As a brief followup to my previous post about VoIP security, I came across a couple articles that offer an interesting point / counterpoint to the questions regarding VoIP reliance and peace of mind.
Great video from dataviz Australia depicting, graphically, what a hacker attack on a VoIP system would look like.
Visualizing a cyber attack on a VOIP server from Ben Reardon, Dataviz Australia on Vimeo.
With the use of VoIP becoming more and more prevalent, businesses are at risk to lose real money from hacker attacks as pointed out by the Honeynet Project’s mention of this article where an attack cost a business over $120,000.
The good news was that the article does mention that “VoIP systems from companies such as Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco and Avaya were quite good…but were unlikely to be found in very small businesses due to the cost.”
Cisco Security appliances are definately a go-to line to ward against intruders, spam, phishing, spyware, and corrupt websites. But, have you found them to be out of reach financially or is the added cost worth the protection?
The number of scams are on the rise and the affordability (read: cheap) of international phone calls through VoIP is playing a role in the growth of phone scams.
Consumers can use services like NumberInvestigator.com to protect themselves from suspicious calls, including calls from VoIP systems, but what are you doing to protect your business and have you noticed any uptick in attacks?
Whether you’re calculating IP camera bandwidth and storage or customizing an IP camera lens selection to meet the challenges of your application, you’d like to know what the end result is going to look like first before making a decision on the products and hardware you’ll be using.
Now, thanks to Gish Technology’s vsCalc you can “instantly calculate Field of View, Angle of View and Focal Length based on the Object of Interest, Visual Acuity Index and Target Distance” for your video surveillance project.
Available for $9.95 from the Apple App Store, the vsCalc™ is capable of determining how sharp the cameras images from a desired scene will be based on objects of interest such as face, license plate, or vehicle.
It provides a reference for identifying usable or unusable image quality based on detection, recognition, and identification.
From Deborah L. O’Mara’s article at SecurityInfoWatch.com:
Want to avoid that glazed-over look when trying to explain pixels per foot on target to potential customers? A new software application offers hope.
End users need to know exactly what they will be getting, aka, what the specification will ‘look’ like, with their camera installation but explaining it can be a challenge. A new visual acuity software application from Gish Technology Inc., Indianapolis, a video surveillance consulting and software company, has been about 12 months in the making and now just released.
Axis Communications, via BusinessWire.com, is rolling out the world’s smallest PTZ IP Camera for discreet surveillance:
With a sleek and compact design, AXIS M50 cameras are only 5.1″ wide and 2.2″ high, enabling high-quality 360° surveillance (±180˚ pan, 90° tilt and 3x digital zoom) with HDTV 720p resolution in a package smaller than the average hand (see video). As a complement to its intelligent motion detection capabilities, a built-in microphone also enables audio detection that monitors for unusual noises during off-hours to trigger a security alarm that is sent to the business owner and/or security personnel.
The mini PTZ dome cameras are easy to install on soft and hard ceilings as well as on walls, and can cover an area of up to 4,300 sq. ft. With an IP51 rating, the cameras are dustproof and protected from dripping water, enabling video to be taken even when a sprinkler system is activated. The cameras are powered using Power over Ethernet (PoE IEEE 802.3af), which simplifies installation since a standard network cable – when connected to a switch with PoE support – will carry power, video and PTZ controls.
Axis Communications, via BusinessWire.com, is rolling out the world’s smallest PTZ IP Camera for discreet surveillance:
With a sleek and compact design, AXIS M50 cameras are only 5.1″ wide and 2.2″ high, enabling high-quality 360° surveillance (±180˚ pan, 90° tilt and 3x digital zoom) with HDTV 720p resolution in a package smaller than the average hand (see video). As a complement to its intelligent motion detection capabilities, a built-in microphone also enables audio detection that monitors for unusual noises during off-hours to trigger a security alarm that is sent to the business owner and/or security personnel.
The mini PTZ dome cameras are easy to install on soft and hard ceilings as well as on walls, and can cover an area of up to 4,300 sq. ft. With an IP51 rating, the cameras are dustproof and protected from dripping water, enabling video to be taken even when a sprinkler system is activated. The cameras are powered using Power over Ethernet (PoE IEEE 802.3af), which simplifies installation since a standard network cable – when connected to a switch with PoE support – will carry power, video and PTZ controls.
