Hacked! Why Home Security Camera Installs Should Be Left to Pros
When selling video surveillance systems to would-be DIYs, remind customers about all the cybersecurity hacks out there, especially through IP cameras.
Remote networking, monitoring and management tools like SnapAV's Luma + OvrC can help customers protect their surveillance systems from hacking.
Over the last year there have been several high-profile hacking events, including a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on Dyn, the Internet performance management company, which shut down major websites across the East Coast, and the much more recent Equifax breach.
Hackers are consistently working to take advantage of weaknesses, and security systems are a top target on their list. One of the more common devices in these systems is the IP camera — it’s incredibly common, and many are inexpensive and poorly maintained.
Yet these products can be so simple and inexpensive for DIYs to install themselves, why would they need a pro for the job? Consider that getting the cameras and recorders up and running is the easy part. Maintaining these products and services over time is actually the hard part.
Manufacturers forget to mention this, even with a small asterisk, when they tell you, “It’s so easy your grandmother can do it.”
Remote networking, monitoring and management tools like SnapAV’s Luma + OvrC can help customers protect their surveillance systems from hacking. Recently, several surveillance manufacturers, including some really big ones, have announced known exploits on their systems that have comprised not only home security by the Internet in general. (See the running list at CVE, Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures.)
Breaches through cameras and other IoT devices remain a constant and ever-changing threat. Professional installers should make sure the products are connected over a secure network, administered properly and updated constantly to ward off the latest Internet security threats.
In selling surveillance — even DIY products — remind clients that a security system is just like any piece of software that needs to be maintained and updated. New firmware is available on a regular basis to fix security threats, as well as address known issues and add new features (same is true for most connected devices).
Security systems should always be running on the latest available firmware, which requires them to be updated frequently. When given the option, do consumers press the “upgrade now” button or, like many of us, do they cancel and put it off to a later date?
As for home-technology pros, updates can consume quite a bit of time if done manually. To update the firmware of a handful of cameras and a recorder might take an hour. But multiply that across 25 sites and you are talking about significant time — and cost.
Thankfully, there are remote management systems that can ease this burden — simplifying the process and greatly reducing the time it takes to keep your customers’ security systems up to date. This includes instant notifications when new firmware is released, the ability to update remotely, and more.
This article first appeared on SSI sister publication cepro.com.
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About the Author
Julie Jacobson
Julie Jacobson, recipient of the 2014 CEA TechHome Leadership Award, is co-founder of EH Publishing, producer of CE Pro, Electronic House, Commercial Integrator, Security Sales and other leading technology publications. She currently spends most of her time writing for CE Pro in the areas of home automation, security, networked A/V and the business of home systems integration.
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