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Electronic security... really prepared?

The author shares some lessons learned in facilities he visited where he found quite a few errors in installation, operation and maintenance of electronic security systems.

by Eng. Germán Alexis Cortés H.*

I have been more than 130 days since my cold and beautiful Bogotá, learning more than at any other time in my life. Really the situation of being in quarantine, isolated from the work routine and with the threat of a virus that, we still cannot easily defeat, has created an environment conducive to recollection, meditation and of course learning of many aspects that perhaps we would not have learned, at another time. In my case, I have read, researched and learned about technologies of all kinds and I recognize that I have acquired, one or another skill in culinary. Lots of cinema and music, to rest.

I want to refer on this occasion, to the lessons that life gives us, where it hurts us the most: in the pocket; learned through the work done, in projects that, -for this pandemic-, would have wished that their property had been "intelligent" and properly designed. Although the lessons were already intuited, the owners of the systems often ignore the recommendations given. Everything can be summarized in three (3) aspects:
1. The capacities of electronic networks were easily filled (in most cases they were already full, before the start of the Pandemic),
2. The flexibility of the communications, security and control infrastructure; seemed non-existent,
3. Device coverages and many of the basic security concepts (redundancy, concentric rings, verification, risk analysis, among many others); they were not taken into account.

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And it is that now, that we all return to the stage where the "new normal" is established, many industries, companies, shops and homes; want to improve their communications and security systems; with the aim of being better prepared in this new routine, where technology will always be present.

There really aren't many new things; that is, almost everything they offer us now, was already invented, only that we did not pay attention to it, or we did not value its use. But now we do want it and we give it the right importance; let's remember that "it's never too late to learn and improve."

In the practical cases I chose and describe below, I omit names of companies and officials, out of confidentiality, respect and prudence.

Case 1
Private clinic of 90 hospital beds had to transform 20 outpatient clinics and 30 normal hospitalization beds into Intermediate Care Units (ICUs) to care for Covid-19 patients. Some renovations were made and they decided to supervise the UCi, through a video surveillance system, because the nursing centers were a little removed. Our job was to end-commission (receive, test, analyze and suggest optimizations) of the system.

Really such a simple project, it became complex, when the false sky was uncovered and they wanted to access the cable trays of the communications networks. The disorder prevailed, the dust had been there for more than 15 years, the blue and gray cables did not differ. The cemetery of insects and others, is to forget. Some supports of the -incipient cable mesh- loose, caused the tray to fall off at some points, but when trying to move and clean some conductors, to make space, it fell! The clinic lasted 3 days without his basic LAN working. Murphy's laws helped: The only Optical Fiber (in tree topology and not in ring), passed by and was cut. The Access Points that formed the WiFi networks, had nowhere to communicate and even visitors and patients from other areas complained strongly.

A problem of poorly designed wiring, poorly installed and a terrible infrastructure, became the cause of countless problems and over huge and absurd costs. The medical staff was behind in several actions, because the wireless network did not work and it turned out that once the wire network was restored, no one had patch cords to connect their computers. No one knew who to call for maintenance, there was a technical group that, seeing the problem, decided to leave and never came back. No plans were ever found (neither in the clinic, nor the designer, nor the one who installed).

In the attempt to repair, other electrical circuits were damaged and accidentally a sprinkler broke generating a flood at the most critical moment, which generated more damage to the networks, and dozens of other contradictions. The problem was fixed 3 weeks later, but only to discover that there was no real space to place wiring of 63 high-resolution IP cameras and 8 biometric readers. A new cable tray was unwise in the chaos of the false sky of the areas to be intervened. The existing data network (with apparent good bandwidth), used low-quality switches and limited speed, it was impossible to use that same network, for cameras.

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3 PoE switches with 1Gbps ports had to be placed, but there was also no telecommunications room nearby, nor a space that served and was secure; so it was decided to use some UTP (Cat6A) cabling extenders in 8 cameras and in twelve other cameras they decided to move to fiber optics. It was all done on EMT pipeline banks, 1 and 2 inches. When the cameras were finally ready, it was discovered that the server where they were going to be monitored, really could not stand two 1GBaseT network cards and that the operating system was outdated for more than a decade. The clinic's cybersecurity systems were "toy" and to quickly end the case and not make them cry anymore, the project went from US $90K to $330K, that is, almost four times more.

Lessons learned
to. The physical spaces to house the Electronic Communications and Security Networks are VERY important in any property. They must be spacious enough to accommodate what is initially designed, plus future additions, plus medium-term growth, plus unknown situations that may arise, after all those calculations, remember that the norm indicates that in the worst case pipelines can only be used in 40% of their maximum capacity and if you want to increase the percentage of tolerance a little more.

b. It must be firm and strict in leaving the physical spaces (horizontal, vertical, interconnection rooms, main control room, among others), as loose as possible. Do not be convinced by phrases like: that is not needed, later it is enlarged, we can not sacrifice that area, in other buildings that quota under the stairs, do not be exaggerated, then we look where we get space ...

c. The cable trays must serve not only as a support for the wiring, but must serve to order the wiring, guarantee protection and physical security, shielding. They must be safe, spacious and resistant non-structural elements. Installed for life, not for the day of delivery.

d. The capacity (bandwidth) of the data networks must be very large, precisely so that when an extra amount of data is required, the entire network does not go down. Under routine conditions, it must operate at 40% of its maximum capacity.
and. It is essential to have a maintenance contract for each existing equipment and have an updated database, to know how to communicate, in case of any failure.

f. It is very important to have a folder (physical or digital) with the updated plans of all the systems and the rest of the technical, commercial and legal documentation.

