Can Online Shopping Get More Secure?

Online security has been in the news a whole lot lately.  Are you concerned about your online security?  If so, definitely check out SmartSwipe – a secure personal card reader for safe online shopping.  SmartSwipe received some national news coverage, and I suspect that big things are in store for the product and it’s founder, NetSecure Technologies.

With SmartSwipe, you no longer have to type in your credit card information.  Rather, you swipe your card when you arrive on a payment page.  The card reader encrypts your credit card information as you swipe it through the device.

Understanding Surveillance Technology Part I: The Imaging Sensor

In order to make part I of my in depth look at the technology behind security cameras easier to understand, I’m going to use an example. The camera picture, the GT-128F can be viewed here.

The 128F is a simple camera, perfect for retail use where range of view is more important than getting really close details. If you look into the specs, you will discover that the imaging sensor is a 1/4″ Sharp Colour CCD. What does all of this mean?

Answering that will be easier once you know what an imaging sensor actually is and what it is supposed to do. The standard definition for imaging sensor is that it is a device that converts an optical signal into an electric signal. In English, it means that it takes light and converts it into something electrical. That is the classic definition of a digital camera. As I mentioned here, all security cameras (that I’m aware of) are digital.

You’re really getting three pieces of information in that explanation. The first piece of information you get is the sensor size. In this case, the sensor size is 1/4″. If you’ve been looking at surveillance cameras, you’ve definitely seen 1/3″. There are many other sizes, but in today’s industry, those two are the most common. The sensor size refers to how much light the sensor lets in. The bigger the sensor, the more light. And the more light, the wider the angle of view. So, a 1/3″ sensor will give a wider angle than a 1/4″ sensor…

The second item is a brand name. You’ll come across many cameras with sensors made by either Sharp or Sony. I have trouble telling the two apart, but really smart people say that Sony isn’t quite as grainy as Sharp is.

And finally, is a subject of much consternation – at least to me. When you build an imaging sensor, you can do it using one of two technologies, CCD or CMOS.

CCD (charged coupled device) technology was invented specifically for cameras and it has been used for over twenty years. They have better light sensitivity than CMOS, but this enhanced sensitivity causes ‘bleeding’, that tendency CCTV cameras have to cause vertical stripes above and below bright lights. It is actually more expensive to produce a CCD chip, but because they have been around so long, quality tends to be a little bit higher.

Recent advances in CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) technology has helped bring CMOS cameras closer to CCD in terms of image quality. While they are still plagued by low light sensitivity, some users think their marginally lower price makes up for it. And this is where I have my own problems. On some level, I don’t trust CMOS so I only carry CCD cameras. But since I don’t carry them, I can’t see for myself whether the quality is on par with CCD. It turns into a vicious cycle – I don’t trust them so I won’t invest the time or money necessary to learn whether I should trust them.

Copyright – 2008 – Greg Hluska – GT Surveillance

Guess She Should’ve Stayed in the Closet…

TOKYO – A homeless woman who sneaked into a man’s house and lived undetected in his closet for a year was arrested in Japan after he became suspicious when food mysteriously began disappearing.

Police found the 58-year-old woman Thursday hiding in the top compartment of the man’s closet and arrested her for trespassing, police spokesman Hiroki Itakura from southern Kasuya town said Friday.

The resident of the home installed security cameras that transmitted images to his mobile phone after becoming puzzled by food disappearing from his kitchen over the past several months.

Excerpt from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24889337/.

Copyright – 2008 – Greg Hluska – GT Surveillance

Digital vs Analogue?

I can’t count how many times I have had a conversation that goes something like this…

“So, what is the advantage of analogue surveillance cameras over digital ones?”
“Analogue cameras? What do you mean?”
“You know, the ones that are wired…”

I even get stuck in that trap. There are so many conflicting terms within the CCTV market that it can sometimes be really difficult to keep them separate!

Every surveillance camera I have ever seen has been digital. You know those acronyms, CCD and CMOS? Those mean ‘digital’. You see, they refer to the imaging sensor and if a camera has an imaging sensor, it is digital. Here is how an imaging sensor works. It allows in light and then analyzes all of that light for hue and tone. Then, it takes that light information and, on a pixel by pixel basis, it assigns a numerical value to the hue and tone. This is the textbook definition of ‘digital’.

Do you know how a 35mm camera works? Basically, the film is coated with three emulsifying layers that react to light. Each of these layers reacts to a different primary colour (hence the fact that film is coated in three layers). Basically, the aperture lets light in and when the film is exposed to the light, the layers react to the different shades and voila, you get a picture.

