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Network video

There are different levels of security when it comes to securing information being sent over IP networks. The first is authentication and authorization. The user or device identifies itself to the network and the remote end by a username and password, which are then verified before the device is allowed into the system. Added security can be achieved by encrypting the data to prevent others from using or reading the data. Common methods are HTTPS (also known as SSL/ TLS), VPN and WEP or WPA in wireless networks. The use of encryption can slow down communications, depending on the kind of implementation and encryption used.

Username and password authentication
Using a username and password authentication is the most basic method of protecting data on an IP network and may be sufficient where high levels of security are not required, or where the video network is segmented off from the main network and unauthorized users would not have physical access to the video network. The passwords can be encrypted or unencrypted when they are sent; the former provides the best security.
IP address filtering
Axis network video products provide IP address filtering, which gives or denies access rights to defined IP addresses. A typical configuration is to configure the network cameras to allow only the IP address of the server that is hosting the video management software to access the network video products.
Confidentiality
Apply the required degree of confidentiality; this can be done in several ways: the VPN and SSL (or HTTPS) are the most frequently used.
VPN (Virtual Private Network)	HTTPS or SSL/TLS
With VPN, a secure “tunnel” between two communicating devices can be created, enabling safe and secure communication over the Internet. In such a set up, the original packet, including the data and its header, which may contain information such as the source and destination addresses, the type of information being sent, the packet number in the sequence of packets and the packet length, is encrypted. The encrypted packet is then encapsulated in another packet that shows only the IP addresses of the two communicating devices (i.e., routers). This set up protects the traffic and its contents from unauthorized access, and only devices with the correct “key” will be able to work within the VPN. Network devices between the client and the server will not be able to access or view the data.	HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure) is identical to HTTP but with one key difference: the data transferred is encrypted using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS). This security method applies encryption to the data itself. Many Axis network video products have built-in support for HTTPS, which makes it possible for video to be securely viewed using a web browser. The use of HTTPS, however, can slow down the communication link and, therefore, the frame rate of the video.