Why You Should Set Up Segregated Networks for Camera and Alarm Systems
In today’s world, security is more important than ever, and an essential part of any security setup is ensuring that your camera and alarm systems are on a segregated network. This not only improves bandwidth management but also significantly enhances your overall security. Here’s a guide on how to effectively set up segregated networks for your security systems and the benefits of doing so.
Segregating Networks for Bandwidth and Security
-Bandwidth Management: By separating your camera and alarm systems from the main client network, you ensure that the high bandwidth usage from video streams doesn’t impact the performance of other network devices. Cameras, especially our modern 4k ones, require substantial bandwidth, and isolating them prevents network congestion.
-Enhanced Security: Segregation limits the access points to your main network, minimizing the risk of cyber-attacks. Should the security network be compromised, it doesn’t affect the primary client network, thereby adding an additional layer of protection. It is a little known fact, but security cameras (ironically) are one of the most common entry points into a network. Out of date firmware, zero-days, and known vulnerabilities are actual problems. I’ll have to do a separate post on this at another time, specifically relating to CheckPoint.
Using Security Routers as a Single Point of Contact
To streamline the integration of your segregated networks with the client network, security routers like Teltonika routers and Permaconn’s new RapidLink router are excellent solutions. These routers act as a bridge, providing a single point of contact between your security systems and the main network. Here’s how they help:
-Single Point of Management: Managing one secure gateway is simpler than handling multiple connections, making it easier to monitor, control, and secure access.
-Enhanced Security Protocols: These routers come with advanced security features, ensuring that data transmission between the networks is secure. Many come with all the same features as larger IT firewalls such as whitelisting and VPN connectivity (even if on a lighter scale and scope).
-Reliable Connectivity: With high uptime and robust performance, these routers maintain a stable connection, ensuring your security systems are always online. The ones I use personally will have a WAN port for ethernet and dual sim (Telstra and Optus) as back up.
Advanced Security Measures for Larger Companies
Larger organizations with full in-house IT teams often incorporate their security systems into their business networks but behind robust protective measures like firewalls, VLANs, and VPNs. This is okay as they will have in house teams monitoring and maintaining the integrity of the network.
It is actually a little funny how this works. Tiny homes and large corporations will have the security systems housed on their network. Everything else in the middle should be segregating the systems for security reliability.
So, how do large corporations protect themselves with the additional items on their network?
-Firewalls: These act as a barrier between your internal network and external threats, filtering out malicious traffic and ensuring that only authorized users have access. There are so many features on modern firewalls that there are specialists for them.
-VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks): VLANs segment the network logically, isolating different departments or systems. This enhances security and improves network management. To simplify it, it is basically splitting a network up into different sections virtually, but it works the same as if we split the cables up physically. One VLAN simply can not talk to a different one.
-VPNs (Virtual Private Networks): VPNs provide a secure tunnel for remote access to your network, ensuring that even when accessing your security systems remotely, the connection is encrypted and secure. There are a huge amount of these and the best come with some sort of password policy and 2FA. Once you turn on the VPN, you are “inside” your network, and can reach the same items (like cameras) remotely as you could when you were on site.
By implementing these measures, large companies can maintain a high level of security while keeping their networks streamlined and efficient. They also dedicate a large amount of manpower and company focus to keeping the systems up to date and secure.
If you’re looking to enhance your network security and segregate your camera and alarm systems, our team is here to help. Contact us today to discuss how we can guide you through the IT process and help you with a pathway that meets your specific needs and ensure your security infrastructure is both robust and efficient.
