Surveillance systems and devices support businesses- and homeowners in ways that often go overlooked and underappreciated. Once installed, they act as a set of all-seeing eyes and ears that protect what matters most to you—listening and watching everything going on to ensure that your assets, family, and life are protected.
The incredible thing is that there are so many different surveillance items available for use by general consumers, and improvements to security systems are only increasing with rapid growth. But, in the meantime, how can you put these items into practice, and of what use they can serve you?
Why Do You Need Surveillance Equipment?
Surveillance equipment is used for more than catching someone stealing an item off a gas station shelf. The purpose of surveillance equipment can be all-encompassing, covering your life with a blanket of protection, allowing you to live without being in constant fear of something happening to your assets. Here are just a few ways it can benefit you:
Keep an Eye on Your Home and Office
The most common way we see surveillance cameras used by the general public is in the protection of the home and office. There’s a desire to have an extra layer of protection beyond locks on the front door and windows—a break-in can happen, and it’s best to take early measures to protect yourself before anything happens.
Surveillance for Security
Sometimes having around-the-clock surveillance is the way to go—a constant “eye in the sky” watching over everything. Multi-camera security systems offer a benefit here, as they allow you to have multiple angles throughout a property to keep watch over valuables and what’s going on.
CCTV for Business Responsibility
For businesses, closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems are some of the best ways to promote security within your four walls. Not only will they capture constant footage of your employees and customers, but they can act as a deterrent. The sight of a camera (or multiple cameras) can be enough to deter a potential thief from doing anything in your business, as they can see that there will be saved footage of whatever they choose to do.
Cameras for Monitoring Babies
In addition to keeping watch over your home and your business, you can also make the most out of surveillance products if you’re a new parent. Baby monitors are the ideal way of keeping an eye on your babies while they nap or sleep, receiving an alert if they are making noises or thrashing, or demonstrating any other signs that should immediately be checked on.
Different Types of Surveillance Equipment
The introduction of smart security measures is changing the way surveillance equipment can be used, but the tried-and-true methods still being utilized are worth consideration. Regular technology updates have made these into advanced tools that can be implemented by anyone, adding a level of untouchable security to any residence or business. Here are some of the most common types seen throughout the market:
Video Surveillance Equipment
Video surveillance is one of the most common forms of surveillance we see on display. The reason is that most cameras are either noticeably installed outside a home or in a business. However, they can sometimes be hidden in plain sight—places where they’re hard to point out but where they are still capturing your every move.
Most modern video surveillance systems work by capturing images and uploading them to a cloud-based database or nearby hard drive. This footage can be accessed as needed, whether to identify a subject in a crime or have evidence of a break-in or robbery. Overall, it provides you with necessary protection, capturing life when it matters most for you.
Audio Surveillance Equipment
Audio surveillance equipment covers the bases often left unguarded by video surveillance systems. Especially important for meeting rooms or areas of your home you’d like to keep an eye on, you can keep an ear on conversations to have evidence if anything ever were to go awry.
Covert Surveillance Equipment
While you want to survey an area, sometimes you don’t want to do it out in the open. Covert surveillance equipment provides you with the ideal way of monitoring an area without bringing attention to it. Maybe it’s a nanny cam to keep an eye on your child’s nanny after you’ve noticed some family jewelry go missing; perhaps you want to keep track of what’s going on in the back room at work to ensure employees aren’t doing things that go against company ethics.
Whatever it is, it can be captured with an intelligently hidden camera or microphone.
Car Video Surveillance Equipment
Sometimes you need protection outside of your home or business, too. Car surveillance equipment provides you with safety when you’re on the go, whether it’s monitoring your vehicle in the event of a break-in or having a dash cam that can record while you drive, capturing footage in the event of a crash—providing you with legal protection for an insurance claim if you’re not at fault.
High-Tech Surveillance Equipment
As mentioned above, there are instances of surveillance equipment going through high-tech upgrades, too. Nowadays, there are various types of “smart” equipment loaded with high-tech innovations that provide you with around-the-clock, 360-degrees protection, capturing information when you need it. Furthermore, there are some inventions that allow for counter surveillance to be conducted, too, allowing you to protect against intrusive security devices used against you for nefarious reasons.
Protecting Your Home or Business
Protecting your home or business can be done with some simple security camera systems and devices:
- CCTV camera systems are perfect for any business owner looking to protect their business both inside and out; moreover, these can be installed by homeowners throughout their house and on the exterior to provide a watchful eye over all goings-on.