Any real camera gurus are likely shaking your heads. I know that I butchered this, but I wanted to keep things fairly simple. To conclude, if it has a CCD or a CMOS sensor in it, it is digital. And, if any of you have ever seen an actual analogue surveillance camera, please feel free to comment on this entry.

Copyright – 2008 – Greg Hluska – GT Surveillance

Change Management – Your Employees versus Surveillance Technology

It is one of the most difficult parts of being a manager – keeping your employees happy during periods of change. One of the most stressful changes an employee can face is the introduction of a CCTV surveillance system. So, the purpose of this paper is to give you some insight into what your employees think about the sudden introduction of a CCTV system and prepare you with some strategies to minimize harmful effects of the introduction.

When I designed systems for end users, one of the most common things I heard was my employees are all scared. I heard it so often that I not only took notice of it, but began to be troubled by it. Why are employees scared? And what can management do to minimize this fear?

To answer the first question, I went out and started talking to staff of places that had CCTV systems recently installed. The most common thing I heard was that staff members felt that the cameras were installed because management was trying to catch them doing something wrong. Many people suggested that they were worried that management was going to watch to see how hard they were working. Others thought it was a sign that management suspected staff members were stealing. People were uneasy with the thought of being watched.

Social psychology has proven many times that people behave differently when they are being watched. But, I would be interested in reading a study about how staff members react to the introduction of CCTV cameras. Specifically what does CCTV do the employee productivity, absenteeism, and turnover? (If anyone has read such an article, please contact me.) My suspicion is that the classic equation will hold true. Uneasy employees are less productive, they miss more work, and they leave more frequently.

So, what can a manager do to assuage those feelings and keep their staff happy through the introduction of a CCTV system? In my mind, a successful introduction comes down to five easy steps.

1. “We are going to get a CCTV system.”

The first step is to tell your staff that you have decided to purchase a CCTV system. There is no use trying to hide it from them – they will find out the second it is installed. If you tell them early, at least they aren’t going to be surprised. It also gives you the opportunity to involve them in the decision making process (which is step 2). While I recommend that you tell them the honest reasons why you want a system, it may be prudent to downplay employee theft and focus on employee safety and getting rid of shoplifters.

2. “Help us design it.”

This is the biggest opportunity you will get to make your system better. No surveillance specialist will know as much about how your operation works as well as your front line staff. If you want to put an end to theft, talk to your staff. If you want to cut costs, talk to your staff. I’m amazed by how many companies hire expensive management consultants when they could get the same net effect by talking to their employees. Ask for their input. What areas need special coverage. Where are the problems? What most needs to be watched?

3. Take employee thoughts into consideration in the final plan

Asking for help will come across as patronizing unless you actually take some of their advice. You don’t have to follow every suggestion, but you should be prepared to explain why you didn’t follow employee A’s suggestion that you put a camera in the change room.

4. “Here is our system.”

Once the system is set up, I encourage you to actually show it off. Make sure every staff member knows where the (visible) cameras are. Make sure every staff member has an idea what each camera ’sees’. Not only does this give you a chance to deal with any last minute uncertainty, but it also makes you look forthcoming about the system. And, perhaps most importantly, if you are trying to catch a staff member who you believe is stealing, this is a great way to set the “hidden camera trap”.

What about the hidden camera trap? Essentially, you know that your staff will notice visible cameras. There is no
way around that. However, if you suspect that someone is stealing from you, you can put a hidden camera so it monitors an area that isn’t covered by visible cameras. Essentially, by showing all your employees what cameras cover, you are showing dishonest employees where the openings are. And that is where to put the hidden cameras.

One final note about the “Here is our system” stage. In my opinion, this is an excellent time for a team building exercise or event of some sort. Reward your staff with something fun. The process has been stressful for them, so show them that you appreciate their help and that you understand how it can be stressful for them. Sometimes showing that you understand people are under stress actually reduces the stress they are under.

5. Monitor

This is the very last step. Talk to your staff after the cameras have been up for a few weeks. Ask questions and foster an open environment where they can ask you questions, talk about their feelings and give you their feedback. Also, always pay attention to key human resources metrics like absenteeism, turnover, and basic productivity.

You likely won’t be able to find out what sort of an effect your system has had on shoplifting until you do a complete inventory. When you do that inventory, track slippage rates by area in the store. This will give you an idea where people are stealing from and indicate whether or not you should consider moving cameras.

There you have it, five easy steps to guiding your employees through a difficult transition. Not only will this system help you design a more effective system, but it will also make sure you get full value out of your labour investment!

