Category: White Paper

Connectivity is the heartbeat of smart technology. Connectivity between devices improves the quality of decision making from each device, the level of service that each device can provide, and magnifies the value of the overall system. A truly smart device can make relevant decisions, whether that decision is a recommendation on Netflix or Spotify, automatic windscreen wipers that operate when rain is detected or smart heating that turns on 30 minutes before we arrive home from work. To be smart a device has to be connected to other sensors, whether in-built or external, and make connection to them quick and easy. Consider a modern car, it is packed with internal sensors that monitor speed, tyre pressure, temperature, rainfall, lane departure, parking distances, seat-belt sensors, and also integrates with external devices such as GPS and modern smart phones that allow hands free calling, email and SMS message reading. But how does this trend for connectivity affect the professional security systems and surveillance lighting, and what new trends are being seen. Whenever smarter devices are demanded, they are expected to be able to communicate with one another, with easy central management in one place. What does connectivity mean for surveillance lighting Most modern surveillance systems are now IP based. It’s not only been a definite trend in the security industry for a number of years, but it’s become an expectation that our surveillance systems will connect one to the site at any given time, and allow to respond quickly to alarms or events. This need for connectivity within video surveillance systems, and the need for good night-time pictures have fuelled the development of IP lighting and the latest Network Illuminators such as Raytec’s VARIO2 IP that allows security professionals to provide lighting on-demand, delivering the appropriate lighting response to any event. With full IP addressability security professionals are always connected to their network illuminators, and with a simple click can instantly provide real-time responses to security events, even before personnel can be alerted or arrive on site. Within larger systems and unmanned sites automated network lighting provides a dynamic response to on-site activity. Smart and programmable, IP lighting can be configured to meet the exact needs of any security system. It can be fully integrated with and triggered via your VMS/ BMS systems, IP cameras, detection systems, and all other network devices via simple HTTP commands, API or even externally via telemetry input. Network lighting can also trigger and control other devices on the network, for example switching the camera into night mode when darkness is detected. The possibilities for configuring IP lighting are endless. IP lighting not only allows one to stay completely connected to our illuminators, but also enables a deeper integration with other devices, connects him to all activity on site, and increases safety and security all round. Easy set-up and commissioning Installation, setup and commissioning are made significantly easier for security professionals through the use of IP addressable network lighting. Gone are the days illuminator settings were adjusted in situ, often up a ladder or lift. With network lighting, installers now have quick access to configure all lighting settings via an integrated web interface from any remote network location. Adjusting the illumination had often been a time consuming part of any security installation and often involved a 2 person trip to site at night to achieve the best results. But with network lighting, set-up becomes a 1 person job done safely from ground level anywhere on the network. One can remotely adjust the lighting levels and fine-tune the CCTV images in real time, side by side with the camera viewer. This significantly reduces visits to site and minimises labour time and costs. One can also setup illuminators individually or in groups for quick and easy operation of large sites. Network lighting raises the bar for night time performance. We no longer have to settle for images that could be improved, or wait for an engineer to go to site to make operational changes. For example one can remotely alter the photocell sensitivity to change the time that the lighting turns on and off. He can also change the grouping of illuminators at any time, alter the way in which the lighting is triggered, and use timer settings to configure the duration that lighting may be activated on alarm – all done remotely via the illuminator’s web interface. In the rare occasion that an issue occurs with an illuminator, remote diagnostics can be proactively carried out over the network to instantly troubleshoot the problem – again significantly reducing time on site. The development of Network Lighting completely changes the way one thinks about lighting and how he plans the installations. It gives him the platform to achieve a much higher performing system with improved images, and increased security and safety 24/7. Take live control All cameras need light to see during the hours of darkness. But with IP based security systems on the rise, it’s Network Lighting which not only helps generate good night time images, but which works with the entire IP system to help stay connected to the site at all times. Being IP addressable, Network Lighting is designed to deliver the right amount of lighting exactly when and where needed. Whether controlling it via its web interface, the VMS/ BMS, or other platform integration, one has the ability to take control over the lighting at any time to respond to live events there and then. For example, the detection system may identify movement out of hours and raise an alarm. Before taking action, such as deploying a guard or even a police response, it is critical to investigate who or what is there. This is where high quality, dynamic lighting is essential. Knowing the camera location, one can take control over the adjacent Infra-Red lighting to review the situation. He can increase lighting levels to generate more detailed picture information and support cameras zooming into the scene, or decrease the lighting levels to avoid overexposure…

