4 Ways To Protect Your Security Cameras

June 6th, 2024

Security cameras are an important part of an integrated security system.  While they can’t prevent a crime from happening, they can deter potential criminals from acting by letting them know someone’s watching and they can record important evidence police can use to find and later convict the criminal.  However, this is only true if the camera works, and criminals have many ways to shut them down or bypass them.  Fortunately, you also have ways to stop them.

Use Concealed Wiring

All security cameras need a power source and a way to send information to a central hub.  Older cameras needed two cables to cover both jobs, and a burglar with a pair of wire cutters would only need to cut one of them to shut down the camera.  Most modern cameras use wireless transmissions, and this cuts down on the number of risky cables, but security cameras still need power.  That’s why you should go the extra mile and make sure the power cords for your cameras go through the walls and the ground and not just along them.

Have Backup Power Handy

Sometimes burglars will bypass electronic security systems by cutting the main power to your home.  There isn’t much you can do to protect the cable, especially if the cutting point is off your property, but you can keep your security system running.  If you have a backup generator or a backup battery that can power your security alarm and cameras, you can still cause problems for a burglar while the main power is out.

Keep Quiet About Your Brand

Many home security cameras use your Wi-Fi network to broadcast their footage instead of relying on a coaxial cable connection.  This lets the camera send higher quality video to the central computer, and it means having one less cable to install for each camera.  However, security brands and companies tend to use the same frequencies, and if a burglar knows the brand they can jam the signal by broadcasting noise on the frequency range.  You can protect against this by not using any stickers or signs with the exact brand you’re using on them.

Think Outside Of The Box

A lot of people think it’s good enough to have a security system.  They don’t bother customizing anything, changing passwords, or carefully checking for blind corners and other hazards.  However, career criminals know a lot about security systems and things like a company’s default passwords, and they can use this information to bypass a system that’s straight out of the box.  That’s why it pays to change some settings, pick a new password, and otherwise make changes now that the system is out of its box.

While your security system protects your property, you must never forget to protect your security system.  After all, career criminals have more experience than you do with how they work, and you shouldn’t give them any more advantages than you can.  But if you take care of your security system, it’ll take care of you.