Tamper Proof Cameras

Photo by Ethan Sexton on Unsplash

Tamper-proof cameras, as their name suggests, are cameras that cannot be sabotaged or wrecked. These cameras are not only highly resistant to any physical stress but are also designed to detect any suspicious activity in its proximity. They are usually used in places where the camera may be under physical pressure like harsh weather or vandalism. 

 From detecting whether the camera dome has been spray painted to prevent it from being unplugged and cut off from the power supply, this camera can detect malicious activity from a mile away. The camera can also alert you if someone has tried to block the view of the camera by covering the dome. 

 You may have heard about cameras being installed in Singapore to catch people who smoke in prohibited areas and the JARVIS like software used to monitor prisoners in some parts of  India. Tamper-proof cameras are used here. These cameras are used in prisons to monitor inmates, in streets and parking lots, in factories to keep track of workers, and in schools to monitor the corridors. They can also be employed in harsh climatic conditions like heavy rain and strong winds.

 The outer casing of most cameras is made of metal. The dome is usually polycarbonate acrylic and is 17% stronger than glass. Tamper-proof screws are also provided in most models so that no one other than the installer has access to the main body of the camera.

 IK code of the camera gives an idea about the amount of force it can withstand. Higher the number, the lower the chances of the camera being easily vandalized. For example, a product rated at an IK value of 5 means that it can withstand 0.7 joules of impact, whereas a product rated at IK10 can take up to 20 joules of impact! (which is equivalent to the result of a 10Kg mass dropped on it). 

 Another feature to look out for is the IP rating. Ingress Protection rating or IP rating is the measure of how resistant the casing is to factors like dirt, moisture, and other foreign bodies. Two digits are used in this rating. The first digit represents the extent to which the camera can protect itself from any intrusion like wires, nails, screws, large insects, and other solids. It usually goes from 0(or X) to 6. The second digit tells us about the level of protection from various forms of moisture (ranging from droplets of water to high pressure, high-temperature jet sprays). The second digit ranges from 0 to 9. 

 Dual streaming is yet another feature that is provided in many models, which gives you the advantage of watching the stream in two ways - the mainstream, i.e., the high-resolution stream, and the substream, which is the low-resolution stream. Using dual-stream reduces the load on the CPU, thus allowing us to increase the number of cameras per server.

Night vision and IR LEDs are also often found in tamper-proof cameras. Apart from these, a few other features that you would like to have are an Alarm IO, a built-in microphone, and built-in wifi. 3DNR technology (3D noise removal) is also found in many models. It is especially useful under low light conditions to suppress noise in the image. 

However, the camera can get triggered under non-criminal conditions, too (for example, a leaf covering its lens for a short period). So, it is necessary to choose the right settings like disruption time while installing the camera. Placing the camera in a place where it is less prone to tampering and installing dummy cameras give increased protection from intruders. Decisions like the number of people notified or whether the camera will be used more for motion or tamper detection should also be made. 

Written by Haritha S