Video Security Installation Repair Service | Tampa | Central Florida
Family owned Video Security installation and repair service in Tampa, serving Central Florida. Expert sales, service and maintenance on complete surveillance systems, security cameras, network connections, Apple or Android video security camera apps and software. 24 hour emergency service calls.
Red Hawk Video Security serving Business, Multi-Family Housing and Residential homes and gated communities with expert Video Security Installation, Sales and Repair Services.
Our experienced security professionals provide many types of video security solutions in the following Cities, Counties and Neighborhoods throughout the Tampa Bay Suncoast Region of Central Florida.
Video security and surveillance equipment use two broadcast standards, NTSC and PAL, sometimes called “European PAL” and “North American NTSC”. Knowing which standard your Surveillance equipment, security cameras or video recorder uses is essential when updating firmware. Since most security & surveillance equipment is manufactured in Asia for use worldwide either standard can be used in your surveillance equipment. NTSC and PAL video security cameras and DVR’s NVR’s video encoder/decoder and receivers will work in any region if they are paired with security cameras/ and video recorders of the same format. As an example, a NTSC security camera will work on NTSC DVR in a country that uses the PAL format, the same goes for PAL a digital video recorder in North America which will work with a PAL surveillance camera. Because it will work does not make it a good idea, as a rule: Always use the video format that was intended for your region. Mismatched security devices will result in unusable video security footage, until resolved you will see moving horizontal lines, rolling pictures or a blank screen instead of clear & crisp video security footage.
There are two additional TV standards SECAM and ATSC but these aren’t often used in security and surveillance equipment, so we will not go into further detail about them. We have provided the name for each organization’s acronym and a link to further research if you would like to know more about their functions.
NTSC – National Television System Committee
ATSC – Advanced Television Systems Committee
DVB-T – Digital Video Broadcasting
PAL – Phase Alternating Line.
SECAM – Sequential color with memory. Developed in France “Séquentiel couleur à mémoire” in French
Encoding standard by region.
NTSC: used in North America and portions of South America and Asia.
PAL: used in most of Europe, Asia, Oceania and portions of South America and Africa.
SECAM: Implemented in France, used in parts of Africa and Eastern Europe
ATSC: are a set of standards for digital transmission. H.264, H.265 & MPEG codecs are among the video compression standards used in security and surveillance equipment. Such as IP cameras, Network video recorders (NVR). Wikipedia maintains a list on ATSC standards. You can visit the ATSC website here. The ATSC oversees many standards, this infographic shows the 17 finalized standards that were added in November of 2017 for the 3.0 update.
Digital Changes
With the world going digital our TV standards are changing too. Many of the NTSC countries have chosen the ATSC standard for digital transmission. Digital broadcasting allows higher-resolution television, but digital standard definition television will continue using frame rate & lines of resolution (TVL) established by the analog NTSC standard. Countries the used the PAL standard have converted or are currently converting from PAL to DVB-T or DVB-T2 too, a few other countries have chosen DTMB or ISDB for their digital TV standard going forward.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATSC_standards
https://www.atsc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ATSC-Update-Infographic_November_20171.jpg
Maintain a list of which TV standard individual countries use.
https://www.videouniversity.com/articles/world-wide-tv-standards
We are all at risk if we don’t begin the process of securing our security and surveillance devices and internet connected convenience devices. The mobile app’s that provide access to our home & businesses internet connected video security are becoming easier to set-up. But the cost of easy setup is often your network’s security. Online security and surveillance devices are an attractive target for hackers, who scan devices for security vulnerabilities and then install malicious software. Once a hacker has access to your network they can interfere with the operation of your video security device, install a DDoS bot and gain access your computers and electronic devices on the same network.
The Department of Justice offers insight into Securing Your “Internet of Things” Devices with a well written guide that you can download and print. The DOJ explains this issue thoroughly in the introduction followed by several precautions. Here is an example: “If you determine that your IoT device has been compromised by Mirai or similar malware, turn it off and then on again after several seconds to purge the device’s memory, as instructed above.
Malware, such as Mirai, often resides in an IoT device’s memory, so purging the memory will remove the malware. If your device was compromised because of poor password management, change your password and follow good password management practices as described above before reconnecting it to the Internet. If you suspect your IoT devices has been compromised, we encourage you to file a report regarding your with the Internet Crime Complaint Center. You can find them here : https://www.ic3.gov.
