We're almost done with January, and boy it has been such a ride for the first month of the year. We're huge advocates of keeping safe both at home and on the road, and we believe in preparedness. With all the things that has been happening,
But we also value security highly above all else- with all that's been happening, there is no better time than now to secure your home and keep your family and/or business safe. If you're thinking about getting a security camera, then you're in the right direction.
Here are some tips that we can share about security cameras and how you can use them to maximum effect to protect your property.
#1 Never rely on security cameras alone
Security is a multi-faceted affair. Ask any security expert and they'll agree with this idea- just because you have a security camera system at home, doesn't mean that you should rely on them exclusively and not invest in a reliable and sturdy lock for your home doors. It can be a combination of different factors working together, such as having locks, alarm systems AND security cameras.
A good, sturdy and reliable lock will do you just as well as any security camera out there.
Businesses, especially in high-traffic areas, need to keep this concept front and center to prevent theft and damage to properties, primarily.
#2 Place your security cameras at a good height off the ground.
There are two particular reasons why you'd want to do this- (1), you're going to be covering a lot of ground if you've got a security camera set up at a good height. This is called a vantage point, where it can see as much as it can, effectively recording a good chunk of your property's land area.
Be careful though that you're not setting up it too high- if your security doesn't capture at a high resolution, some details may be a bit fuzzy when recording and reviewing and you don't want that. Just keep it at a good height, preferably 12-20 feet off the ground to make sure.
Reason #2 is that you'd want to keep them away from those that would tamper with them. There's a lot that you can do with a security camera, and if you bough a quality security camera, some might think of taking them for their own, or some might just plain vandalize them.
The general idea is to set them up at a good height so as to make it less enticing an idea to get the security cameras. The less enticing it is, the less that thieves and vandals will want to tamper with it. Even if they do so, make it such a gigantic hassle for them to climb up all that way for nothing, only to have their likenesses captured on the camera's hub DVR (which you can pursue further with law enforcement).
#3 Make them visible as possible, but not overtly.
Security cameras aren't just there for when after the crime happens and you want law enforcement officers to follow up on your footage; they're known deterrents of crime too. When a burglar stakes out their targets, common sense dictates that they will come back for houses that do not have security systems set in place.
Having a security camera makes your home less of a target. If you do have too much on your property though, you're going to make it seem like you have something worth hiding and protecting inside- and it has a different effect on other would-be trespassers.
Just make one visible near the entrance of your home at a good height, and you should be all set. Keep the others outside your property discreet, but still at a good vantage point.
#4 Always make sure they're digitally secure
Wifi cameras are a relatively new thing, and they're also known as IP (Internet Protocol) Cameras. Though new, that hasn't stopped ne'er-do-wells from doing things with it that aren't quite nice. Some security cameras have been hacked and this has led to some really big news overseas- make sure that you don't make the same mistake as the owners of the security cameras that have been hacked.
We have an extensive guide to prevent this from happening which you can check here, but the gist of it is: make sure that you have a password set for your security camera AND your WiFi network, only share that with people that you trust (such as close friends and family), make sure that you have two-factor authentication turned on, and do not access your security camera feed from a public network with no password/encryption that other people are using, too.
Since a lot of our activities happen on the internet too (and that includes surveillance), you'll need to step up your security online. You wouldn't want someone random getting access of your security camera feed now, do you?
#5 Cover all possible entrance/exits
If you've got a multiple camera set up, it's best to cover all entrances/exits from your home's interior so you can see who's coming in and going out. Additionally, we highly advise getting a camera system with a facial recognition system.
Reviewing footage can be extremely tedious, especially if you don't know what you're looking for- or who. With Elinz, our facial recognition system automatically ties the feature to one camera, and it tags all activities related to the person with the face it detected. This will help save a lot of time especially for businesses that wants to keep an eye on property's security OR base their employee's activities on video footage.
If you're looking for reliable security cameras, do visit us our listings today and get one for your own. We have different security cameras, both IP and CCTV. Choose between single set-up cameras perfect for smaller apartment type homes, to bigger, 8-camera setups to help protect your home.
