Church Video Surveillance Systems

Church Video Surveillance Systems

It would be nice to think that video surveillance systemsusing CCTV are not needed for churches and temples, but unfortunately these sacred places are not exempt from individuals who will steal from them.  Churches and temples, just like any other establishment, need to protect their property from thieves and vandals and one of the best ways to help secure these places of worship is using a quality video surveillance system with indoor and outdoor security cameras and a surveillance DVR.

Church Asset Protection

Churches have many different important assets that they may want to protect.  This obviously includes the money stored in the church that is taken from collections and fundraisers. This will often amount to a lot of money, hundreds of dollars or more depending on the size of the church, and it is important for churches to ensure that the money people donate to the church, stays with the church. No one wants someone to break in and steal what is rightfully the church.

Churches often serve as a depository of sacred and historical objects. In the church there are historic records, artifacts and more that tell the tale of the area because, often, the church was the first place built in the town or city. Any vandalism or theft of these records or artifacts cannot be measured in dollar amounts because it is incalculable. For many, those records and artifacts are priceless.  Using video surveillance in the areas that store these types of items is in the best interest of the church.

Burglary Happens

An unfortunate aspect of our current society is that nothing seems to be sacred, and many will steal from the church in an effort to further their own material gains. In fact, many steal from the very church that is working to help them in their lives, by providing a place to sleep, food, or help to get off the street.
It is naive to think that churches cannot be broken into, or vandalized.  
These are only examples from the past week as to churches that have been vandalized or broken into in the United States and elsewhere. As a result, it is clear that churches do need church surveillance systems.

Blending Surveillance Systems in with a Church

One stumbling block for church surveillance systems is that they look, well, too much like surveillance systems. Many people do not want the place that others come to for worship and sanctuary, to look like it is a fortress. They want people to feel at ease church, and not like they are being watched.  However, video surveillance systems these days are meant to provide tasteful design, while including a high-tech surveillance equipment.
Cameras can be hidden in several places in a church where no one will notice them at all, least of all the burglars. Besides hidden cameras, many dome and other style cameras can blend quite well with the aesthetics of a church.  Security cameras can be designed to look like they are meant to be there.  In a church, people come to worship and feel closer to God, no one wants to feel like they are being monitored by the eye in the sky (and we are not referring to the big eye in the sky that people are there to worship).

Remote DVR Viewer Software for Churches

Church surveillance systems from CCTV Camera Pros can actually enable remote viewing using DVR viewer software.  People can be authorized with a user ID and password to watch remotely to ensure no one breaks into the church. This wonderful feature means that people can view the church over the Internet and alert the police if anything suspicious happens.

Record Months Of Footage

VHS video tape recorders are pretty much obsolete at this point.  Digital video recorders (DVRs) have replaces VHS tape based recorders because they have become so cost effective as technology has adapted. No more do you have to change tapes every single morning. Now, you can capture and store weeks or months of video on a single hard disk drive. This means that if you have an incident occur, you just have to look to the DVRs history to what exactly occurred and when. You can also provide the police and FBI with a copy of the surveillance video footage by exporting the event to a CD or USB drive.
Surveillance DVRs are one of the greatest tools that a church can have at their disposal to capture and report crimes against them.

Conclusion

Churches are by no means free from the ravages of society. People can, and will, vandalize and rob churches. It is unfortunate that this happens, but churches and those who administer in them, should not rely on the kindness of people in these circumstances.
Churches are often seen as easy targets because they often lack surveillance systems and security cameras. However, word is beginning to spread that many churches are monitoring their surroundings, and thieves and vandals are beginning to realize that someone may be watching them at the church, other than God.
Don’t let your church be hit by vandals or thieves, arm it with a high quality and tasteful surveillance system.

Extract from http://www.cctvcamerapros.com

School Surveillance Systems

School Surveillance Systems

Our schools are where our children should feel safe. It is where they learn about themselves and the world around them. Sadly, if our past few years are any indication, schools are not the safe places we thought they were, and anything can happen when certain circumstances facilitate a tragic situation.

However, there are things that can be done to prevent that from happening, and to keep schools as the safe places they are supposed to be. It comes in the form of surveillance systems. These systems, which include CCTV security cameras, DVRs, and remote viewing capabilities are changing the way parents, and teachers see the school.

