With increasing concerns about cybersecurity, it’s no surprise that many organizations are expanding the role of their IT departments.
Cyberattacks are now rated one of the top risks to global business, alongside natural disasters. Because no business wants to be the victim of a data breach, organizations are working hard to bolster their cyber defenses, and those responsibilities fall squarely on the shoulders of IT.
As a security integrator or installer of network video recorders and IP cameras, one must be able to answer questions from IT on how the system he is installing could impact network security, as well as day-to-day network operations.
In the past, it may have been dealt solely with the customer’s security department but in many organizations the physical security and IT departments are becoming more tightly integrated, so speaking the language of IT can go a long way toward satisfying the customers’ overall requirements.
Having IT’s blessing could also help free up budget for the installation.
In some organizations, IT has decision-making power because they are tasked with improving businesses processes and driving revenue through new technology. If one partners with a video surveillance manufacturer that delivers business intelligence (BI), he will have a more compelling case for the value of video, and how investing in the right solution can help that organization’s operations and marketing departments, in addition to security.
Looking at all of this through the lens of IT, here are three important points to remember about March Networks products:
March Networks takes a proactive approach to cybersecurity
March Networks has a 3-step process for dealing with cyber threats. Once they become aware of a potential critical vulnerability (through a U.S.-CERT notification or other source) we are committed to:
- Immediately assessing the vulnerability to determine if it affects their products;
- Addressing the vulnerability via a patch or software release, if required; and
- Communicating with their partners.
The March Networks security updates and advisories program helps facilitate this process in a transparent way, as notifications are posted directly on their corporate website. Both partners and end user customers can sign up to receive alerts each time the webpage is updated with a new advisory.
In addition to this program, March Networks equips the certified partners with innovative tools like their GURU Smartphone App, which can help with cybersecurity. GURU’s Security Audit feature automatically analyzes and rates how secure the configuration of installed March Networks recorders are, based on the firmware the recorder is currently running. It then provides advice for hardening the installation such as changing a password or closing ports that don’t need to be open, or upgrading to a new firmware release.
Helping minimize the impact of video on network performance
Video can eat up a lot of bandwidth, especially when IP cameras are involved. Although the exact amount of bandwidth consumed by a video surveillance system is determined by many factors including camera type, resolution, bit rate etc., March Networks’ products have features that can minimize video’s impact on the customer’s network.
For example, their recorders accommodate secondary networks so one can keep IP camera traffic on a separate local area network (LAN). March Networks’ recorders also support secondary stream recording, so the customer can record both a high resolution video stream for evidentiary purposes, and a low resolution stream for remote viewing using less bandwidth.
Another handy resource is their system design tool, which can help as the installers calculate the bandwidth and storage resources required when using their IP cameras. These simple calculations can help one find the best resolution possible with the network resources available.
He can also take advantage of features like the low bit rate setting on our ME4 series IP cameras, which automatically manages the bit rate, and can reduce data consumption by as much as 50%.
The enterprise management fea- tures simplify device management
For large, multisite customers, device maintenance can be a headache without the right kind of video management software. Just imagine manually applying software or firmware patches to hundreds or even thousands of cameras and recorders. That could take weeks, or even months, and result in considerable expense.
March Networks Command Enterprise video management software makes it easy to update multiple March Networks recorders and cameras simultaneously from one central location by allowing one to push mass updates and configurations with a few clicks of a mouse. Command also allows system administrators to schedule these updates in the evening or weekend, so as not to disrupt network operations.
With features like these, the IT department can delegate device maintenance to the security system administrator, and relax knowing that the latest updates are being applied.
Making IT’s job easier is really what it’s all about. Offering a solution that’s easy to use and maintain, and that demonstrates a commitment to high cybersecurity standards, will go a long way toward satisfying IT’s concerns. Remember these three points in the conversations with customers, and know that March Networks is always happy to answer the questions.
