Understanding Computer Security - Part 2: GPS Security and CCTV

Early security systems were CCTVs. They employed cameras wired to a monitor and were controlled with a computer.

With the entry of GPS into the security field, security mechanisms now make good use of the technology to provide enhanced security to things that we could never have imagined. Examples of such security systems are the ones for tracking kids or pets.

In GPS enhanced security systems, the general procedure is to attach a GPS transmitter to the objects, pets, or kids. These transmitters send out signals that are interpreted by receivers in computers. Once the GPS receiver gets the transmitter signals, it passes the information to the computer software. Using the computer software, one can easily locate the real time position of the transmitter and trace it using satellite maps. This way, the security mechanisms enhanced with GPS can easily help you locate your valuables, objects such as cars, and even kids or pets.

The most common security systems are surveillance equipment, out of which CCTVs are the most common. CCTVs (Closed-Circuit Televisions) have been in long use for keeping an eye on business premises.

Early CCTVs were not computer based and required VCRs (video cassette recorders) plus TVs. This induced some delay in watching your premises. Still, they served the purpose: you could watch each camera, one at a time on one TV or use a separate TV for each camera. Another minus point was the amount of recordable space on VHS tape.

With the advent of computer based security systems, usage of CCTV became easy as you can now monitor more than one camera (up to 6) on a single computer monitor. One can also use a dedicated HDD for CCTV motion recording. You can have up to 24 cameras supported by a single system. The lag time is also reduced (but still exists for few seconds or milliseconds, depending upon the CCTV system). For more cameras without compromising on quality, you can combine several CCTV systems.

If you wish better quality surveillance or wish to use more cameras, DVR (Digital Video Recording) is just for you. You can also use this technique to monitor more than one area: your immediate office and remote ones too. The best thing about these security systems is that they offer you almost real-time images with better quality. Revisions and "Stills" (Pause) offer you greater clarity so that you can identify things much better than CCTVs.

With the usage of GPS, you have much better security systems to track objects in addition to remote securing your home. GPS helps people trace their kids and even pets. Our article on how GPS helps in remote tracking is just an example of how GPS enhancesfuture security systems.

Surveillance Society, www.surveillance-and-society.org/articles5(1)/maps.pdf

Image from Wikimedia Commons, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bewakingscamera%27s_station_Aarschot.JPG