While we talk about using surveillance systems to keep schools safe, we are not just talking about school shootings. We are also talking about a parent’s ability to watch their children from afar, with remote viewing, to ensure they are safe as well.

Security Cameras as Digital Monitors

Schools have hall monitors to make sure no one leaves class, and they have people who monitor the kids coming and going. However, that does not mean that  the monitoring is perfect  It is important that schools have security cameras set up that can monitor children coming and going to ensure that they do not leave the school grounds and get lost.

It is unsafe and a severe fire hazard to lock the doors of a school so children cannot leave, but it is possible to keep an eye on them through cameras. For many principles and teachers, having security cameras in the halls to see children coming and going goes beyond finding those who are skipping out on class, it is more about safety and keeping children safe in a sometimes dangerous world.

With cameras outside the school, you can not only monitor the children to make sure there are no injuries in the playground, you can also monitor those around the schoolyard and diffuse a dangerous situation before it happens. If you see someone standing by a fence, or someone talking to the children, you can send a teacher over to asses the situation and deal with the potential problem before it becomes tragic.

School vandalism has also happened on occasion, and that costs a lot of time and money for the schools. With security cameras outside the school, hooked into a surveillance system, you can keep vandals from approaching the school, or catch them after they hit it. Here is just a selection from the space of a few days in April to show you how schools are often targeted. A good security system with security cameras can prevent this from ever happening:
 

Record School Surveillance Using DVRs

Twenty years ago, video tapes were the only media that could be used to record what sub-par video cameras saw. However, in our current digital age, we can use DVRs to not only see things a lot clearer, but for longer periods of time too. That means that if something happens at a school, if there is a shady character lurking around or a child goes missing, you can jump to the DVR and see what the video cameras saw, anywhere in the school, to determine what happened and how the situation can be either resolved, or kept from happening again. Through your surveillance system, you will be able to use your DVR to see everything that has happened at your school, in crystal clear quality, for the past few weeks.  This is an excellent tool for both student and school safety.

Remote Monitoring Your School

One of the most innovative things that has ever been done in keeping neighborhoods safe is the Neighborhood Watch Program. The same principle is applied to remote monitoring. In this case, you can monitor the school from your own home computer. You can see if anyone is around the school, you can see if someone is vandalizing it, you can even see your own child in their classroom when you are feeling down and need a pick-me-up at work.

Remote viewing technology is amazing for many people because it offers them the ability to see the school, from anywhere in the world.

For many parents, this gives them the peace of mind knowing that if they want to see what their kids are up to at school, all they have to do is log into the remote viewing system. For schools, this gives them the air of looking out for the children and being totally open by allowing parents to see the school through the remote viewing technology that uses the security cameras and security surveillance system of the school.

School is a place of fun and happiness and it is important it stays that way. Vandalism, sexual predators and school shootings are an unfortunate product of our society at times, but with a good surveillance system, you can prevent your school, or your children, from falling victim.
The cost of the system is well worth the peace of mind you get.

One final piece of information that will help you decide if using security cameras and a surveillance system in your school. More and more schools in Nigeria are using cameras in their school, and schools have found out that when children know there is a camera watching, they are much more likely to behave and do well in school.

Day Care Security Cameras & Surveillance Systems

Day Care Security Cameras & Surveillance Systems

There are few things as important to us as our children. As a result, we take their safety and security very seriously. This is especially true when we leave our children in the care of others. We want to make sure that they are safe and secure when at school, day care, or elsewhere. Day care and after school activity centers are beginning to understand this. Parents want to know that their children are safe so more and more daycares are adding security cameras to their facilities as a result. Installing a security camera system in a daycare center gives the parents a sense of security that their children are not only being watched by a qualified facility but that the entire environment of the daycare is being monitored using video surveillance.

