Surveillance

Digital Surveillance Systems

You Cannot Do Without Digital Surveillance Systems

I am totally fed up with being watched all the time. This is a statement that one can hear far too often for comfort. The computer age has given birth to quite a few Orwellian discoveries that are soon becoming necessary evils. The digital surveillance systems that are in place could be classified as security systems that are unbeatable.

When the term digital is used it refers to a system or a set of equipment that inputs or stores data in binary numeric format or in other words digital format. It is also another way of saying that digital techniques involve electronic or computing technology. Therefore when a person says that digital surveillance systems are in place, it means that all these systems are being controlled by one or more computerized hubs or workstations and relayed to a source where the data will be used or stored according to the need.

Most organizations today depend on digital surveillance systems to watch and record the movement of people within their work area. Take for example a high security research centre where there are some crucial experiments taking place. The staff who work in this kind of a facility are constantly being watched through closed circuit cameras. The information of the movement of these staff will be relayed to a central node; this data is stored for use at a later date.

As part of the digital surveillance systems that have been installed in a sensitive zone, employees are given individual passwords with which they can gain access into sensitive areas. In line with this kind of equipment, employees are asked to record their fingerprints with the security agency. This is in turn incorporated into the security program, which requires each employee to place his finger print in the slot allotted, if he wants to gain access into a particular area. As soon as the finger print is received by the sensor, the information is relayed digitally to a database wherein all details about the employees are stored. The details are matched and if found correct, access is given to the person to enter into the restricted area.

One finds the installation of digital surveillance systems in airports and other public places absolutely indispensable. The presence of concealed video cameras and other surveillance equipment ensure that all images are captured and recorded to make security in all these vulnerable areas, absolutely foolproof. However, there is a growing dislike and disrespect amongst people regarding the installation of such systems. People are of the opinion that this can be detrimental to the privacy of an individual. However, in this day and age, when terrorism has become a common occurrence and fundamentalists are trying to capture as much space and attention as possible, digital surveillance systems need to be installed in order to ensure the relative safety and security of the general populace.