Security Center 5.5 Security Platform by Genetec

Security Center 5.5 by Genetec Inc. is an updated version of the open architecture, unified IP security platform. It combines access control, video surveillance, ALPR, and communications with a new disaster recovery mode, enhanced levels of authentication and encryption, augmented video archiving and export management capabilities, and new choices of supported access control hardware.

security platformSecurity Center 5.5 gives administrators greater control and protection of their security infrastructure. It is available via the Genetec worldwide channel partner distribution network.

Security Center 5.5’s disaster recovery mode allows the configuration of multiple failover directory servers at remote sites; users can implement more elaborate disaster recovery plans for their security platform. In the event of a disaster, failover servers at geographically disparate locations can immediately take control. They can also ensure users continue to have access to their security platform to protect people and assets.

New map-centric monitoring offers enhanced, fluid map scaling for zooming in and out of maps—from floor plans to satellite imagery. In addition, it offers the option to geo-reference dynamic objects on a map with actual geographic coordinates. Further, map layering allows users to add or remove details from a map to narrow or broaden visualization of a site.

To further simplify alarm management, Security Center 5.5 features alarm grouping and filtering. Users can group alarms visually by type, state, or priority. They can also handle entire collections of alarms, such as acknowledging or forwarding an entire group.

To facilitate Security Center integration, Genetec offers two flavors of its Software Development Kit (SDK). The Basic SDK is a freely available package used to connect to Security Center and access configuration information, events, and alarms in real-time, as well as make changes or add new tasks to the monitoring client app. A simplified online enrollment and acceptance process, that is largely automated, gives users quick access. An advanced SDK package offers all the elements of the Basic SDK. It also provides access to additional tools required by more complex integrations, and is available through Genetec certified channel partners.

Omnicast™ is the IP video management system of the Security Center platform. With support for a range of cameras, encoders, and CCTV equipment, it scales and adapts to changing demands. Version 5.5 builds on the advanced cybersecurity measures introduced in Security Center 5.4 by offering a protocol that protects against potential hacking and non-authorized internal access. When users request video feeds, new authentication and authorization steps are in place to protect video data and privacy. By default, only secured media stream requests are accepted, ensuring the app or person making the request is authenticated. Token-based authentication is applied for RTSP video requests, TLS encryption for securely transmitting these user authentication tokens, and RTSP over TLS for another level of video stream encryption while in transit.

Security Center 5.5 offers users the ability to finely manage exported or saved content, such as video clips and snapshots. This facilitates modifications prior to sharing inside or outside an organization. Examples include the blurring and masking of snapshots to protect privacy; editing video clips to remove sensitive or less valuable content and then re-exporting the final clips; and adding bookmarks to better qualify a recorded scene. In addition, sharing is made simpler by exporting video to the MP4 format so as to leverage off-the-shelf video players.

The Security Center 5.5 security platform provides access control capabilities to improve security, protect sensitive information, and increase user choice of access control hardware. Through the support of firmware running on the Synergis™ Cloud Link appliance alongside Mercury Security controllers, organizations can extend the reach of their security platform with Allegion Schlage AD-300 Hardwired and AD-400 Wireless electronic locks. Organizations can also unify controller-based and electronic lock-based security systems in the process for a more inclusive approach to access control.

Security Center 5.5 introduces Peer-to-Peer (P2P) communications between Synergis Cloud Link appliances enabling global IO linking and global antipassback. Even when connectivity to the server is unavailable, Synergis Cloud Link appliances can share information across the network. This added flexibility enables users to move away from relying on constant connection to the server for improved overall security.

For greater protection of confidential and sensitive data, additional means of encrypting communications have been implemented between the Synergis Cloud Link appliance and the server along with numerous Genetec access control hardware partners. The primary goal is to ensure secure communications throughout a customer’s entire access control infrastructure.