Residential Estate Security Conference 2018

Risk assessment

Today’s security operations rely on technology to function effectively, but even the best technology brings its own risks, whether because of poor planning or installation, or because of unforeseen events. The estate manager (or estate security or risk manager) is responsible for mitigating these risks to obtain optimal performance from technology to ensure the estate’s residents are secure.

Managing these risks starts from the quotation stage and persists through installation, maintenance and ongoing operations. Risk management not only increases safety of residents, but also adds value to owners’ property investment by making the estate a desirable location.

Access control

Effective access control is a vital element of estate security as up to 60% of crime that occurs within an estate is committed by people who have gained access through the front gate.

Back-up of the estate’s access control database is vital to avoid the need to reregister everyone due to a catastrophic technology failure or some form of cyber-attack.

Surveillance systems

The effectiveness of CCTV lies in the proper design of the system. Well-planned surveillance projects provide a number of benefits when handled correctly.  Implementation phases should include

• Conceptual design
• Design development
• Vendor selection
• Project administration
• Maintenance
• Continuous Evaluation.

Information technology

The cost of acquisition and ongoing operations in the critical sphere of IT should never be underestimated.  General network security, especially as the era of smart home automation takes shape, is essential.

Lightning strikes

It doesn’t matter how is paid for technology, lightning can and will destroy an estate’s systems if you do not take precautions. Surges and brownouts also take a toll on technology and can shorten the lifespan of systems if not controlled.  The secret lies in proper planning by a qualified partner, buying electrical equipment that has been tested and proven in the field, and not necessarily the cheapest. The same applies to UPSs and generators.

Cybersecurity

To avoid the situation that one of the speakers shared, where one estate lost its database (and backup) to ransomware, it is important to think about cybersecurity. Social engineering and phishing is a critical threat to any kind of IT system (including security systems).  The audience was advised not to leave default passwords in place on any equipment, whether a computer, smart phone, camera or an access control reader. Also, to choose strong passwords that make it unviable for hackers to spend the time trying to crack them.

Source: Source:  Hi-Tech Security Solutions Magazine, May 2018.  For the full article, see http://www.securitysa.com/9172a

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