To date, most discussions about the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) have been about connecting new devices and rapidly bringing them online. In this white paper we look at the implications of bringing such a large number of devices online, namely, the need for efficient methods to collect information from these devices, and discuss how to handle the large amount of data collected from these devices. Industrial IoT solutions are judged on their ability to adapt to various data acquisition needs and how they can transform the data collected from devices into useful business insights that can help decision makers. What makes an Industrial IoT solution truly stand out is the flexible data handling possibilities that it can provide. However, providing efficient, reliable and maintainable data handling as part of an Industrial IoT solution presents significant challenges because of the very nature of data-management solutions that exist today, which are designed mainly for information technology (IT) applications. System integrators looking to deploy IT solutions in the Industrial IoT world are faced with complicated requirement specifications and have to spend a lot of time and money customizing these applications to suit specific industrial automation (IA) requirements. Key challenges In the following sections we discuss some of the key challenges of converging IT solutions with the Industrial IoT. Customizing applications for the Industrial IoT Most solution integrators are not familiar with the various fieldbus protocols used by field devices in industrial automation. They typically end up deploying standard data management solutions that can cater well to IT applications but cannot support the data-acquisition, storage, processing, transmission, and data-analytic needs of industrial automation solutions. Furthermore, the solution integrators might not have the necessary skills to customize these data management solutions for the needs of the Industrial IoT. A customized solution that can fill the gap between the IT and IA applications is required. IT experts, who are oriented more towards the needs of business applications, need to be trained on the critical requirements of industrial applications so that they can build data solutions that are a good fit for Industrial IoT solutions. Customized Industrial IoT solutions It is common knowledge that any customization of controllers, data loggers, and routers requires huge investments of time and money. Embedded computers are highly customizable, but you have to build what you need from scratch. An intermediate solution that combines the capabilities of a controller, data logger, router, and customized software will significantly shorten the time-to-market. Such a ready-made solution will allow you to focus on your core competencies rather than build a customized solution. Easy-to-Use GUI for data acquisition A configurable easy-to-use GUI (graphical user interface) for data acquisition, which allows an IT expert to handle the popular Modbus protocols in industrial automation applications without the need for any additional programming will take the pressure off the field engineers who can focus on the tasks that they are good at. Achieving seamless integration of data Edge devices are deployed and used every day to fill the information gap in the field. These devices operate based on different Modbus protocols or may sometimes use proprietary protocols. The deployment of these edge devices is widening the boundaries of a traditional enterprise into spaces that were never before imagined. Centralized data management systems must be able to integrate disparate data types from these devices and add the relevant contextual dimension to the data to create a unified view of the operations for effective system management. The volume of data that is generated by the edge devices is growing exponentially. Industrial IoT solutions must include a strategy to handle such large volumes of data. Industrial IoT applications should have the built-in ability to respond locally to a field alert and take corrective action at the device end to enable faster response time instead of transmitting data to a centralized data management system. The process of transmitting data to a centralized system for processing could take up to a few minutes, which could be too late if it involves data relating to critical industrial processes. Local intelligence and edge-computing One strategy to achieve faster response time is to deploy Big Data solutions, which are expensive and require skilled personnel. Alternatively, you can process data locally either in the IoT gateway or at the device-end and make decisions locally, which is much faster. Then, only critical data