Security Cameras

Day cares are supposed to be fun and positive atmospheres. To keep it that way, security cameras are being installed at day cares to ensure complete safety for the children. With security cameras and a surveillance DVR recorder, the day care owners are able to monitor the children and know if anything is amiss. We aren’t just talking about abduction, which is a fear for any parent, but we are also talking about children wandering off, or getting injured. With someone actively monitoring the cameras they can see a child in danger and be able to respond quickly. They can also alert day care staff about the child wandering off and have someone get the child before it is too late. Also, with video surveillance also being recorded,old footage can be reviewed at any time to review past events that took place. Security cameras are used to keep us safe in stores and out in the street, so why are they not used to keep our children safe in day care? Luckily, more and more day cares are adding security cameras to their facilities for this very reason. With so many dangers in the world, keeping an eye on the children through security cameras is becoming more and more important with every single passing day. 

Remote Surveillance to Monitor Children at Daycare

Easily one of the most important advances in surveillance systems is the advent of remote DVR viewer technology that allows people to view / monitor live video camera feeds from outside of the day care facility using a network or Internet connection. For day cares, and the parents who take their kids to the day care, this is incredibly important. Some day care centers are using CCTV cameras to allow parents to log in remotely to check on their children. Allowing parents to login remotely using a DVR viewer application allows the day care to offer this special service to parents which they will certainly appreciate. It gives parents the peace of mind they need to know that their children are safe, and when they are having a tough day at work, nothing is better than looking at your child playing with his or her friends and knowing that they are safe. 

Remote Surveillance Provides Security

Remote surveillance systems also allow owners and managers to monitor activities at a day care, and ensure employee safety. It can be a cruel world, and sometimes abductions, and even robberies occur at day cares, so it is essential to keep not only the children, but employees safe. Day cares usually close around 7 p.m., and for the employees who have to walk out of the building, it can be a stressful time if they are dealing with a bad neighborhood. Thankfully, with surveillance system in place, they know that criminals are being deterred and if something does happen, someone will be calling the police within seconds if the system is being monitored live. Remote viewing technology means that parents and owners can be the eyes in the sky at a daycare, and daycare workers can take comfort knowing that if something does happen, that they will be protected and watched over. 

Gas Station Surveillance Systems

Until the past decade or two, the concept of gas stations needing surveillance systems was nearly unheard of. This was mainly because gas was so cheap, there was really no need to steal it. However, in our current age of high-priced gas and limited paychecks, gas station robberies occur much more than before. As a result, gas station owners are becoming increasingly more techno-savvy in their effort to prevent gas station robberies, and keep the employees of the gas station safe. In a quick search of Google News on March 29, nearly 20 results were returned for ‘gas station robberies’ in just the past 24 hours! Gas station robberies have been on the rise for the past few years, and it is time for gas station owners to take notice.

Surveillance Camera Systems

Gas station surveillance cameras have existed for at least the past decade or two. They are usually found outside the gas station, with a broad view over the entire gas fill-up area. In past years, they were of poor quality and had limited recording time, which made them very ineffective. However, the truth of the matter is that these days, technology has come a long way and the cameras that monitor the entire gas station are much more advanced.

One big change recently is that gas stations are no longer monitoring just the fill-up area when they are doing surveillance. They are monitoring inside the store as well. The truth of the matter is that most of the robberies in gas stations happen in the store, and gas station owners are beginning to realize this.
With a simple surveillance system of cameras and digital video recorders, gas station owners can get clear pictures of those in the store and know if something bad is about to happen.
Surveillance is the key to helping a gas station maintain its merchandise, keep its employees safe and ensure that people do not think they can get gas from the station for free.

DVR Viewer Surveillance for Gas Stations

Just because you are not at your gas station, it does not mean you can’t see what is going on anymore. Now, with remote viewing technology that uses cameras and high-speed internet bandwidths, the owner can view their gas station at all times. This means that not only can they make sure employees are doing their job, they can make sure no one is going to be robbing the place. This translates into savings on productivity for the owner, and safety for the employees. Remote viewing for the owner/manager can be considered one of the biggest advances in surveillance of the past ten years.

Monitoring Gas Station Pumps with Security Cameras

The pumps are a hot spot for crime. While the store may be robbed more, the pumps can cost a lot more for the gas station. The gas in those pumps is the life blood of the gas station, and gas and dash robberies rip that blood out of the gas station.
Now, owners can be monitoring the gas station pumps on gas pump islands with outdoor security cameras. This means that they can see the license plate of the person who robs them, and they don’t have to put their employees at risk to stop the individual. All it takes now is someone parking, filling up and driving off without paying. The monitoring the gas station pumps with islands that have outdoor security cameras is a big step to safety and keeping robbers from stealing the gas of the station.

