Defying the Darkness - Thermal Imaging Cameras

Thermal Imaging Cameras - Defying the Darkness

IP cameras, like the majority of cameras, need visible light in order to capture an image. Thermal Imaging cameras do not. They are able to function not only in total darkness, but under hostile conditions such as sand or dust storms as well

Although we tend to think of light in terms of what you see is what you get, visible light is but a fraction of the energy radiating in waves of varying lengths from the sun.  Since all light is energy traveling  at the same speed 186,000 miles per second, longer wavelengths occur at  lower frequencies, and conversely, shorter wavelengths occur at  higher frequencies. 

Visible light is that part of the electro-magnetic spectrum with wavelengths ranging from 400 to 700 nanometers. 

Infra-red light travels on longer wavelengths and lies just beyond visible light’s parameters

Since Thermal Imaging cameras utilize infra-red light, let’s examine it.

The Infra-red Portion of the Electro-Magnetic Spectrum

The prefix infra means below and is in the case of infra-red light means it occurs at a lower frequency than red light in the visible portion of the spectrum. Infra-red (IR) light can be divided into three categories:

1.       Near-infra-red.

The near in near-IR  signifies that it is the portion of the I-R spectrum closest to visible light with low

frequency wavelengths measuring from 700 – 1300 nanometers.

2.       Mid-infra-red

Mid-IR has lower frequency wavelengths of 1300 to 3,000 nanometers.

(Mid-IR and Near-IR near IR are used with a variety of electronic devices including remote controls.)

3.    Far infra-red (thermal) 

Far -IR occupies the largest part of the IR portion of the spectrum with wavelengths ranging from 3,000 Nano-meters to as long as 30,000 nanometers.  

The main difference between far IR and the other two is that near- and mid-IR are reflected off of objects while far-IR is emitted by them. Far-IR is also known as thermal-IR because this radiated energy gives off heat generated by activity at the atomic level of the object. This heat is key to thermal imaging technology.

How Thermal Imaging Works

All objects and beings give off some level of I-R radiation in the form of heat, or to put it another way, anything above the temperature of absolute zero (0 degrees Kelvin, or -469 degrees F) gives off measurable

I-R energy. While the amount of radiation emitted by you, me, a cat, dog, or a stone will differ, nothing radiates 100% of its temperature as I-R radiation.

Thermal imaging sensors work with emissivity, which is defined as the specific percentage of thermal radiation, to calculate an object’s true temperature in order to map out an image of the object within its environment.  At no time in the process is visible light required for thermal imaging.

How a Thermal Imaging Camera Works

Thermal imaging cameras contain a special lens that focuses the infra-red light emitted by everything in the field of view. Since there was be several thousands of points in the camera’s field of view, thermal cameras need special image sensors with a phased array of infra-red detector elements to gather them all together. Once the elements have captured the information they create a detailed temperature pattern known as a thermogram.

The thermogram is then translated into electric impulses that are sent to a signal-processing unit, then on to a

display where it appears as various colors depending on the intensity of the infra-red emission of each object. Taken together, these impulses create an image of the subject against its background.

Thermal Imaging to the Rescue

Thermal imaging technology is finding its way into the news more and more. Unfortunately, the news was not cheerful news. Responders made use of it during two very different tragedies.

 In Boston, the police used thermal imaging sensors to zero in on the surviving bomber in a residential neighborhood who was hiding in a covered boat dry-docked in a dark back yard.

Then in May, a two mile wide tornado cleared a twenty two mile swatch of Moore, Oklahoma, upending the majority of structures and leaving in their place teetering piles of rubble. Responders included the Oklahoma National Guard’s 146^th Airborne Support who used thermal imaging detectors to seek body heat under the five and six foot mounds of debris in an effort to locate possible trapped survivors.

Our sales engineers are known as the experts in IP cameras but Kintronics also has experience in designing thermal imaging cameras, numbering the U.S. Armed Forces among our customers. If you’d like to know more about thermal imaging or IP cameras www.kintronics.com or give us a call at 914-944-3425. You can also fill out an information request form and a sales engineer will respond promptly.

InfraRed and Thermal Cameras, the Solution for Low Light Challenges

Our previous entry, Light - What It Is, and Isn’t, explored the electro-magnetic spectrum and noted what a small portion visible light occupied. While visible light may be small in the big scheme of things, it is the only

type our eyes can utilize for vision.

Cameras also need visible light to capture an image, and they process it in pretty much the same way. There are some species of animals, though, that can function in a minimum of light. The same can be said of certain types of IP cameras, which is a good thing since there are times when it is necessary to capture an event in less than optimal lighting,or even harder, no light at all. As available light decreases, there is a range of surveillance cameras we can turn to.

Low Light IP Cameras  

Owls and cats are both thought of as being nocturnal; a word Merriam Webster defines as active at night. And just what allows these two creatures of the night to carry on life as usual long after the sun has set?  They both have proportionately large eyes; eyes that contain more light receptors than do the eyes of the rest of us, creatures who require a well-lighted situation. Nonetheless, even nocturnal animals need a low level of light. They cannot function in total darkness. The same holds true for low light cameras. They need some light 

A low light camera depends on large image processors to collect as much of the scant light as possible and the CMOS and CCD chips available today are especially good at picking up light. Some low-light color cameras amplify whatever light is available by switching to monochrome mode in order to increase light sensitivity.   

Another way to increase light sensitivity is to choose a lens with a low f number of 1.4 or less. The lower the f number the more light the lens will admit.