needs to be sent to the central system after data is processed locally. Solutions that support such local intelligence will also help in reducing the data load on an industrial network. On-demand communication An Industrial IoT Gateway is a critical component of an effective Industrial IoT solution. The gateway is used to mass-deploy devices at the field site, acquire data from these devices, and route this data on demand to the central system, to other devices, or to a remote site. However, the complexity of routing heterogeneous data in a network and the stability of the network link might hinder the progress of your solution deployment, and create bottlenecks for remote data transmission. An IoT solution that can simplify data acquisition from devices that use the most popular Modbus protocols and route this data using built-in 4G LTE communication capability will enable efficient, on-demand transmission of data, and faster response times. Developing a future-proof solution Keeping in mind how rapidly the Industrial IoT field is changing, a scalable solution that can adopt and implement a new technology will give you good returns on your investment. For example, if your service provider decides to upgrade to a newer technology like 4G LTE, substantial changes in your network infrastructure might be required to maintain basic connectivity. Older communication standards such as 3G may no longer be supported and you will have to upgrade to the new technology. As more and more service providers jump on the 4G LTE bandwagon, the sooner you adopt this new technology the better off your business will be. Rather than wait for the change to swing into action, a better solution…

A command and control centre (CCC), by definition, centralises the monitoring, control and command of an organisation’s overall operations. It is most often associated with crisis or disaster management in the context of a city or state government body, police or even military agencies. It is also used by universities, transportation departments, utility companies, and any other organisations that need to manage distributed operations. Command centres have been a critical element for successful management of operations and/ or security management, and have been transforming with the advancements in the technological space. With the introduction of rapidly evolving new technologies, new organisational challenges and threats, command centre design and construction have become more complex and challenging than ever before. Today, CCCs need to be modular and should be equipped with correlation rules, process flows, rich algorithms, analytics, reporting, a geospatial platform, an Internet of things (IoT) platform, and other open platform systems. Since each organisation has its own specific needs and purposes for establishing such infrastructure, the command centre should be highly configurable, scalable and operator friendly. In the case of a city governance or safety body, a social media platform can cover voice, text, video, and mobile apps for citizens to interface with the CCC and thus take it to an entirely new level and provide better and efficient services to citizens. Challenges faced by organisations in the planning and operations of CCCs Perception of command centres today A CCC is a centre for information collection, analysis, decision making and management. Its primary purpose is to gather and process all the information required to plan and respond – quickly and effectively – to potential emergency incidents. The fig. 1 next page depicts the building blocks of a command and control solution, which primarily comprises field sensors as data collection points, database systems as information repositories, and communication systems as means for information dissemination, along with the key modules that empower information analysis and presentation of outcomes in a command centre application. The following are a few examples of factors driving the need for CCCs: Increasing technology dependence leading to the need for an integrated and efficient control and management platform. Efficient data handling needs for big data, data mining, analytics, IoT etc. Integrated view to address social, residential, commercial and national security needs. Need for reliable, flexible, sustainable, real-time and scalable systems to provide an integrated view of all sensors compatible with proprietary networks and legacy systems. Need for a collaborative work environment across teams working in silos at different locations. Disparate systems impacting operational efficiencies of businesses and driving up costs. Structured methodology for incident handling ensuring effective decision making and response. Transition from manual processes to system-defined automated or hybrid process. Evolution of command centres The concept of a command centre can be traced back to the 19th century and has continued to evolve since then. In conjunction with technological advancements, a new variety of threats have also arisen. However, each incident has fuelled innovations in counter response, resulting in further advancements in technologies. The fig. 2 next page represents the advancements in terms of threats and counter-response systems over the last three centuries. Establishment of a command centre Often, command centres are conceptualised at later stages of establishing the technology components and infrastructure, and in most of these cases, they end up as inadequate or unsuitable