Using Security Cameras for Employee Safety

For most owners, nothing is more important that employee safety. They do not want their employees going after a robber, simply to prevent the gas station from losing a few bucks. What is money when compared with an individuals life? For an owner, the ability to keep employees safe is worth its weight in gold. Those employees can feel safer when surveillance systems are put in place.
 

Security Cameras as a Theft Deterrent

Nothing stops thieves from robbing a location more than surveillance system. It is a great theft deterrent for everyone because when the thieves see the cameras, they know that someone is watching. As a result, they may choose not to rob the place because it is simply too risky and there is too much of a chance that they will get caught.

Putting security cameras, that can be seen, outside the gas station and inside the gas station, around the pumps and even behind the counter, is a great theft deterrent for the store. Any owner who wants to keep employees safe and robberies at a minimum, or non-existent, is going to need to put up cameras that can be seen, but not touched.

Surveillance Systems for Home Owners Associations

Surveillance Systems for Home Owners Associations

One of the most popular types of communities in the United States is the gated homeowners association community, also known as an HOA. This is where people can live in peace because their entire community is surrounded by a wall, with a gate at the front entrance and also sometimes as rear gated entrance as well. Some have security guards at the front of these communities, while others do not.

These areas are not perfect and sometimes there is a need for home owner associations to invest in surveillance systems to ensure that everyone is kept safe while they live in their gated community. To accomplish this, home owner associations will implement several measure including security cameras, DVRs and even remote viewing.

The club house of the gated community is where you will find most of the tools and items that are needed to keep the community looking great. These range from riding lawnmowers to simple items like tools.  However, because they are a depository of tools and high-cost items, they can often become the victim of theft, even from people in the community.
To prevent this from happening, it is important to have security surveillance systems in place. 

Through putting security cameras in clubhouses, you are able to monitor and prevent theft in the community clubhouse. These can either be security cameras that people know about, or security cameras that are hidden.  Either way, they accomplish the same task of preventing theft, and ensuring those who are to blame are caught after stealing from the clubhouse.  For the relatively low-cost of security cameras, and a surveillance DVR, a home owner association can literally save thousands of dollars on stolen items from their clubhouse. For many, this is a price they are willing to bear in order to give their residents some peace of mind and safety.

As most people know gated communities often have security guards out front to keep those who do not belong in the community, out of the community. However, security guards cost home owner associations a lot of money. Through the cost of having to pay their hourly salary, along with the cost of insurance, benefits and more, it can be unfeasible for many home owner associations to have this. As a result, many are not as safe as they could be. Thankfully, with the use of surveillance systems, home owner associations can get that security, but without the need for high-priced security guards.

By setting up security cameras, DVRs and remote viewing capabilities in the surveillance system, home owner associations get a ‘virtual security guard’. With the security cameras, those who want to try and sneak into the community will be prevented the ability to do so because of the ‘eye in the sky’. As well, through remote viewing, the members of the gated community can keep an eye on the front in their spare time, turning the entire community into a ‘remote viewing neighborhood watch’. This is worth its weight in gold because it gets the community together for a common goal and it helps keep everyone safe, without the costs of a security guard.
Why skimp on security just because you can’t afford a security guard? Pay the costs for a security surveillance system and keep everyone safe and happy.

Most gated communities will also have recreation areas that people like to hang out at. However, at night, this can also be where some people hang out with trouble on their mind. This does not even have to be an outsider coming into the gate community. It can even be someone who lives there. Teenagers, those in the drug trade, all can live in a gated community.  Where these people often congregate is communal areas like basketball courts and tennis courts. When they get together in one area, trouble can happen, from fights to petty vandalism.

While the gated community can pay the cost of having a security guard wandering around, it makes much more sense to have a security surveillance system set up to ensure that there is constant vigilance, without the need for someone being there. The cameras will be able to watch over the recreation areas, and the DVRs will give home owner associations the ability to watch what happened the night before in case of vandalism. It really is an all-encompassing security system that gated communities must have.