Copyright – 2008 – Greg Hluska – GT Surveillance

Surveillance Business – How to Market Yourself to Small Retailers

I’m having some trouble with my homepage right now, but when that trouble is fixed, you’ll be able to find this entry archived at www.GTsurveillance.com/blog.php.

Today, I’m going to discuss a topic that really interests me. I actually got into the surveillance industry because I was interested in how to sell it. Marketing research has always been a huge area of interest for me, so I was drawn to learning what markets want to buy and why.

In my experience, one of the most potentially lucrative markets to go after is that composed of small retail operations. We all know the places – the independent retailers that dot the business landscape. The independent bookstores, gift shops, flower shops, clothing boutiques, and the like.

This market is especially attractive for a few reasons. First, shoplifting is a huge problem for the retail community. In September 2006, Business Week stated that theft (whether by employees or by shoplifters) costs stores roughly $30 billion. Shoplifters are intelligent – they keep going after the really easy (and profitable) targets. And, by their nature, small retailers are usually pretty easy stores to hit. Small budgets mean a limited number of staff, and it is very easy to distract a solo staff member.

To go after this market, you have to be able to sell them on the cost savings associated with a good CCTV system. And, in order to sell them on cost savings, you have to make sure your cost is low enough to make it a profitable move. Use the above cited Business Week article’s estimate that the average theft costs a retailer over $800!

Price – This is huge when you’re going after small retailers. Small retailers operate in a very harsh market place. Large operations like Wal-Mart hurt their bottom lines. Retail space is generally expensive to lease. And retail is always very cyclical so retailers always go through dry spells. Consequently, you have to show them that a surveillance system will save them money. And, in order to do this, you have to design a cost effective system.

That is why I recommend that you sell them computer based set ups. Many retailers use a computer as a cash register and as an accounting system. And these computers are frequently powerful enough to run a surveillance system. The best part is that you can attract customers with a beautiful price point. For example, with GT Surveillance equipment, you can sell a four dome camera set up plus a USB adaptor for around $450. This gives you a markup in excess of 40%. And then you can upsell on the installation. Many retailers would rather hire a professional to do the install than do it themselves. If you do the installs yourself, anything you charge for them will be pure profit. Many of you will find that it makes more sense to sell a package at cost and make all of your money on the installs!

Product – This is where things get interesting. In order to do a good set up, you have to learn a lot about cameras. And, most importantly, you have to be able to determine which cameras are best for an operation. When I retailed cameras, I made a vow to myself – I would never sell a package just to make the sale. If I was going to sell something, it was because it was the best package available for them. I carry that same philosophy into my business as a wholesale distributor.

Place – Retailers are busy. Make sure that the first contact is via mail so they have some idea who you are and then either call them or walk in. I suggest that you call first to make an appointment, though some salespeople are really good at walking in and closing a sale. Just remember that everyone is nervous about doing this. Nobody really likes making cold calls. But they are a really easy, fast way to make a name for yourself. If you do right by your cold calls, your business will boom and you will be run off your feet with referrals.

The joy of starting a camera business is that you don’t need to invest in space off the beginning. It is easiest to make a sale when you are right in someone’s place of business. Point out where you would like to put a camera and show them the area it would cover. Relate everything to the business you are in and talk about that customer’s merchandise. You don’t want people to think that you are reading off of a script!

Promotions – I am a big fan of direct marketing followed by an actual sales call. Set up a list of between 20 and 50 small retail businesses in your area. Do your homework – go in, take a look around, check out what kinds of merchandise they carry and take a good look for surveillance cameras. After you leave the store, take some notes in your “potential client” book. Have they got cameras? Have they got high priced merchandise? How many staff members were there? After you have made up a “potential client” book it is time to start crafting your “first contact”. You want to write a quick letter to introduce yourself and who you are. Make sure that this letter fits on one page. Get some nice letterhead printed up (you want them to trust you) and make sure to write a letter specifically to each operation. Say things about their business, ie – “I couldn’t help but notice that you carry a large selection of Versace sunglasses and I’m wondering whether you might have an easier time protecting your business if you had a good CCTV surveillance system installed?”

And then, about a week after you send out those letters, call up the business to see if they got the letters and if they have any questions. At first, you are playing a game of probabilities. The more contacts you send out and the more people who you actually talk to, the more customers you will get. You will be rejected more than you will be accepted, but here is the thing. Every customer who you make incredibly happy turns into a salesperson for your business. Business people talk to each other all the time and many of them share their own best practices. If you design and install a system that works well and actually reduces shoplifting, you will get referrals. And referrals are really where the money is.