control rooms which are not able to achieve the organisational goals. The first and foremost step is to ensure that the functional goals and measurable key performance indicators are clearly defined at the pre-design stage itself. The selection of the right technologies and service level agreement (SLA) requirements is essential as it directly impacts the end results and the budget required for setting up such infrastructure. Once the functional requirements are documented, the requirements in terms of equipment specifications and other IT and non-IT requirements can be finalised. One of the key parameter for efficient operations of a command centre is defining an incident and its severity. This primarily helps in identification of associated stakeholders, operational process, sensors and systems for finalising the steps to be followed as part of the standard operating procedures (SOPs). Many a times we primarily emphasize upon the digital part only while forgetting about the importance of physical infrastructure design in the operations of a command centre. Being a monitoring and command centre which operates 24×7 for all 365 days of a year, the physical infrastructure for such a facility should be designed post considering the vital parameters such as ergonomics, seating layout in order of operational needs for better collaboration, secure and resilient operations. Once we are clear with the functional requirements and the physical infrastructural design, the next step shall be building capacities within the organisation for operating under such technologically advanced systems in line with the defined goals and KPIs for operations. A regular performance assessment and feedback process ensure that there is a continuous improvement in operating efficiency of the command centre by addressing the feedback for optimisation in relation to the people, process or systems. The last but not the least step is to devise a framework with periodic reporting of welldefined SLAs for measuring the KPIs through performance evaluation. Key challenges in today’s CCCs Presence of manual integrations A key indicator of a wrongly designed command centre is when manual integration of multiple information feeds is done by analysts to provide the operators the tools they need. This can lead to an inefficient utilisation of resources and time. Taking steps to train and improve the efficiency of operators, to derive information efficiently from the feeds puts them in a position to respond to events in a timelier manner, and potentially adds additional value to the organisation. Inconsistent information In many cases, there is a gap between the exchange of information between command centre operators and field personnel. This results in the loss of ‘crucial’ time and a loosely prepared response. Information overload Many command centres get information from various sources, but…

Analog video solutions rely on outdated technology. These systems have made way for more secure, IP-based video surveillance systems to provide reliable and cost-efficient solutions in today’s information-rich, digital world. Modern IP technology can enable effective and manageable video surveillance to protect people, their information and their properties, and help ensure continuous operation. It can also create the potential for enhanced safety and security benefits for our society to prevent costly security incidents. However, the cyber security of IP technology has been challenged by the pace of technology transition and development, creating potential safety and economic risks. Cyber-attacks at the local and global scale are on the rise, and according to a 2016 report published by Grant Thornton, the total estimated global financial loss associated with cyber security attacks is estimated to be U.S. $315 billion each year. One example of a major cyber-attack occurred in the U.S. in October of 2016 where Internet access was denied to many major websites including Twitter, The Guardian, and CNN. This attack, which was the largest of its kind at that time, was conducted by a botnet virus called ‘Mirai’ from infected Internet Protocol (IP) video devices on the internet. Threat and vulnerability The importance of cyber security in the IP environment is widely recognized. It requires protecting devices, networks, programs, and data from being copied, changed, or destroyed by unintended or unauthorized access. Since video surveillance products such as IP cameras, network video recorders (NVRs), and video management software (VMS) are IP-enabled, they can be accessed from a remote location using internet connectivity, which means they have the same vulnerabilities as other devices and systems in the open IP world. The U.S. National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace is a report that outlines a five-level threat and vulnerability model, including home/ small business, large enterprise, sector/ infrastructure, national, and global categories. In the report, the U.S. government expresses concerns about: The network devices used to attack critical infrastructures; Large-scale enterprises being increasingly targeted by malicious cyber actors, both for the data and the power they possess; and The fact that cyber vulnerabilities could directly affect the operations of a whole sector or infrastructure. Not only has cybercrime caused significant interruptions for businesses and negatively impacted infrastructure in recent years, but it has also led to large-scale