Of course, some will say that gated communities are safe enough, but these are just a few news stories from the past few weeks concerning gated communities:
Las Vegas, Nevada “Monday night, violent mayhem rocked an exclusive gated community in Henderson, Nevada. It started when police say two men broke into a home to rob its residents …one of the robbers shot the husband…there is a good chance the suspects got in by jumping over the security wall”
Port St. Lucie, Florida “Police are looking for two groups of ‘traveling criminals’ making their way through Florida’s east coast… The burglaries within the city all happened this month and took place in gated communities…”
Both of those news stories happened in the past couple weeks. As we can see, the gated community is a safe place, but it is only as safe as what the home owner association makes it. People can jump walls, people can get in and when they do you want to make sure you have the right surveillance equipment to ensure that they are caught and sent to jail. There are few better deterrents than security surveillance systems, so give them a try with your own home owner association’s gated community.

Security Measures to Take While Traveling

Security Measures to Take While Traveling

Security Measures to Take While Traveling

Traveling with friends, family, or even alone can be a lot of fun, but there are also many different security related things to keep in mind. Women, children, and pets also have different travel safety needs. By following a little bit of common sense and a few simple tips, you can be assured that your trip with not only be one you will always remember, but it will be a safe one as well. While traveling is sure to be a great experience, staying safe should never stray far from your priorities. Thinking about these things in advance will help to ensure that you have a fun, safe, and enjoyable trip that you'll never forget.
Residential Security
Something everyone should keep in mind is how to make sure your home stays safe while you are away. Leave the front porch light and any back lights on the entire time so it gives the illusion that there is always someone home. Lock all doors and windows and if someone is watching your home for you have them bring the newspaper inside each day. This will make it appear to potential criminals that you are there. If you have a home security system, be sure to arm it and give the code to your house sitter so that they can re-arm it when you leave. If you have security cameras, make sure that your DVR is set to record while you are away.  If possible, have someone stay in your home for you while you're gone.
Personal Security
Staying safe while traveling is imperative and there are a few things you can do to help ensure that you're free from harm. It is a good idea to make copies of all documents including your passport and other ID before you leave and give it to someone you trust in case you lose yours or it gets stolen. Always carry your identification with you when you're traveling, whether it is within the US or overseas. Try to enjoy your trip early in the mornings and retire to your hotel fairly early. Most criminals are out and about at night so this can help to minimize the risk. Travel with a group or a buddy so you always have a companion with you in case you need help. Make sure your hotel stays locked both when you leave and when you are in the room.
Traveling Abroad
Traveling abroad often carries more risks than traveling within the US. Try to learn the language of the country you're visiting, at least a few basic sentences. This way you can easily communicate with hotel staff, shopkeepers, bartenders, and the police if need be. Learn about the customs and clothing of the country you are visiting so you will blend in and not stand out as much. Try not to look too much like an American, as many criminals in other countries know what to look for and may try to pick you out of the crowd as their next victim. Be aware of pickpockets and never carry a bag with thin straps across your shoulder, as many criminals tend to cut the straps and run off with your belongings. Use guided tours if possible so that you do not get lost and remain with a group.
Women's Safety
Women should be especially aware of certain travel safety rules. Never go anywhere alone, and always bring someone with you when you venture out, particularly at night. Bring some mace or pepper spray in the event you have to defend yourself in a dangerous situation. Do not wear flashy jewelry, as this will only tempt a robber to try and steal from you. Walk briskly and with your head up and eyes moving around, so that you look confident and aware of your surroundings. Do not drink too much while you're out unless you can stay close to your trusted travel companion.

Cyber Security and personal Identity theft Safety Tips

Cyber Security and personal Identity theft Safety Tips...

Have you ever sat and wondered how your passwords, Bank accounts,emails and social  network accounts are hacked? Answer is very Simple, You unknowingly expose your device  to intrusions from malicious cyber criminals via web links that installs key-loggers and  other spy-ware softwares sent to you in the guise of financial institutions, social  network site administrators and so many other ways they device to make sure the ,malicious  software is installed on your PC remotely or on site.

