MADgeek

CONSIDERING A VIDEO SECURITY SYSTEM...
Surveillance cameras are the new tool utilized by governments, towns, police, military, and homeowners alike. These video surveillance systems serve the purpose of observing a particular place or areas around or inside a building, warehouse, school, and many other locations. These systems assist to discourage incidents of crime, and also protect your facility.

BIG BROTHER VS. PERSONAL SECURITY...
Many of my libertarian friends are outraged by these cameras citing 'Big Brother' is creeping into their lives. However, the analysis can’t be as simple as “surveillance bad, privacy good”; and at least in some situations, camera systems can promote both protection and liberty. To begin with, the problem with cameras can’t be privacy alone. That is if they are located in public areas such as locations without a reasonable expectation of privacy. And while cameras aren’t perfectly reliable, I suspect that they can be more reliable than the fallibly of human observation. Questioning hypothetically if you witnessed a criminal offense how reliable would your observation be. Often human observation is bias with preconceived notions which are frequently tainted with certain prejudices. Take into account that as much as surveillance cameras can prove guilt, they can also prove innocence.

HOW EFFORTLESSLY CAMERAS CAN BE CIRCUMVENTED...
On the downside infared cameras can infact be easily defeated by someone who knows they are there. Considering that at nighttime a flashlight will blind infared cameras and moreover the usage of silicone spray will keep IR sensors from detecting heat at night. So you must keep visible cameras high unless hidden in clever locations. My suggestion is to use dummy cameras in the obvious places not only as targets but as distractions from the real cameras. Also remember the simple use of a ski mask can defeat the purpose of any security camera, so one must gull the intruder into a false sense of comfort with the illusion that there are no security cameras viewing him. Moreover, permitting him to feel comfortable enough to unmask himself in front of hidden cameras on the inside after an illegal entry, say.

THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE WIRING INDOOR CAMERAS...
When you set up an indoor security camera, don't stick to any default login values. Hackers will probably already know the defaults and be able to hack into your system. Then provided your system is hooked-up to the internet the hackers can in theory watch you day and night from a faraway location without you ever knowing. That is where personal security and privacy get intertwined. My suggestion is to keep your indoor cameras off the internet and backed up to a local secured or hidden drive somewhere on the premises. Additionally, after taking the law into consideration I would advise you not to put indoor cameras in any area with a reasonable expectation of privacy such as: a rest room, a bedroom, a dressing room, or overlooking a neighbor's backyard. Keep in mind that filming in such places even in your own home could bring about voyeurism charges and/or depending on the circumstances the making of and possession of child porn. Think about what your kids may do in these areas with a reasonable expectation of privacy.

IN CONCLUSION, DO SECURITY CAMERAS PREVENT CRIME?
Home security cameras can work as a deterrent. Criminals normally search for the easiest targets while they are planning their crimes. In most cases, these individuals usually search for easy targets with the least chance of them getting caught in the act. So as we previously described cameras alone can be defeated though you should still consider them into a multi-layered approach to your home protection strategy.