data breaches. According to PwC’s Global Economic Crime Survey 2016, the risk of cybercrime was the second most reported type of economic crime affecting 32% of organizations in 2016. Furthermore, the average cost of a data breach to organizations is $4 million, up from $3.8 million in 2015. Many countries and international organizations have been working on data-protection legislation, national standards, and regulations in most sectors. These regulatory initiatives will help reduce vulnerabilities and clarify questions of liability. Business interruption Business interruption is a type of cybercrime that is usually launched by inserting malicious code on a company or infrastructure network, which limits the network’s ability to provide service and inhibits a company’s ability to conduct business. Malicious code, or ‘malware,’ comprised of viruses, worms, botnets etc., which can be injected into IP devices with weak points, propagate itself to seek more victims on the network and steal sensitive information for the purpose of economic benefit. A botnet, short for ‘robot network,’ is an aggregation of computers compromised by bots (automated machines or robots). These bots are controlled by malicious cyber actors by launching Denial of Service (DoS) or Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks to targeted critical infrastructures or enterprises. DoS and DDoS pose a serious threat to business service. In June 2015, hackers grounded ten planes belonging to a Polish airline and blocked flight plans sent to planes by launching a DoS attack. The Mirai attack mentioned earlier is also an example of a DDoS attack. Data breach The video system is the core of a security system and contains critical information including system data, deployment, event and alarm information. When this data is compromised it’s called a data breach and this crime can cause significant security and safety risks Video surveillance in private and public applications may capture and record video images of people not relevant to security and safety incidents. Many countries are working toward privacy-protection legislation to prevent privacy breaches by intruders and inside employees. For example, in the U.S., 47 states have breach-notification laws in effect and in Ireland, it is illegal to post video surveillance footage on the internet. Compliance and liability With cyber legislation, national standards and sector regulations in place, regulatory compliance becomes a rigid entrance requirement for IP systems including video surveillance. It impacts the framework for product design, sales, industry entrance, system integration, and user operation. Meanwhile, there is also a market trend of increased cyber insurance sales spurred by the awareness of broader cyber risks. A vulnerable system will be forced to upgrade or be replaced for regulatory compliance, or the customer will have to pay a much higher premium to cover the liability every year. This is why Honeywell is committed to providing a forward-looking, cyber-secure video solution for its partners and customers. Honeywell cyber security solution any businesses haven’t conducted a cyber-threat analysis and don’t know how vulnerable they are to cyber threats. Honeywell can help by analyzing customers’ problems, then implementing best practices to execute optimal product and system design. Honeywell has also developed cyber-security management processes and released vulnerability reporting policies to help its customers face a growing cyber-security challenge. Rigorous system hardening At the product and system design and development phases, Honeywell uses in-house and third-party testing tools to evaluate product vulnerabilities and fix issues to harden the system. To mitigate the risks associated with malicious code, data privacy breaches and system mis-configuration, Honeywell employs the Information Communication Technology (ICT) industry’s security guidelines, which addresses specific video surveillance requirements.   Since IP video surveillance can be installed in both private and public networks the exposed cyber threat can vary accordingly. It is necessary to target system hardening according to…

By Bruce M. Berman – ComNet Vice President of New Business Development The industrial security market has been witnessing the gradual transition to video, audio, and data transmission over Ethernet since the beginning of this decade. This change has impacted numerous other markets as well, including the transportation, factory automation/ industrial control, and utility/ electric power transmission and distribution markets. Prior to the introduction of video over IP (or Internet Protocol), a separate network of analog or digitally encoded video was typically utilized for hauling the video from the edge of the network back to the monitoring location. Audio for telephony or a communications intercom system; RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485 serial data, commonly used for CCTV camera pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) control or the card access element of the system, was transmitted from the field devices back to the control center on other dedicated and parallel networks (see figure 1). The transmission media of choice was usually optical fiber for reasons of robustness and bandwidth.    