How Does that Happen?

Your Bank will never ask you to verify your Bank Verification Number(B.V.N), input your credit card information or  change/verify your passwords on-line so when you see any message you suspect to be from  your bank but is asking for private informations to give you access to certain features  or cancel certain loans you never applied for, please do not even think of clicking the  link cos it might be a monitor software written to monitor keystrokes of your keyboard  and hence expose your system to attack.

Whatever be the case if you are using a computer having key-logger installed, you are at  serious risk of loosing sensitive information which can lead to financial loss also. Even  if its your computer, it may have been used by some creepy friend of yours who have wrong  intentions to steal your data.

What is a Key-logger: 

A key-logger is a piece of generally-malicious software or hardware installed on your  computer that logs what you type, including your passwords; many key-logger programs also  do other forms of surveillance on you. While they may be legitimately used in rare  circumstances, they can also be used by cyber criminals to steal the personal information  and passwords of unknowing Internet users. Key-loggers breach your privacy, allow your  passwords to be stolen, and cause your computer to slow down. Thus, if you believe you  are being illicitly monitored by someone else using a key-logger, you may want to try to  detect and remove it.

Preparing Against Malicious Key-logger Attacks:

1. Ensure the system is fully protected from any known vulnerabilities. Update your  operating system as well as your applications. Outdated software may have exposed  security holes that can open your computer up to infection.

2. Make sure that all users of the computer know not to click freely on the internet,  especially pop-ups, and avoiding freebies at all costs.

3. Install reputable security software on your computer. Install both an on-demand anti- malware and an always-on anti-virus. Free options include "Malwarebytes (for malware)" and  "Avast" or "Panda" (for anti-virus). Keep your security software updated.

Detecting Key-loggers:

1. Open the Task Manager by pressing "Ctrl+Alt+Delete" and selecting "Open Task Manager".  Check the task manager window for suspicious processes; search the names of unknown  processes on the Internet to see if they might be malicious. If there is a suspicious  process in your computer, then it might be a key-logger or some other type of virus.

2. In the Start menu's search bar, type in "msconfig" and press enter. Go to "Startup",  and see if there are any suspicious programs that are configured to start up when the  computer boots. If you are suspicious about a program, search for its name on the  Internet to see if it might be malicious.

3. Do a double check. Many key-loggers hide themselves from both msconfig and the Task  Manager. Use your reputable anti-malware to check for key-loggers on your computer.

4. If you have a desktop computer, it may also have a hardware key-logger on it. Look at  where your keyboard cable connects to your tower. If there is a device plugged in between  the keyboard cable and the tower, it might be a hardware key-logger. Please note, however,  that it may also be a legitimate converter or device.

Removing Keylogger:

1. If the keylogger detected is visible as an entry on the list of programs in the  Control Panel, then it might be a legitimate keylogger program with an uninstaller.  Uninstall the program, and use an anti-malware to remove any remnants.

2. Try an uninstaller. With some keylogger programs, such as Logixoft's Revealer  Keylogger, the installer can be used to uninstall the keylogger. Download the installer,  and use that to uninstall the keylogger. Remove remnants of the keylogger using a  reputable anti-malware scanner.

3. Search for specific advice for different programs, by name. Some keylogger programs,  such as Refog, actively prevent uninstallation. Check on internet forums such as  "BleepingComputer" to see how you can remove the program without breaking your computer.

4. Consider reinstalling your computer's operating system.

Many keylogger programs hook deep into your operating system, meaning that attempts at  removing them might break your computer or cause instabilities. In these cases, a  reinstall might be easier and cause fewer headaches.

Sometimes, it can be hard to remove a keylogger program using antimalware alone. A  reinstall would take care of the keylogger without you needing to put in as much effort.

You should reinstall your operating system if you have detected a keylogger on a computer  that you plan to use for bank transactions or dealing with trade secrets, because the  keylogger might not have been completely removed.

More Tips:

If you have used your computer to do bank transactions, your passwords may have been  compromised. Immediately, change your passwords using a computer known to be safe.  Contact your bank if you see any suspicious transactions done using your account.

Warnings:

Certain key-logger programs are invisible to anti-spy-ware and firewall programs.