Executive protection agents need to have sharp vision and keep their eyes on the environment at all times. Of course, it’s nearly impossible to do it 24/7. And here is where CCTV security enters the frame, as an ideal way to monitor events happening around them. CCTV security comprises the images or recordings for surveillance or other private purposes.
Nowadays, institutions, organizations, and individuals monitor their venues, homes, and premises. They have it all at their fingertips. No questions asked. Just 20 years ago, this wasn’t a given, and only particular entities used CCTV security. However, now it’s almost taken for granted. In this sense, ensuring proper security entails cameras and accompanying gear.
Although it may seem like an additional cost, it’s actually not that expensive. It’s a reasonable price to pay when you consider that your principal will be under your watchful eye via CCTV. And not only the executive, but also their family, staff, and home. You got them all covered.
In The Basics of CCTV Services, we discuss the types of CCTV cameras. Here we will dig deep into how CCTV security evolved and what more it can do to ensure safety. Let’s get to it.
A Short History of CCTV Security
CCTV security kicked off in the early 1940s and entered the commercial space by 1949.
Unfortunately, it was Nazi Germany that initially used CCTV technology to monitor the use of their weaponry. German electrical engineer Walter Bruch invented CCTV technology for learning about weapons. Yes, monitoring people wasn’t the first recorded case of usage of this type of tech. Thanks to CCTV, the German military was able to observe rocket launches from inside a bunker.
In a matter of months, the American government quickly found out about this. Trying to use it for their ends, they created cameras enabling scientists to observe nuclear bomb testing.
That was an inventive move that allowed them to learn about nuclear weapons’ effects from the comfort of their labs. The real benefit was that scientists didn’t have to come into contact with the dangerous aftermath of nuclear attacks. They could examine it from afar.
After the Allies defeated Nazi Germany, the U.S. contractor Vericon began selling the technology for commercial use. However, it was a primitive solution that people could use only for live monitoring. Recording wasn’t available yet, because they lacked the components that would allow users to record footage.
It was only a few years later that experts introduced reel-to-reel recording systems to preserve the data. However, the real climax in CCTV security happened only in the 1970s. It was in those years that video cassette recordings (VCRs) became available for broader use.
And that’s not all. Scientists reached the pinnacle when they presented us with multiplexing solutions. That meant that you could combine multiple CCTV cameras’ signals and display them on a monitor. Remember, this was back in the 1990s when people really only started discovering what we now take for granted.
The Digital Era of CCTV Security
As time passed, CCTV solutions improved rapidly. Digital video recorders (DVRs) replaced VCRs and prefaced a new era of CCTV security. At that point, people could use these systems in a more straightforward and more user-friendly manner. It appeared to be a small tech revolution.
Thanks to digital systems, gone were the days of stockpiling tapes for data storage. At that crossroads, the job of executive protection agents became a lot easier. They had access to technology that their colleagues could only dream of just ten years prior.
And not only that. Digital recording enabled building owners to browse video footage quickly and obtain clips at the speed of light. Okay, we may be exaggerating a bit here. Still, when you look at CCTV security’s long historical path, you realize how groundbreaking it all was.
Note that reviewing footage for the purpose of investigating incidents was irritating. It was only in 1986 that digital video recording set off. It made people’s lives easier, to say the least. Additionally, law enforcement performance increased as surveillance cameras became a go-to source. They could now investigate assaults and car crashes faster.
To design the perfect CCTV system, you need to consider lighting strategies, camera selection, and camera location. Furthermore, there are five types of artificial lights to take into account:
- Incandescent light includes halogen bulbs and illuminate large outdoor areas.
- Fluorescent lighting is usually used for indoor spaces.
- High-intensity discharges are the least expensive to operate and have high- and low-pressure sodium and metal-halide lighting.
- Infrared emits light at a much longer wavelength than white rays. It’s faintly visible to the human eye or isn’t visible at all.
- LED provides high brightness and intensity. These lights are incredibly efficient and are increasingly used in CCTV systems.
The Problem with CCTV
Now that we’ve examined all the pros of using CCTV security to improve human lives, let’s look at the dark side. Yes, there is a dark side to it that has recently been expanding quickly.
As cameras began spreading all over the world, so did the danger of facial recognition. People are treating this as an alarming issue in some instances. For example, authoritarian governments now have better ways to monitor their populations and restrict movement. The Chinese state is using facial recognition tech to surveil and detain people, mainly protesters.
Additionally, facial recognition presents a challenge for both customers and companies. Nobody knows if they are being tracked and where their facial features are stored. That raises the question of the level of data that companies have an insight into without the customers’ permission.
Issue after issue with no real solution in sight, while regulation doesn’t seem to be doing the trick either.
To Sump Up
CCTV security in 2021 is no joke. It has evolved to include IP megapixel cameras, and users are increasingly requesting the upgrade of their systems from analog to IP. Things are changing and improving rapidly.
The troubles arisen from CCTV technology in the last few years will likely cast a shadow over CCTV. Still, we shouldn’t forget all the enhancements that CCTV provided worldwide. Just consider the following benefits:
- Deterring criminal activity,
- Creating peace of mind,
- Having a cost-effective alternative in comparison to other types of security.
There is one answer to countering modern threats in buildings and outside, homes, companies, and anywhere else. Personal protection coupled with implementing security systems.