How the ‘Best Place to Live in Illinois’ Chose and Installed Its Video Security Solution

A Deeper Look at the Solution

Deploying a Modular System Design

When security consultant R. Grossman and Associates (RG&A) designs IP-based CCTV systems, it likens it to a “Lego” approach, dividing the components into three distinct categories. First and foremost are edge devices, or cameras in the case of CCTV systems.

These should conform to industry standards, providing a wide range of compatibility. There can be special features, but they shouldn’t require a proprietary client to take advantage of them.

Second are servers and hardware, which includes cabling and infrastructure. Again, adherence to standards is critical, and RG&A tries to stay away from proprietary boxes with embedded operating systems.

If a client likes Dell servers, for example, they should be able to use them here, and leverage their service and support expertise. If these first two areas are done properly, there is some flexibility in selecting a VMS vendor, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be done upfront.

In the case of the Village of Schaumburg project, RG&A picked a VMS vendor for the specification that used industry-standard servers and integrated with a wide variety of edge devices, and allowed substitutions.

VMS submissions that were essentially the offerings of camera companies were not accepted as these rarely integrate with their competitors beyond the feature limited ONVIF standard.

While it was not the specified solution, after an onsite “shootout,” the Genetec Security Center VMS was selected. It has a strong feature set, the village liked the user interface and felt Genetec made an outstanding foundation for future electronic security efforts. Surrounding communities and other agencies have already committed to this VMS, and it is in use in the local school district as well.

Proper Network Design Keeps Cameras From Phoning Home

There has been a lot of attention paid to cameras from certain manufacturers being able to “phone home” and potentially report sensitive information back to their manufacturer and potentially a government entity that may be affiliated with said manufacturer.

While the theoretical danger is understandable, with a properly designed system this is simply not an issue. One way to do this is to build two separate LANs, either with discreet network switches or by setting up a VPN.

Consulting firm R. Grossman and Associates advocates doing this with separate switches as it makes servicing the system easier, but either way only the Client LAN is exposed to the outside world; cameras are on their own network with no Internet access.

To view a camera, you need to go through the system firewall and the VMS software, as the servers bridge the two LANs. Cameras cannot phone home, regardless of manufacturer or country of origin, and a hacker cannot disable a camera without first going through the server and proprietary client software that they are likely unfamiliar with.

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