Surveillance video generates huge amounts of data. Therefore, when deploying a new CCTV system or upgrading an existing one, it is important to consider the storage capacity of the footage.
Traditional surveillance storage methods such as DVRs, SD cards and flash drives have limited storage capacity, which is why many security professionals are turning to cloud-based video surveillance storage as an alternative.
To help organizations choose between an on-site and cloud solutions, this article explains how CCTV storage works, how it differs from on-site storage and the benefits of using the cloud.
Local storage solutions
SD cards, DVRs or NVRs are the most popular local storage systems. They overwrite old recordings when full. To be sure that you are investing in the right amount of storage, you need to decide in advance on the desired quality of the video recordings, their duration and, most importantly, the time after which the old recordings will be overwritten by the new ones.
Internal camera storage allows you to store footage on a card (such as a microSD) inside the camera itself. There is no need for Wi-Fi and no risk of data loss due to a faulty connection. Since the video is not transferred to an external storage, you can always view the footage in real time. The disadvantage of this method is that the amount of space to store the footage is limited by the amount of memory on the camera.
Local storage is considered the most secure, as the video does not need to be sent over the network. There is no threat of someone remotely accessing the footage. However, if the storage device fails or is damaged, you will lose all of your recorded information. Also, local storage devices have a fixed capacity, so additional devices will be required to store more data.
Cloud storage for cameras and CCTV
CCTV cloud storage offers unlimited storage capacity. Users can access footage from anywhere and avoid the costs associated with installing and maintaining physical storage facilities.
If the cloud is a concern for privacy and security, ask about encryption for data transfer and storage when choosing a provider. This will ensure that sensitive video footage is protected from unauthorized access and breaches, maintaining the integrity of the security system. You should also consider the need for sufficient bandwidth to upload footage continuously.
To increase security for stored footage, implement multi-factor authentication. This ensures that only authorized users can view or manage video archives. To protect against data loss due to hardware failure, natural disasters or cyber-attacks, Cloud4U offers a backup and replication service.
We also regularly update our storage systems to eliminate vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.