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g. High-tech software and equipment should be kept up to date, or at least be aware of their status and vulnerabilities.

h. Unsafe security systems cannot be installed. Computer security is just as important.

Is there anything we haven't read before? So why do we keep doing it? The Latin idiosyncrasy, of wanting to override the norms and recommendations, is our worst defect. But the solution is precisely to act ethically always.

Case 2
Factory of textile products for camping, of medium size, in Bodega within the central sector of the city. In a normal situation, they work 24 hours continuously. 14 people in each shift and during the day, 20 employees plus some visitors. They have an alarm system that is really used very little, an access control system for attendance control and some CCTV cameras that are recorded and viewed from the administrator's office.

The problem begins to arise when in the city they decree mandatory quarantine for all production activities. On the first day of quarantine, the factory owner had to stay as a security guard, because no one else attended and the activation of the alarm system did not work. When he called the company that monitors the panel, he was informed that the damage was up to the company that maintained the system. Sadly, they realized that no one had been maintaining it since 2018 and that the last signal received at the alarm monitoring center was more than 20 days old.

The support of the company that supplied and installed the equipment was requested, but they were with a lot of accumulated work and had decreased their service capacity due to the quarantine. The technical service could take about 2 weeks. They decided to contact a professional electronic security technician who was recommended to them, who attended the next day, but failed to do much, because no one knew the installer key. The next day, the panel had to be reset to factory settings, losing all the programming it had. When rescheduled, some areas did not operate as usual. The problem was solved weeks later when a maintenance technician from the alarm monitoring company managed to decipher the original operation. But when doing the face-to-face review, he noticed numerous failures in the coverage of internal sensors, a poor installation in others and the terrible state of the wiring, which was in sight and "glued" with hot silicone in some points.

Several sensors were missing for some windows and roof of the winery, which bordered houses and shops in the sector. Faced with this reality, the monitoring company did not want to monitor the system, until it was complete, secure and installed correctly. Similar situation occurred in the CCTV system, where the video recorder did not correspond to the qualities of the cameras, it was being recorded at a very low speed and quality, with a fairly small hard drive.

There was no backup of the information and the images obtained were really useless. The access control system for attendance control was a joke. Many employees knew passwords that were typed to cover the absence or late arrivals of other employees. The big summary is that they did not have a security system according to the requirements. But surprisingly the owner thought it was good.

In the midst of the economic debacle, of sacrificing profits to pay payroll and protect their employees; resources were exhausted and the updating and reinstallation work had to be suspended, simply for lack of economic resources. All the owner was able to do, was to change his operation from camping elements, to the manufacture of surgical gowns and masks. For this he bought some machines and adapted others of his own. The employees returned to work amid biosecurity and physical isolation measures requested by the authorities.

A relative of the owner was still sleeping in the cellar to give a sense of tranquility and security. Unfortunately the criminal, who are always on the prowl, carried out a robbery and qualified theft, which snatched several machinery, finished products and damaged some important assets. By then, the alarm was disconnected, there was no reaction. When you see the recorded images, you can see "lumps and shadows" that effectively steal the assets of the company, but without being able to obtain even a single image to be able to recognize the criminals. By the mode
Of operation of the robbery, there were several complicit internal hands, but they could never be identified.

Recently, I learned that the owner had decided to close the factory, liquidate his nearly 50 employees, and hand over the warehouse. He was never able to recover from the theft, had no insurance policy and the necessary expenses ruined the operation.

Lessons learned:
i. The owner felt that he had purchased a good electronic security system, which protected him; but the reality was different. He had bought poorly designed, poorly integrated and very low quality equipment and systems. He even repeated several times that he had not bought the cheapest ones.

j. There was no proper maintenance contract for the electronic systems.

k. There was NO professional design, nor a safety study with risk analysis.

l. Strict tests of operation of the equipment were never carried out acting autonomously and integratedly.

m. The alarm monitoring service was absolutely inefficient.

n. The installation of the systems did not obey the quality necessary for the company.

or. The employees (apparent accomplices), realized the opportunity and took advantage of who fed them.

p. There was NO contingency plan, much less business continuity or reinvention; duly supported.

q. The belief of "that is not needed" is never supported in serious study, but in economic capacity.
r. As the factory operated 24 hours, it was believed that electronic security systems were left over, because everything was supervised by the employees themselves.

s. The simple failures of a security system, generated distrust, unrest and stress in the owners and like a snowball, the problem was growing until it completely ended with the microenterprise, affecting more than 50 families.

t. Inability to take control of unforeseen situations; inability to view and monitor many aspects remotely.

or. Unsafe security systems cannot be installed.

