Great Gadgets > Security Devices > Panasonic Surveillance Camera, Networked

Place in your home, office, vacation home, or almost anywhere else that you'd like to keep an eye on things. Know what's going on, and keep a record of it--without actually being there.

• Place in your home, office, vacation home, or almost anywhere else that you'd like to keep an eye on things, with no PC required on location.
• Easy to install and operate.
• Auto exposure.
• Can control the movement of the camera.
• Remote pan/tilt/zoom (10X zoom).
• Assign a "Home Position" that allows you to return the camera to a pre-designated shooting position. Up to eight shooting positions can be registered in advance, so you can aim the camera exactly where you want it. You can also click on the part of the image you want to see, and utomatically bring that part to the center of the screen.

• Can be viewed and controlled from a standard Web browser, video display, or compatible cell phone or PDA.
• Requires no additional software for the PC that you're viewing them on.
• Camera also comes with a free Web address, which can track the camera automatically.
• All user needs is a regular Web browser to view them on your PC, as all of the other required software, including control software (TCP/UDP) and e-mail software (SMTP), is already inside the camera.
• Security user ID and password.

• External microphone and amp-equipped speaker, both optional, enable two-way voice communication (transceiver system) between thenetwork camera and a PC used to monitor the camera image.
• Voice messages can be transmitted from the PC to the network camera.
• Voice transmission and reception can be switched easily from the PC used to monitor the image.
  Features a CCD (Charged Couple Device) for sharp, enhanced image expression.
• Image refreshing speed (maximum) has been increased to 30 images per second for smoother displays of moving images.
• SD Memory Card slot for recording images and audio captured by the network camera directly onto an SD Memory Card (sold separately).

• Attached through an Ethernet connection (or router) and powered by PoE (power over ethernet).
• Streams both MPEG4 and MJPEG.
• Can be set to automatically record video at certain times and certain speeds.
• Built-in motion sensor (can be set to record and/or notify you by email when someone enters the room).

• Resolution 640x480, 320x240, 192x144.
• Max 30 simultaneous accesses.
• Lens brightness F2.8.
• 2-Way half duplex audio.
• 3.5mm external minijack audio output.
• 1 Year manufacturer's warranty.
• Gray.

• Download the manual.
• Download the operating instructions.

• UPC: 037988845194.
• Weight: 2.6lbs.
• Length: 9.75in.
• Width: 9.5in.
• Height: 7.5in.

• Don't announce you've installed a hidden camera. This may sound obvious, but it's a rule many people break.
• Keep the existence of the camera on a "need to know" basis. The fewer people who know, the better.
• If installing a camera in a bathroom or other normally private location (due to drug use, vandalism, etc.), consult an attorney about privacy violation issues first.
• Take a cue from Realtors. Location, location, location. It's critical you install the camera where it can be concealed, but also where its viewing field won't be inadvertently blocked by people standing in front of it. It also needs to be fairly accessible for such things as retreiving the flashdrive, recharging the battery, cleaning the lens, etc.
• Run a test once you've installed it. You may need to adjust angle, ambient lighting, height, focus, etc., to get the kind of footage you want.
• Develop a schedule for accessing it without revealing that it's there. Obviously, pulling the flashdrive out of the breakroom monitoring camera during lunchtime isn't going to work.

Home security. You may have heard the expression, "When seconds count, the cops are only minutes away." Cameras and other detection devices are great, but what's the execution plan? Don't think "detect and report," think "detect and protect." The most effective home protection device is a shotgun. Typically, it doesn't need to be fired to have the desired effect. But this isn't the only protection measure. You can also have an escape and assembly plan, a safe room, or some other measure. Yes, install those detection devices. But don't think that simply knowing your perimeter is breached makes you safe.

Corporate customers. Your situation is similar to that of the consumer, except there are more people involved and the property values are significantly greater. Also, consumers tend to be home at night and corporate customers are on the other shift so to speak. Corporate security specialists must also protect information, not just property or people. Not only do you need a perimeter breach detection system, but you need a high level of employee education on a wide range of security subjects. And this is where most corporate security bites the dust.

For example, consider usernames and passwords. Most employees think it's OK to give out one as long as you don't give out both. But there's a reason why you have both. And if you give out one, the other is probably easy to guess. Yes, you need to use technology wherever practical to counter theft and espionage, and to protect people from physical dangers. Don't stop there.

Put together a presentation on each security aspect (e.g., passswords would be one aspect; keycards another; suspicious persons another) and meet with all employees in a series of meetings consisting of small groups. The small group approach helps ensure people are fully participating. Absolutely do not use PowerPoint, which tends to render any attempt at actual communication a failed example of PowerPointlessness. Keep the meetings to about 10 minutes or less, so that people completely focus. Sure, this is not the typical meeting methodology, but then the typical meeting is a complete waste of time. Make your time count and get your message across.

Successful security planning. Fads come and go. We see it all the time. Manager who try launching a new program, often get that respons from employees. Anyone remember "Vision 2000?" The problem is that people see the plan as the end rather than a means to an end. So they polish the plan and forget why they are planning in the first place.

When plans roll out, they often seem absurd to the rank and file. And why is that? Because they are absurd! That is often true of security plans. These plans suffer from several different maladies. Sometimes all at once. These include the following.

• Overplanning. Never get started, because the plan isn't done.
• Underplanning. Going full bore, without a roadmap.
• Changing directions, midstream. This really confuses people. It happens because planners are still learning.
• Complexity. A simple plan, after all that work, seems like a letdown. The solution? Make things complicated. Add stuff that doesn't make sense. The more complex, the better, right? Wrong. Greater complexity just means more ways it can fail. Aim for simplicity.
• Covers too much. Can't leave anything to chance, right? Wrong. The more you try to cover, the more you dilute your resources. Focus on that which is most dangerous or costly. Let some things go, so you can do the job right on what matters.
• Apes someone else's plan. Just because it worked for someone else doesn't mean it will work for you. The idea of best practices is not copy and paste.
• It's top down. Your plan will fail if it assumes your people are the problem. Make them part of the solution. Form an advisory board that includes people from different parts of the company. You get insight from many angles, that way. And you have advocates for your plan at all levels, that way.

Rather than roll out some big plan, roll out a series of smaller ones. Make them modules for a larger plan. Module 1 might be bug detection. Buy a bug detector, and learn how to use it. Learn what to do about bugs. Fully develop that plan as you work through the module. Then you can apply the lessons you learned to the next module. Whatever that happens to be.

Once you've picked the low-hanging fruit, you can assess the need for calling in a security consultant. This person can evaluate your existing modules and suggest improvements. He or she can also suggest what module to develop next. And how best to go about it.

This approach allows you to get the highest return on your effort. And the fastest results. And good compliance.