Senstar: Challenges of Securing Large Perimeters

A secure perimeter is the first line defense and an important part of an organization’s operations. When facilities are large or widespread, a number of challenges may be present. Let’s examine some of these and how the right technology solutions could help mitigate them.

Scale and Complexity

A properly designed perimeter security solution acts as a force multiplier, freeing up human resources instead of consuming them. To ensure the overall physical protection system (PPS) meets the facility’s requirements, system designers and integrators need to select security technology that provides facility operators with the critical information they need to maintain situational awareness:

• To manage complexity, Senstar sensors share a common communications frameworkand report precise intrusion information to centralized security operations centers. A comprehensive portfolio includes fully integrated solutions for fences, walls, entrance gates, and access control devices.
• When Senstar sensors are combined with the Senstar Symphony Common Operating Platform, intrusion locations are graphically displayed on facility maps and can be used to automatically call up specific video surveillance feeds or trigger specific actions. A unified interface simplifies training requirements and empowers operators with the tools they need to respond to a range of threats.
  

Resource Allocation

Perimeter intrusion detection technology frees up personnel by providing human insight to unfolding situations and responding to threats. Intrusion detection alarms direct operator attention to critical events and help them to coordinate appropriate responses.

• Instead of requiring multiple people to passively observe screens for suspicious events,individual operators can monitor larger areas, freeing up human resources for other activities.
• To reduce operator distractions, Senstar sensors are designed to minimize nuisance alarms. Field-tested and proven, sensors include environmental disaggregationas well as AI-based sensor fusion
• Maintenance staff can use data obtained from sensors to quickly locate damaged or loose fence fabric, reducing the frequency and time requirements of physical inspections.

Limited Surveillance Coverage

Vulnerabilities like blind spots or line-of-sight (LOS) issues are a challenge for all facilities but especially large ones. Physical realities may make it cost-prohibitive for complete, high-quality surveillance coverage. Similar concerns apply to LOS sensors like ground-based radar. Fortunately, for this specific deployment challenge, Senstar fence-mounted and buried perimeter intrusion detection sensors reveal one of their major strengths: detection coverage of the entire facility, with no coverage gaps that an intruder can exploit to get inside undetected.

Senstar also offers solutions that improve capabilities of surveillance cameras:

• Perimeter lighting: The Senstar LM100provides a 2-in-1 perimeter illumination and intrusion detection solution. Low-power, uniform fence line illumination with a high color rending index (CRI) value improves the assessment capabilities of surveillance cameras, ensuring high quality nighttime visibility without hotspots.
• Secure networking: When fiber sensors are deployed along the perimeter, unused fibers may be repurposedfor use by network cameras, avoiding the need to run additional networking cables, reducing overall installation costs while maintaining a higher level of security over that of Ethernet cabling.