Most security monitoring systems these days use specific guards to operate and monitor the security cameras covering a company or facility premises. Different guards sit in the monitoring rooms during different times of the day and analyze the security footage of the cameras through the monitors set up in the rooms. Although this system is very effective for keeping an eye on the activity going around the facility premises, a new monitoring system, known as virtual guarding, is gaining a lot of attention these days.
What Is Virtual Guarding?
Virtual guarding means using remote access to control and monitor the security cameras of a facility from a remote location with the help of internet services. A security guard usually sits at this remote location and looks into all the footage he receives through the security cameras using cloud-based data transfer software.
The security cameras are very advanced these days and can send all infeed data to the security guards at remote sites and receive all sorts of movement controls from them. More advanced camera systems can also utilize various technologies, including radar and lidar systems and motion and heat sensing technologies, to give the security guards accurate and real-time information anywhere in the world.
These virtual guards are also in contact with the on-site security guards and can alert them instantly if the cameras detect any sudden or suspicious movements at the facility.
Why Businesses And Properties Choose Virtual Guarding?
To use the traditional methods of monitoring the security camera footage, businesses and companies need a control room to keep all the display monitors in a designated area and a dedicated alarm system set in place so that the company personnel and the guards can be alerted in case of an emergency. This can cost the company some valuable property space and a lot of money since setting up a proper control room system is not an easy task.
Not only this, but the company also needs to train its guards to monitor the security footage of the cameras and use the alarm systems properly. The companies need to spend a lot of money and put in a thorough thought process to make both systems work correctly, which is not easy for many companies. Thus, the companies opt for virtual guard services to save themselves from the hassles of setting up security control rooms and alarm systems and hiring and training security guards to monitor those rooms.
Virtual security guards can keep a check on all the security cameras. They can instantly trigger alarm systems so that the security guards on the site are alerted and can take immediate action. All these plus points can easily explain the increase in the number of virtual security providers in San Diego and other major US cities.
Uses of a Virtual Security Guard
In today’s age of modern technology, the world is getting more and more digital. Virtual security is helpful in various situations ranging from access control to parking management. Some of the most important security disciplines where virtual guarding can prove very beneficial include:
Access control
The traditional way to access any place inside a business or property premises is using a key fob or a key card. Though this system of granting access has benefits and is better than the previously used systems for access, it is not the perfect one.
First of all, these key cards are only available to employees, and there needs to be a separate system for visitors. These can also be stolen and used by a non-authorized person to gain access to property premises.
These flaws in this system demand an extra layer of security that involves hiring security guards to check every person. This can be highly costly in addition to the fuss of finding the right person for this job and training him as per company standards.
On the other hand, remote guarding combined with a key card system provides a near-perfect solution to this problem. The virtual guards have the data of every person at the facility and can match information available on the key cards with the database. Using this database, the virtual guards not only verify the information on key cards but also match face id to double check.
Site Surveillance
Another aspect of security in which virtual guarding has the upper hand over traditional security is the guards can monitor whole premises at the same time, with the help of various cameras installed at the site.
In the case of traditional security, having more guards to cover the whole premises is not cost-effective, and it also leaves flaws in security as humans can not cover the entire area as cameras do.
Another advantage of virtual security is the footage coming from the cameras can be stored on the computer for later use. These cameras give you a real-time update of the security situation of the property.
If there is suspicious activity at the site, a virtual security guard can coordinate this information to the guard on the premises to visit the site and take action to tackle the situation.
Protocol Enforcement
Besides surveilling the site for security, virtual security guards can also check protocol enforcement . As cameras are everywhere on the premises, they monitor whether employees are following the company’s rules and regulations and can report to higher authorities if any irregulation is seen.
An example of this is the monitoring of warehouses, where most loading and unloading protocols are ignored. If employees are aware of being monitored, they will follow these protocols. We can say the same thing about other departments too.
The biggest outcome of protocol enforcement is the prevention of accidents and other incidents that can be dangerous. So, in addition to providing comprehensive security, you can also use virtual guarding to keep an eye on employees and enforce company policies and protocols.
Parking Management
A major purpose of parking lots at any place is to give relief and peace of mind to the people arriving there, whether they are business customers or society residents. But this can become a mess in case not appropriately monitored.
Having CCTV cameras installed and virtual security guards watching the live footage helps you reduce incidents occurring at parking lots. Through the use of remotely controlled automatic machines at the parking sites, the remote guards can provide tokens and assign the arriving people a specific spot for parking their vehicles.
This coordinated parking system can prevent conflicts and delays, and gives a pleasurable experience for the visitors, which is beneficial for business. They can also monitor parking lots for any suspicious activity, thus helping prevent theft and other crimes.
How Does Virtual Guarding Help?
Virtual guarding services can be a game changer for many businesses, most notably small ones, that do not have enough resources to spend on control rooms and training their security guards. Large business companies can also benefit from these services since virtual guarding allows monitoring of many areas of the facility simultaneously.
Thus, if a fire breaks out in one area of the building, remote guards can simultaneously trigger alarm systems of that area and other areas of the building and notify the on-site security guards, making it possible to save as many lives as possible within a short period of time.
In addition, virtual guarding services also help ease the financial burden as they cost only a fraction of the cost of hiring and training on-site camera monitoring guards. The remote guards can verify the identities of visitors at the apartment gates, control and manage security data, and identify various loopholes in the company’s security system through their years of working experience.
Conclusion
Through virtual guarding, companies can quickly secure themselves using remote services. This saves them from putting too much time and effort into training security guards and setting up control rooms. Although some disadvantages of using such security services, including less control over the camera data and chances of data leakage, these setbacks are very rare and easily outweigh the advantages. Thus, virtual guarding can be the best choice if you need to secure your company or small business from any severe emergencies without worrying too much about the setup process.
FAQs [Frequently Asked Questions
What is a virtual gate guard?
A virtual gate guard monitors the gate access to a community. These guards provide an alternative to the traditional security guards who sit in the gate access control room and watch the entry to the building. A virtual gate guard can remotely control the gate and the entry and exit from the gate using internet access.
