International. A report by Allied Telesis revealed that 61% of electronic security networks implement resilient solutions to link failures, although only 30% have full redundancy to avoid critical outages.
This study, conducted with organizations in Latin America and other regions of the world, provides a detailed look at practices, strengths, and areas for improvement in four key areas: resilience, intrusion protection, power management, and performance.
Resilience: Strengthening Network Continuity
The report reveals that 61% of organizations have implemented solutions that support link failures between switches without interrupting service. However, only 30% have achieved full redundancy, capable of protecting against complete device failures, such as switches. These results underscore the importance of adopting resilient network designs that eliminate single points of failure, ensuring uninterrupted video transmission and increased system reliability.
Intrusion Protection: Securing Surveillance Systems
55% of respondents use Network Access Control (NAC) systems and authentication protocols, such as those based on MAC and 802.1x, to protect network boundaries and surveillance devices. However, relying on basic measures such as MAC address filtering is a vulnerability, as MAC addresses can be cloned. Allied Telesis emphasizes the need to implement 802.1x authentication to prevent unauthorized access and strengthen the security of sensitive data.
Energy management: mitigating outages and failures
The survey highlighted a predominant use of Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology, employed by 79% of participants to power surveillance cameras. However, only 49% have remote reboot capabilities, a limitation commonly attributed to the use of unmanaged PoE switches or injectors. In addition, while 67% have integrated uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) to prevent interruptions due to power failures, 33% do not have this critical protection, exposing their systems to vulnerabilities. The company that generated the survey promotes the use of managed PoE switches and UPS to ensure operational continuity and reduce costs.
Performance: Optimizing the Data Flow
65% of respondents have implemented Quality of Service (QoS) systems or networks dedicated exclusively to security services to ensure reliable video streaming. As a cost-effective alternative to fully dedicated networks, the report suggests shared infrastructures with VLAN and QoS configurations, which offer a balance of security, performance, and cost.
In conclusion, the report highlights the commitment of organizations to improve their surveillance infrastructures, especially in aspects such as power continuity and link redundancy. However, it identifies important gaps, such as a lack of UPS coverage and robust access control methods. These improvements are essential to building more resilient and reliable electronic safety networks.