Do You Need to get More Connected? CCTV, Remote View and Stress

I am convinced that some of the systems I have sold have ruined lives. A few individuals come to mind – the people who got too into it, too focused on their system specs, too obsessed with being able to log in at anytime from anywhere. Sometimes surveillance systems – especially those equipped with remote view – give people too much access to their businesses. Sometimes the need to be vigilant takes precedence over the need to escape, and people become slaves to their CCTV feeds.

You can not be a slave to something without suffering ill effects.

So, before you decide to enable remote view, I want you to ask yourself whether you will ever be able to truly escape if you can be logged in and watching 24 hours a day every day. Will you be able to really take time off if you can always be at work? How would you react if you saw a trusted employee stealing from you in real time? What if you got to watch that disgrace while you were on vacation?

We live in a hyper connected world and consequently, most of us have stress levels approaching those observed in the San Andreas fault. Do we need to connect in one more way? Or can we derive the same benefit (only quicker) from watching the recorded feeds (at 2x regular speed) when we’re back on location?

In the right hands, a scalpel can be an amazing tool. In the wrong hands, it is a horrible weapon. Remote view is no different.

Talking about *cue Vincent Price voice-over* “the Perils of Remote View” is a wonderful opportunity to talk about stress. All of us – from the people who sell and install the equipment to the people who are being victimized who buy it – have stress in our lives. Reducing stress levels (or finding a good release for yours) is one of the easiest (and most rewarding ways) to add good years to your life. So, let’s share some methods for dealing with stress. Worst case scenario, we’ll all get some new ideas.

But, before I go into some methods for dealing with stress, I’d like to take a moment to get into the physiology of stress. You know that tightness in the back of your neck when you are really stressed out? That tightness is your body’s response to something called cortisol. Cortisol is a nasty little carry over from our more primitive days. Cortisol will give you the extra boost of energy you need to, say, escape from a saber tooth tiger (or at least put up one heck of a fight). Problem is, cortisol decreases serotonin levels, hinders the brain’s ability to encode memories, and is thought to be responsible for plaque in your arteries. Take plaque in your arteries, add a high fat diet, and you are at risk for a heart attack.

So, the first method I would like to get into is physical fitness. If I didn’t jog most mornings, I would lose my mind. When I’m particularly angry, or particularly stressed out, I’ll put some of it into a quick workout with the dumb bells that I keep near me. Fitness accomplishes two things. It is a place to put all the stress. And it keeps my heart in good shape and makes me more heart attack proof. This is huge for me because my Grandmother had a triple bypass over 20 years ago and my Dad’s cholesterol is extremely high (despite the fact that he runs 8km per day).

On the topic of physical fitness, eat healthy foods. Seriously, look after the body you’ve got! I know, I know, you’re busy and sometimes fast food beckons. Don’t worry about the occasional visit to the Golden Arches, but for the most part, try and eat well. If you’re really ambitious, try to space out your eating so you get around six small meals per day – this will ensure that your blood sugar levels stay fairly stable throughout the day. Whole grains will add years to your life. Eating colourful produce (and lots of it) will add years to your life. If you’re concerned about your heart, supplement with Omega 3 or eat lots of fish. And you know those dirty little cancer sticks? Stop smoking them – cigarettes will kill you in a number of nasty ways, they cause you stress, and they sap away your energy.

The last topic I’m going to cover is meditation. Meditation has a negative connotation for some people, so let me dispel a few myths. You don’t have to join a new religion or shave your head to meditate. You don’t lose control of yourself when you meditate and it isn’t really about “losing yourself” or “completely silencing your mind”. Rather, it is perfectly safe, perfectly natural and one of the most relaxing experiences you will ever have. And, most importantly, it is simple – you really don’t have to pay for classes to learn how to meditate. The simplest meditation involves watching your breathe – breathe in slowly, hold it for a second, then breathe out. Close your eyes and repeat. Your mind will wander – especially at first – and don’t worry about that. Try not to get carried away with your thoughts – try to observe the thoughts that emerge, don’t pay any special attention to them, and get back to your focal point – your breathe. Focus on your breathing – in slow and deep, out slow and complete.

Simply taking long, slow, deep breathes will relax you and help make you more productive. Start slowly – five minutes at a time is plenty to start with – and slowly work your way up until you can meditate for 15 minutes at a time.