Note: This is the 3rd installment of a four part series detailing the design and implementation of an IP paging (paging over VoIP) system. Click here for Part 1, Part 2, and Part 4.
More often than not, a customer will say to me, Chris we are implementing this brand new IP PBX and IP phones and we currently have an existing analog based paging system in place we wish to incorporate into the new VoIP solution, how can we accomplish this?
The costs of replacing this equipment may be high (since IP paging equipment is somewhat costly) and the overhead of installing this new equipment may require:
These additions and modifications may not be possible so incorporating existing paging systems into new IP Based solutions is a must.
Lucky for you, Cyberdata offers a few legacy-based paging devices that will help address this need.
The Mobotix T24 Door Station IP Camera is a unique product. Fully weatherproof and rated for outdoor use, this IP camera acts like a sentry to guard and grant access to your entrance way and you don’t even need to physically be there to monitor or interact with people.
Because it’s IP-based and the way it’s designed, you can access the T24’s functions from anywhere you are with a video phone, a computer, or a tablet/iPad.
And with its hemispheric lens that captures a 180 degree, wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling panoramic view, no one can sneak by without you seeing them plus:
For a great write-up and detailed review of this door camera I urge you to check out Chris Jager’s post, Mobotix unveils security door camera that can be accessed anywhere in the world, on PC & Tech Authority:
[The Mobotix T24] comes equipped with an integrated doorbell and light-up buttons, is weather-proof and conforms to the international video telephony standard VoIP/SIP and H.264. The door station works in conjunction with an IP video phone, which controls the camera, door locks, lights and video recordings.
When the doorbell rings, an encrypted network connection is established with a VoIP video phone, PC or tablet device; allowing the owner to interact with the person on ther doorstep from anywhere in the world.
SourceSecurity.com has nice article outlining a real world application example for:
From the article, “Panasonic i-Pro video surveillance system to enhance security at Clarion University“:
Clarion University depends on Panasonic i-PRO systems to provide IP-based video surveillance throughout its campus in the Appalachian Mountain region of northwestern Pennsylvania. The University’s systems integrator, The Protection Bureau, is enthusiastic about the benefits of Panasonic security systems to Clarion University.
“The proof is in the picture, bottom line; the other specs don’t matter,” said Bob Burket, Senior Security Consultant, The Protection Bureau. “For megapixel cameras, Panasonic has the best picture out there, particularly in low-light situations.”
Click on the link above for more detailed information about how they integrated Panasonic’s solution into their security system.
And if you’re interested in the products mentioned, please give us a call to discuss at 866-583-8915 and check them out for yourself:
I briefly touched on IP video surveillance storage options in a previous post.
Ronen Issac, over at the Security Info Watch Blog, has done a much better job, including some very useful graphics, at explaining the intricacies of the redundant storage system known as RAID.
From his post, Overview of RAID for IP Video Storage:
Storage is a big part of IP video security and so I thought I would start a small series of video storage starting with the basics. Today we will discuss RAID. RAID has been discussed many (x4) times throughout the years but I still get questions about it. What is it, what is the best choice for RAID for my VMS, etc. So here we go.
There are 4 major types of RAID 0, 1, 5 & 6. There are then combinations of two of the above like RAID 10, 50 & 60. We will discuss each briefly.
Intelligent video applications work by:
After this information has been processed, user defined rules can determine if a car is traveling the wrong way, someone is entering a prohibited area, or if an object is left behind (security threat).
If these rules are broken, alerts and alarms can automatically notify you of an event taking place.
Below, I’ve outlined some of the advanced intelligent video applications.
5 FREE SIP Softphones and affordable deskphone options
What's my IP Camera's Default Password?
FXS and FXO – You should be in the know…
How To: Upload Firmware to a Polycom Unit
Tech Tip: Converting a Cisco IP Phone from SCCP (Skinny) to SIP Firmware
Setting up an Audiocodes MP-114/118 FXO with Asterisk and FreeSwitch
Setting Up an AudioCodes MP1xx FXS With Asterisk
Bluetooth Headsets for Polycom VVX 500
5 Reasons Why You Should Sell The Poly (Plantronics) Headsets – Webinar Recap
