint, SVP Marketing EMEA, Verint Systems

For any business in whatever sector, security starts at the perimeter, the initial boundary through which an intruder must proceed. Certain industries, of course, are more vulnerable than others: the petrochemicals industry, power and utilities, airports and other transport infrastructure are all vulnerable to attack, as are military installations, because they tend to occupy sites of considerable size, often in difficult environments.

Whilst physical security – fences etc – provide basic protection, they do little more than define the boundaries of a site, and it is often impossible, or impractical, to man these facilities leaving them further exposed to malicious attack. CCTV is of course a part of the answer, but the surveillance systems used to protect this infrastructure have to work cost-effectively across large distances, support remote monitoring, management and control and “scale” to cope with large numbers of cameras and sensors located in the harshest of natural environments. They also need to provide options for remote monitoring and control of dangerous sites in the event of an evacuation.

Alongside the need to ensure safety and security, there is a growing need in many of the industries mentioned – and especially the highest risk sectors – to protect against litigation. It’s no longer good enough to simply protect your staff and facilities. In the event of an incident you need to be able to prove that you had adequate systems in place and that they were used competently.

Emerging technologies
CCTV technology has advanced significantly over the past decade, and the solutions available to those with responsibility for security have evolved to embrace IP. The latest “IP” video solutions can be used to put video on an IT network and offer cost effective remote control and monitoring whilst providing the ability to centrally manage a much larger numbers of sites and cameras that could typically be managed using ‘traditional’ CCTV systems. Organisations with multiple sites, and thousands of CCTV cameras, are now able to manage and monitor their security systems form a single location if required.

By providing flexibility of location these solutions make it cost effective to deliver video to security staff, rather than having to locate staff on each site. This not only makes it much more economic to monitor many sites but also makes it simpler to ensure, and audit, compliance to health, safety and emergency procedures. The latest video management platforms also make it possible to integrate video with other information such as alarm sensors and access control systems.

Caveat emptor – buyer beware – of course still applies: there is still a considerable amount of proprietary technology at large in the security industry and purchasers need to make sure they buy into “Open” software and hardware systems which will not tie them to one vendor for all the parts of their system. So how do they choose?

Understanding the environment
In deciding upon the solution most appropriate to their needs, the security manager needs to have a full understanding of the environment and challenges specific to their industry. This might sound obvious, but it is a point that is often missed. Where are the critical areas and potential security breaches for example? Where can the threat/ danger come from? What risks are staff being confronted with? With these and similar questions answered, security processes can be clearly stated and appropriate tools implemented to ensure compliance to them.

When choosing security systems it is important to avoid the “Proprietary technology” trap and opt for “Open” systems. Whilst that is a common consideration amongst those working in IT, the same logic applies to those choosing a new perimeter security system: you should expect to be able to replace one part of your system with systems from other vendors if necessary. This kind of choice and openness is now available from some, but not all, leading security suppliers.

The choice of an open platform should ensure not only that “best of breed” technology from different vendors can be mixed but that information from different systems can be combined.

Proving the point
Three examples illustrate the point, but in very different sectors. The first involves a major utility in the UK whose problems were addressed using  Verint’s Nextiva IP platform video surveillance solution. The threat-assessment for the site highlighted a 6.5 km perimeter which required protection from criminal activity, possible terrorist attack and expected threat from environmental protestors. There were also health and safety issues for lone workers, the need to ensure compliance to health, safety and security procedures and the option to remotely monitor the site in the event of an evacuation.

The implemented system was designed to provide detailed video surveillance of the entire perimeter including automatic detection of intruders using the latest video content analysis technologies. This required over 200 new CCTV cameras, 150 of which were equipped with advanced Video Content analysis. Video, Video Content Analysis, Access control and alarm sensor information are all brought back to a central monitoring and control system for correlation. 

One of the major challenges for the system was ensuring a low “false alert” rate for the new Automatic Video Analysis technology. Careful planning of camera locations and the use of new LED based lighting technology has ensured that threats to the perimeter are accurately and reliably identified.

The second example is of a diamond mine in Angola. The risk assessment identified similar threats – notably the need to protect an extended perimeter from casual intruders and those with more criminal intentions. There were similarly health and safety issues for all staff and visitors on the site.

The solution led to an old analogue CCTV system being superseded by Verint Nextiva. The 51 camera project allows the mining operators, SDM, to monitor not just the entrance and the perimeter, but also the final recovery plant, the production area, and inside the picking boxes. The analogue cameras have been connected to Nextiva encoders to migrate onto IP and all cameras are being managed by Nextiva Software Management for the live review, recording and storage of CCTV footage.

The third example is of a university establishment, again in the UK. The risk assessment in this case was somewhat different, as the ‘perimeter’ was not so clearly defined. Leeds University has not only its main campus, but also a considerable number of outbuildings including various halls of residence and even a hospital – indeed one of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe.

Again the solution centred around Verint’s Nextiva platform with some 180 cameras installed to monitor and record activity on nearly all of the university buildings as well as the entry and exit points of specific ‘areas’ and ‘clusters’ where students gather. The area surveillance cameras provide proof that an incident has occurred and what has transpired, and management of recorded images is facilitated through the Verint Nextiva Video Management solution and an easy to use management portal, Nextiva Control Center, that enables the cameras to be configured and administered from a single location and application.

The need for innovation
In any area of security, manufacturers and solutions providers cannot afford to stand still. Innovation remains the watchword, and to this end Verint is working on several new technologies which can offer significant benefits to installations with large perimeters to protect. As mentioned in the project above the use of automated Video Content Analysis can significantly enhance the monitoring of large perimeters and remote sites. Using this technology it is now possible to reliably detect people and vehicles in areas of risk. Verint is investing heavily to not only extend this technology to other applications but also to reduce the cost of the systems and make them simpler to deploy.

Verint is also investing in Wireless systems – systems that can greatly reduce the cost and complexity of deploying video surveillance in harsh or remote environments. Wireless is especially well suited to perimeter applications since, by definition, they do not rely on a cable infrastructure for power or transmission, and issues of reliability have been almost entirely overcome.

As a leader in the supply of wireless IP Video systems as well as Open Video Management platforms, Verint is continuously enhancing its own wireless capabilities and ensuring that our latest video systems are compatible with emerging standards in the wireless networking world.