Our partners at Axis Communications, provide us with secure and smart security systems for our customers. Yasin Miah, Field Sales End to End Solutions considers the importance of ensuring high levels of cybersecurity across the supply chain, and the credentials that make AXIS Companion the ideal surveillance solution for SMEs.

Digitalisation will continue to disrupt all industries in 2020. It offers new ways to do business that were previously inconceivable and streamlines processes that vastly transform and improve operations. Above all, digitalisation creates widespread disruption, where companies unprepared for change risk being pushed aside by a new breed of cloud-enabled, digitally aware businesses that bring fresh ideas and new products to market.

Physical security is one such industry that is being transformed in the digital age by the IoT. Securing premises and assets through the deployment of physical security technologies was once the preserve of large organisations with the necessary resources. These systems were simply out of reach for businesses at the smaller end of the spectrum, the SMEs, with neither the manpower to manage alerts nor the resources to invest in systems to protect relatively small sites.

Today’s cloud-enabled IoT devices with easy plug and play capabilities change all of this. The small to medium enterprise has a wide range of IP video surveillance technologies to choose from, all fully scalable to suit specific business requirements. It’s now possible to purchase a single high-quality camera, controlled from a mobile phone, to effectively monitor a small business premises at an affordable price.

Yet, with security technology being so readily available and affordable comes the temptation for many to look for low price, low grade options that claim to meet all of the requirements of a modern security solution, but in reality, come with none of the assurances that a customer or installer should be looking for. Without assurances that security products have been manufactured from the ground up with cyber security in mind, technology can be exploited and provide a backdoor into a network with repercussions along the supply chain.

Selecting the right technology and the right provider is imperative to ensure the highest levels of security. Connected technologies now offer the most effective and efficient way to secure a business, yet these technologies must be manufactured with a central focus on cybersecurity principles. Without taking great care in selecting high quality solutions from trusted vendors, it’s impossible to guarantee that the technology has been manufactured ethically, was produced with cyber security as a key consideration, and is covered by relevant maintenance agreements if something goes wrong.

AXIS Companion is a range of cameras from Axis Communications, aimed at SMEs, that are unique in the market. They are among a very small breed of surveillance cameras to have been accredited as both Secure by Default, awarded by the Surveillance Camera Commissioner (SCC), and Secure by Design, a stamp of approval from the Police Crime Prevention Initiative (PCPI). In addition, Axis Communications holds a Cyber Essentials Plus certification from the National Cyber Security Centre.

These accolades provide evidence of Axis’ security credentials, verification that its products and services are designed and built with cybersecurity at the forefront, and assurance to the market that Axis and its partners operate from an ethical standpoint, aligning themselves to current best practice.

In addition, Axis operates an AXIS Companion Specialist programme which provides installers with full guidance and support in supplying and installing the AXIS Companion range.

Our Technical Director, George Pritchard, commented, “Being an Axis Companion Specialist is very important to us as it gives us the ability to discuss the needs of our customers directly with the manufacturer, ensuring we have the best product set selected for their requirements. AXIS Companion is easy to install, plugin, commission, set up and then hand over to our customers. It’s the ideal SME solution.”

AXIS Companion demonstrates what is possible in physical security using IoT technologies, and what can be achieved by organisations such as Axis, who strive to innovate for a smarter, safer world. Axis’ credentials prove that they take cybersecurity seriously, have achieved significant standards in security and design, and can demonstrate that their products meet the minimum requirements expected in terms of cyber-secure surveillance and resilience.

AXIS Companion: Solutions for small businesses https://www.axis.com/en-gb/companion

To view how the installation of the surveillance solution has improved security for our customer at the renowned Bustler Market watch the video case study. https://youtu.be/F83cETEbXFw