How to create a strong password. Continue reading “Internet Connected Video Security”
A Serious flaw has recently been discovered in the Wi-Fi Protected Access WPA2 protocol that lets attackers intercept passwords and more. This one of the more serious threats our new connected world has faced. Security flaws do not get much worse than this, Krack affects nearly every wireless device using WPA2 that has not been patched. The risk is especially severe because WPA2 is used on a majority of internet-enabled mobile devices, access points and router’s.
As we advise with your video security cameras and all surveillance equipment Check your manufacturers website for firmware updates to patch this weakness. We will include a list of vulnerable devices along with links to the manufacturers firmware support sites at the end of the post.
Keep in mind the vulnerability is in the Wi-Fi standard itself, and not in individual products or implementations. Therefore, any correct implementation of WPA2 is likely to be vulnerable. The vulnerability could affect all software platforms, including Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Windows and Linux. This means your video security cameras, network connected digital video recorders and encoders are at risk as well.
According to United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team “(US-CERT) has become aware of several key management vulnerabilities in the 4-way handshake of the Wi-Fi Protected Access II (WPA2) security protocol. The impact of exploiting these vulnerabilities includes decryption, packet replay, TCP connection hijacking, HTTP content injection, and others. Note that as protocol-level issues, most or all correct implementations of the standard will be affected.”
In an interview with Wired @DrKevinFu warns that the Krack Wi-Fi mess could take decades to clean-up. “For the general sphere of IoT devices, like security cameras, we’re not just underwater,” says Kevin Fu, a computer scientist at the University of Michigan who focuses on medical device security. “We’re under quicksand under water.”
Krack WPA2 wireless security vulnerability. Check your wireless device manufacturers website for latest firmware for all devices that implement the WPA2, Wi-Fi Protected Access.
Below is a partial list of affected manufacturers. CERT has put together a detailed list to check to see how your manufacturer is affected with links to manufacturers website.
Arch Linux – WPA Supplicant patch
Raspberry Pi
Surge protectors are an inexpensive way to protect your security cameras and expensive electronics from spikes in electrical current that can cause severe damage to connected devices. Microchips found in Analog, HD, Hybrid, Network video recorders and security cameras and surveillance monitors are very sensitive to sudden voltage spikes. It is imperative to know that; not every power strip is a surge protector!
A Power Strip is a block of electrical outlets that distribute AC power to electrical devices. Usually a power strip has multiple electrical sockets that are attached to the end of a flexible cable, its main purpose is to provide additional power outlets.
Surge protectors also have several outlets and a flexible cable but they contain a circuit-breaker or interrupter switch to quickly protect your security cameras, video recorders and surveillance products when voltage spikes. The two main types of surge protection are: Metal Oxide Varistor (MOV) types that fail short-circuit. You typically find MOV in the power strips that plug into a wall outlet. The second type of surge protection is Silicon Oxide Varistor (SOV) which fail open-circuit. SOV’s are normally “whole house” surge protectors and reside at the main panel. These can protect all of the surveillance- security products, appliances and expensive electronics that are plugged into the electrical system in your home or business. Surge protectors can prevent damage from most internal causes of surges and spikes however there are no surge protectors that guarantee protection against a direct lightning strike.
Surge Protection is too important of a subject to only learn the basics. We have included several links to articles and tips from experts in Tampa bay and nationwide.
To decrease your chances of sustaining damage to your security cameras, video recorder, encoder or network attached storage we recommend you purchase a surge protector made by a reputable manufacturer like the ones listed below:
DITEK Surge Protection is your first line of defense for Video Surveillance, Fire, Networking, Communications, Intrusion Detection, Access Control.
http://www.diteksurgeprotection.com
Zero Surge Their patented products have never experienced a surge failure or fire. Every unit is made in the USA and goes through stringent performance testing as part of their quality assurance program
Tripp Lite Surge Protectors & Power Strips
https://www.tripplite.com/products/surge-protectors~19
Belkin Surge Protectors
http://www.belkin.com/us/Products/Power-&-Charging/c/WSPWRSP
All South Lightning Protection, Inc
All South Lightning Protection Inc. has grown to be one of the largest lightning protection companies in the Southeast. All South provides superior service in residential, commercial and industrial projects.
More Surge Protection Resources for Security Cameras Systems in your home or business.