Again: Is there anything that was done wrong? Why was the end user "cheated"? Why do we sell inadequate systems and install poorly?

Case 3
Residential Building of few Apartments. Due to quarantine and economic impossibility of its owners, they decided to suspend the service of face-to-face guards and install a video intercom system, access control of people and vehicles, alarm with emergency buttons and perimeter fence; and a CCTV system with remote access from the central alarm monitoring station.

The decision was made very quickly and was installed in a dizzying manner. The savings were significant for the entire community. However, at the first emergency situation, no one knew what to do. All residents were stranded, waiting for the alarm monitoring station to react appropriately, activity that never happened. The list of complaints, malfunctions and disappointments is varied. From the impossibility of seeing the cameras in their own apartments, through the impossibility of controlling everything remotely, to the blindness of the system by not identifying who presses an emergency button or who is responsible for opening one or another door.

The general summary of this situation is that the co-owners feel a huge void in the security of the building and without longing for the presence of a human at the reception of the building, they realize that the systems were acquired and installed incorrectly. Finally, there is no formal procedure for every situation and no one has been trained to operate efficiently in cases of emergency. The only success is the WhatsApp group among the entire community where awkwardly everyone tries to write when something happens, but without any order or hierarchy.

They were convinced of a company with economic prices. They were convinced that their own integration between the various subsystems was a very expensive plus (when in fact it should be part of the project, at no cost). They were convinced of cheap systems that do not identify each device used or that do not record the events and situations that arise. They were convinced that a high-voltage fence is the best option at the perimeter level.

They allowed themselves to be convinced that more video surveillance cameras should be placed so that from the monitoring station they take care of them and protect them (an action that is not real, nor continuous and could only occur in case of an alarm situation, that nobody responds and that will produce an inopportune and late reaction). No one did risk analysis or safety studies. No one submitted detailed designs. No one checked the way the whole system operated. They only took advantage of the ignorance and urgency of the building to sell everything they could and install quickly, without aesthetics, without regulations and without any sense of logic.
A few months later the residents still do not agree, if it should return to the previous scheme or if it should be re-invested in better equipment. The truth is that his great adventure has been forgotten and surely the savings do not justify the current state of insecurity. So for many the technology did not meet the goal; however, the error was in the absence of efficient methodology and in the lack of ethics of the seller of technological elements.

Lessons learned:
v. You should not buy the most economical in security.

w. Be wary of cheap solutions that promise a lot.

x. Never make a purchase of technology for security, which does not have the design criteria, absolutely clear and its effectiveness is verified.

and. If you do not know much about technology or doubt which is the best option, always hire an impartial advisor to guide you without any commercial interest in brands or companies. It can help you monitor the installation and test in detail the expected operation and operation.

z. Prefer integrated solutions between the different subsystems, so that some processes can be automated, making that, without the intervention of a human, the systems generate synergies between them and everything is recorded. Review very well the possibilities of integration between the subsystems.

Aa. Try not to fall into the game of wireless. When installation companies tell you that cable is no longer used and that everything is better wirelessly. (Whoever assures him this, does not know about security and is probably charging him something similar, for them to save work and feed their laziness).

Bb. Test the services before you buy them. Demand to be shown your operation on a site similar to yours.

cc. In security, everything must be traceable. That is, all events (routine or exceptional), must be fully identified and recorded. It must be known what happened, who did it, at what time, where and how it happened. Only in this way, the tool becomes an instrument to reconstruct the facts and serve for an investigation that manages to discover culprits or criminals. Therefore, you must test the equipment that you want to buy in advance.

dd. Always make a maintenance and update contract that allows improvements and adjustments to the purchased systems.

Usa. Always think that the technology part is just one part of the puzzle of comprehensive security. It requires the participation of humans (internal and external), rules and detailed procedures of operation, in conjunction with the physical barriers of the property. If any part fails, your safety may be seriously compromised.

Ff. Remember that in security redundancy applies. Therefore, always think of several concentric circles of protection and do not leave everything in the hands of a single piece of equipment or subsystem.

Gg. Remember that electronic equipment is just a good tool, requiring permanent care and maintenance. Without this service, systems can fail, at the most inappropriate time.

Hh. Always order and store in an orderly and complete manner, all installation, configuration, operation and handling manuals.

ii. Make a simple video during the technical operation training and have the responsible people see it on a recurring basis.

There are other cases that during the pandemic gave us the opportunity to realize in general, that the current electronic networks are not prepared for the inconsistencies of operation that arise due to the great changes that affect us currently. However, we cannot continue to design, thinking about Covid19, this is transitory. But we must provide our systems with enough flexibility and capacity to house new and currently unknown technologies, without destroying the current.

* Germán Alexis Cortés H. - [email protected]

Duván Chaverra Agudelo
Author: Duván Chaverra Agudelo
Jefe Editorial en Latin Press, Inc,.
Comunicador Social y Periodista con experiencia de más de 16 años en medios de comunicación. Apasionado por la tecnología y por esta industria. [email protected]

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