Technology is always evolving and security technology is no different. In addition to regular maintenance of physical elements and security features, technology needs to be updated regularly and upgraded when needed to keep your facility secure. Here are a few signs your security technology needs an upgrade:

1. There Have Been Several Incidents

One of the biggest and clearest signs your security technology needs an upgrade is if there have been several incidents and security threats to your building. A high incident rate is not always a sign that your building’s security is not up to par, but it is a definite sign that your building security needs to be tighter, more comprehensive, and more updated than ever before.

If your security systems did not prevent incidents, injuries, or damage, it’s clear that there are gaps and vulnerabilities in your building’s security that need to be immediately addressed. This could be an overhaul of current systems, additions to them, and more.

Reviewing incidents and generating reports are some of the reasons why you need incident management software. If you cannot do this with your current software or you do not currently have a system in place to efficiently monitor, gather, and report on incident data, it’s another sign your security technology needs an upgrade. Accessibility, ease of use, reporting, and more are all what to look for in incident management software.

A threat assessment, building vulnerability assessment, and assessment of your current security by an experienced, reputable security systems integrator and installer can help you get the security solution your building needs to reduce and prevent future incidents. This can also reduce the rate of false alarms triggered by inefficient, poorly installed, or malfunctioning equipment, integrations, or systems.

2. You Haven’t Assessed Building Security for Over a Year

In order to keep your facility properly secured, it’s essential to regularly review and assess your building vulnerabilities and current security solutions. Going through a new year security checklist is a good starting point, but you may need to review your security more often than that to stay updated and protected.

If it has been over a year since you last updated your security technology or conducted a building vulnerability assessment, it’s likely you’re due for an upgrade, or at least some maintenance, repairs, and updates. There are also likely some gaps in your facility’s security that need to be addressed.

3. Your Business Has Changed or Expanded

If your business has changed or expanded in any way, it’s likely your security technology also needs to change or expand to meet new security needs and address new potential security vulnerabilities. This is particularly true if you have added operations or storage, added new people or structures to your facility, or moved locations.

4. Key Areas Are Not Well-Monitored or Secured

One of the biggest signs your security technology needs an upgrade is if you cannot view, monitor, or record activities in key areas of your building. The best places to install security cameras need to be fully monitored and covered. If these spaces are also unsecured on top of no or limited monitoring, it’s a big security risk for your business or facility.

Limited monitoring could be caused by damaged, broken, or outdated security products and technology. It can also be caused by using the wrong types of surveillance cameras or other products for the environment that needs to be monitored.

For example, if you need to monitor low-light environments, then you need night cameras or thermal cameras that can capture some type of clear footage in those situations. If your security cameras cannot zoom without losing clarity, it’s likely time to upgrade them to higher-performance cameras. Depending on your facility’s needs, it may also make sense to upgrade to cameras with intelligent video analytics capabilities.

5. Your Security Systems Are Not Integrated

A comprehensive security solution for any facility requires that the products and systems are connected, able to communicate, and able to work together. This is essential for being able to respond proactively and in real-time to address security risks and threats. These are just some of the benefits of integrated security systems. This type of integration is also one of the things to look for in incident management software.

Access control systems should be connected to video surveillance systems. Depending on your facility, integration could also be happening with nurse call systems, wander management systems, environmental monitoring systems, and more.

6. You Can’t Do Any Remote Monitoring or Generate Reports

In addition to being integrated and able to communicate seamlessly, your security systems should also allow for remote monitoring and alerts. Security personnel should be able to remotely monitor the facility, take virtual tours if needed, and more. These are factors to consider in an access control system and should be standard across all of your security systems.

On top of that, whatever software you are using to manage your building’s security should allow you to generate and view reports to monitor and review what’s going on in your building. Incident reports, call statistics, access control information, and more should all be available to you or whoever is in charge of managing, monitoring, and maintaining your building security.

7. Your Systems Are Difficult to Repair or Change

As technology becomes older and more outdated, it becomes more difficult and more expensive to maintain and repair. If your security systems rely on older technology, they may be more vulnerable to security threats in addition to being less able to accommodate necessary changes. This becomes even more important with maintaining access control systems and other security systems that are critical to your facility’s security.

Updated and current security technology should be able to scale with your facility as you need it, integrate with other systems as your security needs evolve, and more. If you are running into limited repair options, expensive repair options, and diminishing support for an outdated system, it’s one of the signs your security technology needs an upgrade.

8. You’re Running Out of Storage Space

Older security systems, especially CCTV & cameras, tend to have limited storage space. Depending on the types of cameras you have and the system you have in place, you may be limited in the amount of historic footage you can store and view.

Newer cloud-based solutions allow you to have automatic backups of your security footage. Not only does this help keep your video surveillance footage secure, but you also generally have more memory available to store more footage with the ability to scale up if you need more. Data storage for security footage and information could be one of the security features you didn’t know your business needed.

9. There Are No Backups in Place

With so many critical systems relying on electricity, the internet, etc. to work properly, it is imperative that you have backup plans in place for communications, wired vs wireless networks, power outages, etc. There are several ways to sustain critical life safety & security systems during power outages.

These solutions and other backup plans to maintain communications and other security systems are necessary for any facility’s security. If you have no backup plans in place for anything, it’s a definite sign that it’s time to review your building security overall and upgrade your security technology.

These are a few signs your security technology needs an upgrade. Conducting a regular building vulnerability assessment that includes a review of your current technology is part of managing and maintaining security systems. Also, it can help you stay updated and get upgrades when you need them to prevent and reduce security vulnerabilities.

If it’s been a while since your building security was assessed or you are interested in upgrading your facility’s security, contact NEPPS at (800) 736-1456 to schedule your free site assessment!