These technologies and system design approaches are still very viable solutions for hauling high-quality full-motion video, audio, and data, and when optical fiber is employed as the communications media, extremely long transmission distances and electrically noisy environments are easily accommodated. The difficulty of installing and maintaining two or more parallel and technically diverse networks, one for video, one for audio, and another for serial or other data, has motivated many users to consider the use of Ethernet as their preferred communications networking system. The relative ease of integration of the key components of the system onto a common platform has largely made Ethernet the networking solution of choice in many markets, including the industrial security market. With the advent of Ethernet, it now became practical and cost-effective to consolidate the video, audio and data elements of a security communications subsystem onto a single network (see figure 2). Although in theory this should be the ideal platform for the typical local or wide area communications network utilized for industrial security and other surveillance applications, in practice several key and recurring issues are frequently encountered by the systems integrator and end-user responsible for the installation, maintenance, and operation of the system. When analog video is to be deployed onto the network, a video encoder is required to convert the camera video output into an electrical signal that is compatible with transmission over an Ethernet-based network. These encoders employ signal compression technology to reduce the bandwidth occupied by the video, so as to increase the number of potential video, audio, or data signals that may share the finite bandwidth available on the network. Present video compression standards include MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and H.264, with MPEG-4 currently most widely used. The H.264 standard is newer and offers the advantage of enhanced video quality with the benefit of reduced bandwidth. MPEG-2 was originally developed for use by the commercial television broadcast industry, and although capable of superb video quality, its bandwidth requirements are large. As such, it has not been widely accepted for use within those communications networks employing Ethernet. Regardless of the compression standard utilized, hardware decoders or decoding software compatible with the encoded video are required for viewing the video. One major issue involves the relative lack of MPEG-4 or H.264 video encoders that are environmentally hardened when these devices are installed in an out-of-plant operating environment. In this kind of environment, issues such as ambient operating temperature, voltage transient protection, vibration, mechanical shock, and humidity with condensation must be considered to ensure that the video encoders or other field equipment are capable of providing long-term reliability and stable performance. The market is full of suppliers that build quality encoders designed for deployment in benign, conditioned operating environments such as when the equipment is fielded in an adequately heated and cooled communications equipment room. However, those manufacturers that build hardware capable of withstanding the extended operating temperature range, humidity with condensation, and electrical voltage transients and noise encountered in an outdoor or out-of-plant environment are few and far between, and the equipment is costly as a result. The MPEG-4 and H.264 video compression standards are suitable for transmission over Ethernet. As these standards rely upon video compression, the video in these standards is not transmitted in real time, and exhibits a certain amount of latency depending upon the compression standard utilized. Some users may encounter potential legal issues with video transmission systems that are not real-time. Other users may have operator issues with the time lag or delay between executing a pan-tilt-zoom command, and the actual execution of the command as viewed on the CCTV monitor. Full-motion 30 frames per second true broadcast-quality video with zero latency is not achievable considering the current state of Ethernet-based systems, and significant system bandwidth is required to achieve acceptable video quality. The high system bandwidth requirement imposed by the video ultimately limits the total number of video channels and other signal sources that may be inserted onto the Ethernet platform. Many end-users have been disappointed with the video quality of their video-over-Ethernet system, especially when the video is viewed on highly revealing wall monitors. In addition, some video surveillance or monitoring applications mandate the use of high resolution cameras, and much of the resolution provided by these cameras may be lost when the video is compressed to MPEG-4 or H.264 and inserted onto the network. Although Ethernet is based upon the industry accepted IEEE 802.3 standard, and in theory any manufacturer’s Ethernet equipment should be completely interoperable with any other manufacturer’s equipment, in practice this is very frequently not the case. Interoperability issues require the involvement of a trained IT professional to resolve, and in some cases, resolution is not possible. Trained IT or technical personnel are required for the initial installation, setup, and long-term maintenance of the system, and the long-term cost associated with this are obvious and frequently not within the budget of many users. They must be considered as part of the overall life-cycle cost of owning and operating the…