Copyright – 2008 – Greg Hluska – GT Surveillance

DIY Surveillance Installations

Originally published at http://forum.homesecuritystore.com/index.php?topic=17357.0 and http://www.gtsurveillance.com/blog.php

Do-it-yourselfers with some technical skills and some patience can easily set up their own CCTV surveillance system. However, since it can be intimidating, I thought that I would put together a list of some tricks I have picked up along the way. I encourage everyone who reads this to add their own tricks so we can create a comprehensive resource for first time installers.

1. Draw it first. The difference between a good CCTV system and a bad one usually comes down to planning. So, before you install your own system, I encourage you to make a sketch. The more accurate the sketch, the better the final product, so take some measurements of your space, then get some graph paper, a ruler and a protractor. Every camera sees in a cone shape – on paper you can draw this as a triangle. Graph out your angles of view and try out a few different setups to see what gives you not only the best, but the most secure coverage. When I say “most secure coverage”, I mean that you want to build a system that can’t be easily circumvented. For example, its never a bad idea to have double coverage on cameras – so that anyone damaging or moving one will have to do so on camera.
2. Whenever possible, bring your staff in on the decision to buy a system as early as possible. Explain why you want to install a security system, make it clear that you are trying to protect them (not implicate them), and get their thoughts/advice on your system. You will often find that your staff has interesting insight into your unique security situation. Installing a surveillance system can be very stressful upon your staff – some will feel like you are invading their privacy, or accusing them of something. If you encourage frank dialogue about the system and take their thoughts seriously under consideration, you will find that they will have an easier time adapting to the new system. A surveillance system will cost you more money than it is worth if it results in high turnover, or unhappy, unmotivated workers!
3. If at all possible, get someone to help you with the install. At times you will wish that you had an extra arm. And aiming four cameras by yourself, especially if you aren’t using a laptop/mini-viewer, can be the most frustrating task in the world. I also strongly suggest that you do your install on a day when you have a lot of extra time and few people around. Remember that Murphy’s Law is all powerful when it comes to self-installs. And, if you’re in a rush, or being watched, more things will go wrong!
4. If you are using a computer as your digital video recorder, I suggest that you keep a few things in mind. First, if you are aren’t using a dedicated computer, (ie – if you use one computer to surf the internet, send eMails, do accounting, and serve as a DVR) you should install and regularly run both anti-spyware and anti-virus software. If you aren’t using a dedicated computer, you should also regularly perform routine maintenance. Clear your caches, empty your recycling bin, and regularly download updates for your operating system. Second, never be afraid to hire someone to help you with the install, or with setting up/optimizing your operating system. Hiring a technician can be the best investment that any computer owner can make.
5. Remote view is a great feature, but before you start running it, take a moment to decide whether it is really for the best. Ask yourself if you’ll ever have days away if you can constantly see what is going on without you there. Ask yourself how you would react if you saw someone stealing from you in real time while you were several thousand kilometers away. Again, remote view can be great, but it has the capacity to seriously increase both your stress levels and the amount of time you spend “at work”. Surveillance is pretty useless if it makes you much less effective and jeopardizes your health.
6. Protect your system from power. I suggest isolating your entire system from the location’s power box with an uninterruptible power supply and/or a high quality surge bar. There are two goals in doing this. First, “power events” (like surges, sags, spikes, or brownouts) are bad for your computer/DVR and your cameras. Second, if you are using a computer to record your images, you want to be 100% sure that it will run during AND after the power comes back. And finally, with a quality UPS, you can easily keep your entire system powered through those common five to ten minute power outages. The exact time depends upon the UPS and the cameras/computer/monitor your run. If you choose to forego the UPS, I suggest that you get a good quality surge protector with multiple layers of protection and the ability to condition power. Conventional surge protectors only have one layer of protection – if you get hit with one surge, the surge protector is fried, however, you can buy good quality surge protectors with seven layers of protection. (Please note: If your location gets hit by lightning seven times, you likely have other problems to worry about ) And power conditioning is nice because electronics are designed to use smooth, clean power. The problem is that when power gets to you, it is generally so dirty that it is nowhere close to a sine wave. Power conditioning removes transients and smoothes the graph so it is closer to the clean, smooth power that will make your components run better for longer.
7. Ask questions. Everyone who does installs, or who sells cameras remembers when they were new to the industry. My experience has been that most people in the surveillance industry are amongst the nicest people in the world – I wouldn’t know what I know without a number of experienced, intelligent people who took me under their wings. Make sure that the supplier of the cameras is going to be around to help you when things get messy.

Canadian CCTV Surveillance Camera Distributor

I will write more later – I want to take some time to figure out what this project is going to become. In the meantime, you can visit me at www.gtsurveillance.com.

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