James Wickes, owner and founder of Cloudview, recently spoke at IFSEC 2014 in London. The aim of the presentation was to look at how Cloudview has grown since its launch into the corporate security market and how it is already evolving for the future. Wickes has also spoken exclusively with SecurityNewsDesk about the future for this revolutionary product.
Cloudview initially came about after Wickes disturbed a burglar at his home, which led him to begin investigating the domestic security market.
“After interrupting someone as they were breaking into my home I began searching for a security solution,” said Wickes. “I had a defined notion in my mind that there would be a plug-and-play camera solution that would feed into a network that I could view remotely via the Internet, and was surprised when I discovered that no such solution existed. So I set about creating my own.”
Initially, Cloudview came to life as a domestic product. Wickes explained that he had envisioned it essentially becoming a virtual Neighbourhood Watch, or even a network for shared interests, where people could access footage from a range of surveillance systems remotely. However, once the initial product was launched a new avenue of interest opened up.
“We soon realised that we were receiving massive demand for the product from the corporate market. As a result, we took on the task of evolving Cloudview with new features and tools so that it could take on the more rigorous demands of larger scale corporate use,” said Wickes.
This theme of evolving to meet the demands of the market is at the core of everything Cloudview do; all the while ensuring customers are getting the very best service. This includes ensuring a robust system that has security at its heart.
Wickes was aware that using a cloud-based solution could mean being a target for cyber criminals and hackers. The Cloudview team invested a lot of time in making it as difficult as possible for these individuals, using TLS across the system and encrypting data – among other methods.
Some may argue that using a cloud system is inviting cyber security threats in. However, Wickes argues that the data sitting on your local computer hardware is more vulnerable, as it is a physical, unmoving target.
Wickes elaborated, saying, “In the cloud, if someone does get in, the data they may see will bear no relation to anything else, so you could argue that the cloud is more secure. However, as with anything, it does all depend on the buyer doing their due diligence as there are some cloud systems that are not as secure and some PC systems that are very secure. Essentially, so much of cyber security boils down to the simplest approach, namely closing the door behind you. Every time you access a remote CCTV system you are potentially leaving a door open. So it stands to reason that closing that portal is an effective defence against cybercrime.”
Wickes envisions Cloudview becoming the industry’s go-to visual network for collecting, moving and storing CCTV footage offsite. To achieve this, Wickes and his team are constantly monitoring how the industry is evolving, being ready to adapt with it. For instance, Cloudview is seeing increasing requests to use its technology as an off-site back-up solution.
“CCTV users are becoming more tech savvy,” said Wickes, “and are realising that the cloud offers great solutions for situations where onsite CCTV may be damaged or vandalised, as the cloud continues to work even if the DVR is turned off.”
He also explained that the industry-wide focus on image quality and analytics that is being driven by new technology has been a trigger for further advancement of Cloudview services. These new technologies, and high-resolution imagery require increased bandwidth – which Wickes said is a rare commodity. The Cloudview team are already investigating ways to accommodate this and customers should keep their eyes and ears open for an announcement in the next few months.