Ratings – Testing – Certification
Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). After Listing a product with a NRTL, the manufacturer’s products are examined for compliance about every three months by unannounced inspectors. The current Safety Standard for Surge Protection Devices is ANSI/UL 1449
https://standardscatalog.ul.com/standards/en/standard_1449
NEMA Surge Protection Institute (NSPI) is an educational outreach effort initiated by the Low Voltage Surge Protective Devices Section of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA),
UL 1449: Surge Protective Devices (SPD)
http://www.nemasurge.org/ul-1449-transient-voltage-surge-suppressors
UL Standards Sales Site – Since 1901, UL has been creating Standards for product safety.
http://www.shopulstandards.com/Default.aspx
Home insurance policies can cover damages from lightning, brown outs, over voltage too. Check with your agent to determine if your premiums + deductible is worth the price.
Associations
Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers (IEEE)
International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI)
National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)
National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA)
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
Surge protection for
Security & Surveillance Products.
Home automation & access control
Computers, laptops, printers and servers.
Routers, switches firewalls and all other network equipment.
Home entertainment systems, TV’s, Audio receivers, amplifiers
We have recently seen an increase in attempts to “hack” certain security systems. Some of these attempts have been successful. Your security is our highest priority. We are committed to making our products more secure in an ever-evolving and challenging cyber environment. We are taking all necessary steps to address this situation quickly.
The following actions are strongly recommended:
Change your password
Using a weak or default password is the number one reason systems are vulnerable. It is recommended to change default passwords immediately, and choose a strong password comprised of letters and numbers. This step alone will make your security system more secure. In addition to changing your password, we recommend you use the following general safety tips to further prevent this type of activity:
It is critical to make sure your firmware is up-to-date. To find the most recent firmware with instructions go to Lorextechnology.com/support
A: You can check what firmware you have by pressing the ENTER button on the front panel of your recorder. You can then crosscheck your firmware number at Lorextechnology.com/support, which lists current firmware versions by model number.
Q: What do I do if I receive a firmware upgrade notification?
A: We have pushed out new firmware “patches” that address this issue. Please accept this upgrade request as soon as you receive notification.
A: Newer models are not affected, including the NR900 Series, NR800 Series, DV700 Series, LHB900 Series, LHB800 Series, LNK700 Series, LHA4000 Series, LHA2000 Series, LNR400 Series, LNR100 Series, LHV2000 Series, LHV1000 Series. Please check Lorextechnology.com/support for a list of available firmware. This page will be updated regularly.
NOTE: Some of the older DVR and NVR Series recorders do not support upgrades over the network. These models require manual firmware upgrades. For full instructions on upgrading these models, visit Lorextechnology.com/support.
Q: How do I know if my system has been hacked?
A: It may not be clear if a system has been hacked or not. It is important to take measures to prevent your system from being compromised. We strongly recommend updating firmware to the latest version and creating a strong, new password as soon as possible.
Q: How can I protect my system from being hacked?
A: We have pushed out firmware “patches” to all models that can accept firmware upgrades. Ensure the recorder is connected to the Internet so you can accept this upgrade request right away.
If you cannot access your system, call our Tech Support number at 1-888-425-6739. Please have your model number, serial number, and device ID ready so we can assist you. After your credentials are verified, the agent will help you re-establish control by issuing you a temporary reset password. It is very important to then change your password to a strong and unique one that you will remember. Do not re-enter the default password, temporary reset password, or any previously-used passwords.
MOBOTIX has added four indoor models c26, i26, p26, and v26, to their already successful Mx6 6-megapixel camera line. The new Mx6 6-megapixel processor delivers up to twice as many images per second, at the same resolution as the previous 5MP’s did.
MOBOTIX IP Cameras can now use this app on their iPad, iPad mini, iPad Pro, iPhone or iPod touch. The user interface of the App automatically adjusts to the screen size of the terminal device. The network connection is established via WiFi in a building or via 3G/4G while on the road – safely encrypted without the need for any other special devices.
MOBOTIX AG is the manufacturer of very popular, high quality network security cameras and video intercom systems. Mobotix is known as the leading pioneer in network camera technology and high resolution video innovations in digital video surveillance. Dr. Ralf Hinkel, PhD founded Mobotix AG in 1999 and has lead the company to many firsts for the video surveillance industry.
Konica-Minolta has acquired a majority share of Mobotix AG. and Dr. Hinkel has left Mobotix, I would expect more pioneering breakthroughs from Dr. Hinkel in the home automation arena in the near future. Mobotix has partnered with Genetec by entering into an agreement to work together with Genetec in research and development, testing, business development. Look for more exciting advances in IP video solutions in the future from the formidable combination of Genetec and Mobotix.
The Red Hawk Video Security blog will cover different aspects of video security and the always changing technology in the most straight-forward way possible.