- Doorbell cams keep a lookout at your front door, alarming you by app anytime someone visits your home, all while capturing recorded footage of whatever they’re doing. The best part is that these cameras will record throughout the day, meaning you’ll have footage if anyone approaches your home, whether to snoop around or steal a package off your porch.
- Spy cameras go the extra step by providing you hidden in-home and in-business security, too. When properly installed, they can remain hidden in plain sight, allowing you to record strange behavior either in your company’s stockroom or inside of your bedroom. The latter works wonders whenever you let someone into your home for work purposes, as you can make sure they don’t enter spaces where they aren’t allowed.
Surveillance Equipment for Security
When you need security, you reach for surveillance equipment. It will continue recording, capturing footage and audio where a normal security guard can’t.
- Wireless security cameras provide you with disconnected security, allowing you to capture footage that is saved to digital devices without having to rewire your entire storefront, business, or property.
- PTZ camera systems work by auto-tracking video capture to any object caught moving in frame, meaning you can follow a person as they move through your business, keeping an eye on their actions throughout.
- Night vision security cameras can help you keep watch at night, letting you monitor the store even when the lights are turned off. Moreover, these can be beneficial for homeowners looking to keep an eye out for possible intruders at night.
- Motion sensor activated cameras will begin recording when tripped by a moving object entering the frame, meaning you’ll only capture footage that is relevant to your business, whether that is a potential robbery or an act related to a potential insurance claim.
- HD security cameras mean that grainy security footage is a notion of the past, too, allowing you to capture essential details to effectively identify a person caught on tape.
- IP security cameras take the level of personal security a step further, too. While wireless and wired cameras can sometimes be open to hacking, due to being non-encrypted or not requiring a password for access, IP cameras add a step of added protection, keeping them secure from your traditional network.
- And, for one last step, there is always the option of capturing security at the point of sale. If you work in a high-risk environment or sell high-ticket items, it could be smart to have your employees wear body cams, which will capture footage of their customer-facing interactions to ensure that merchandise is handled correctly and kept safe at all costs.
CCTV Surveillance for Your Business
Businesses can often need to go a step above the rest when it comes to protecting what matters to owners. There are a number of people that depend on a business surviving, and a singular theft can be devastating for any business. To provide all-around protection, it’s best for a business to install a vast camera system that can cover every part of your storefront, office, and more.
- 1-camera systems, 2-camera systems, and 4-camera systems are ideal for owners wary of the goings-on in and around their small businesses, so they can point a singular camera at each register, having one located at the front entrance and another placed back in the main office near the safe.
- 6-camera systems and 8-camera systems go a step further by providing you more options for potential coverage. If you are a retail outlet, this can involve placing cameras in high-risk areas around the store, watching over places where a potential theft might take place.
- And, for larger businesses, it might be in their best interest to upgrade to 16-camera systems, which allow coverage in every nook and cranny. Rather than taking their chances, such businesses can properly dot their i’s and cross their t’s, ensuring that they have footage of everything taking place. So, if anything were to ever go awry, there would be a form of digital security capturing and saving events for personal protection purposes.
Surveillance for Babies and Small Children
As a parent, protecting your children is one of your highest concerns in life. Thankfully, there are surveillance cameras that can help you to protect them at any time.
- Nanny cams can capture evidence while you’re away, letting you check on whether your child is being treated right by your hired nanny.
- Additionally, baby monitors are an excellent added device to any parenting toolkit, allowing you to monitor the safety of your child while they sleep and nap—particularly when you’re not in the room.
Counter Surveillance Equipment
While we’ve discussed the numerous types of security devices available on the market, you should also consider counter surveillance devices if you ever think you need them. How do they work? They help track down and identify potential bugs and threats, whether that is a hidden camera, an audio recording device, or a virus installed in your computer. These methods are nefarious versions of surveillance and need to be combated; thankfully, counter surveillance devices work to provide you with just that support.
Where to Find the Best Surveillance Equipment
Protecting yourself doesn’t have to be a complicated affair. With the right surveillance equipment, you can properly set up your home for complete safety. Interested in finding the right product for your home or business? Don’t hesitate to check out all of the security and surveillance products we have available at The Home Security Superstore.
FAQs
What surveillance devices are there?
There are many devices available on the market, from HD security cameras to spy cams, to in-car video surveillance.
Where can surveillance devices be used?
Surveillance devices work best in areas where you’re trying to capture footage and/or audio of a person’s actions. The only time placement becomes an issue is if the camera is filming a location whose owners didn’t okay being caught on camera, such as a fellow business or your neighbor’s house.
What surveillance device is right for me?
The right surveillance device for you is the one that fits your needs, whether that’s protecting your home from a break-in or securing your business in the event of theft.