IR cameras

When the available light is below the threshold at which low-light cameras operate, we turn to what are also known as day/night cameras. Day/night cameras have infrared or IR sensitivity, meaning they are able to function under infrared illumination.

 The infra in infrared light means below and refers to the fact that infrared light radiates at wavelengths of 700 – 1400 m, a lower frequency than the red portion of light visible to our eyes. Like the rest of the electro-magnetic spectrum, infrared light is always present.

Because infra-red light affects the color capability of  image sensors, day/night cameras are equipped with removable filters to control IR sensitivity. The filters are kept in place during the day but removed at night and the camera switches to mono-chrome mode in which it can utilize infrared light.

Since an I-R camera needs more infra-red light than what occurs naturally, we need to supplement it  Some day/night cameras, like the Vivotek FD-6112V, come with special bulbs or built-in LED IR illumination,

allowing it to function without any other illumination for a distance just over 30 feet. Other I-R cameras require add-on IR illumination. More powerful illuminators are needed for greater distances, and the narrower the beam the better. Some of the more powerful provide a 6 degree beam, lighting as much as 1300 feet. When using IR illumination, we also need to use a lens rated for IR use.

Since infrared light is not visible to the human eye, IR cameras are popular in covert operations when it is necessary that people not know they are being filmed. In extremely covert operations carried out totally dark or conditions impenetrable by light, we can turn to a particular type of IR cameras, those with thermal imaging capability.

Thermal Imaging Cameras

Thermal imaging cameras, technically known as thermo graphic imaging cameras are able to function when there is absolutely no visible light. Thermal refers to the fact that the sensor incorporated into this type of IR camera is sensitive to temperatures higher than the surrounding environment. Thus it can sense the heat radiating from a person

or animal, and can detect this heat energy through conditions such as smoke, fog or blowing sand that would render a  conventional light-dependent camera useless.

Thermal imagine IR cameras are able to function in these conditions because, if you recall from Light - What It Is, and Isn’t, infra-red light radiates at a lower frequency but its wavelengths are longer. The added length allows it to pass through light obstructing particles, off of which,due to its shorter wavelengths, visible light would bounce. The infra-red light penetrates these obscurants, making it possible for the camera’s thermal imager to detect the found object's radiated heat energy.

Thermal imaging cameras are sometimes referred to as FLIR, for Forward Loading Looking Infra –Red

cameras. The name stems from military operations in which planes are outfitted with this type of camera facing forward.

Thermal imaging applications are also used in police forensic work. In fact it was a thermal imaging device that put an end to the search for the surviving Boston Marathon bomber this month. When the owner of a house discovered fresh blood on a tarp covering the winter-stored boat in his backyard, he alerted police. Using a thermal imager, a specially trained officer detected the outline of a cowering figure, and Boston was able to breathe again.

Since thermal imaging promises to play a vital role in our security, our next entry will look at it in more detail, and explore areas and applications that can benefit from its use.

If you would like more information on any of the cameras discussed here, visit www.kintronics.com or fill out out a request for information form and one of  our sales engineers will respond. Or if you'd prefer, call 914-944-3425 

Light - What it Is, What it Isn't

We have devoted several blogs to exploring the interaction between light and image sensors in IP camera technology.It can be boiled down to four words -  light is a necessity. But what are we to do when light is low or practically non-existent? We turn to Infra-red (I-R) cameras.  As the name suggests, I-R cameras make use of infra-red light which lies just beyond visible light in the electro-magnetic spectrum.

In this post, the first in a series that will cover infra-red and thermal cameras, we will start with an examination of the electromagnetic spectrum, the major portion of which does not register with the human eye.

 Let’s start with the portion we are capable of seeing - visible light.

Like an IP camera’s image sensor, our eyes depend on light. They collect this light from the world around us. Everything we see, we see because it is giving off light waves in one of two ways: direct or indirect. Direct sources of light waves include the sun, lamps, and fire. Light waves get to our eyes indirectly when they bounce off an object such as a mirror, a flower, or a human or non-human animal.

 But just because we’re seeing light waves doesn't mean we’re always seeing them in the same color.

Color depends on the interplay of reflected light with the objects it hits, and our eyes’ response to it. The

visible range of light consists of wavelengths measuring from 400 nano-meters to about 700 nano-meters  The wavelengths at the lower end are perceived as purple, while at the upper ends we see red, and in the middle, all the other colors of the rainbow – orange, yellow, green, and blue.  Remember Roy G. BV - the acronym we learned in school to remember the color spectrum?

  But what explains this variety? Remember, light is a form of radiation and can absorbed or scattered, or reflected, refracted or diffracted. What colors we see depend on how objects interfere with the light. And this, in turn, is dependent on the object’s particular physical make-up.  

A green leaf takes on its color because it absorbs five of the six wavelengths of the visible light spectrum except the one occurring at the 500 nano-meters (green), and reflects only that one so that when we look at it, we see

The same process takes place when we see something red,orange, yellow, blue or violet. But what about white and black?  A white object reflects all wavelengths back, absorbing none, while a black object does just the opposite, absorbing all and reflecting none.

This visible light wave spectrum is but a fraction of the electro-magnetic spectrum. The entire spectrum is composed of gamma rays, x-rays, ultra-violet, visible light, infra-red, microwave, and radio waves. Since all are forms of light, whether they are seen or not, they travel at the same speed – 186,000 miles per second.

They differ from each other in their wavelengths and frequency. If we start at Gamma waves on one end and proceed to radio waves on the other we find that the wavelength increases and the frequency decreases.

But how was infra-red light discovered.?

Back in 1799, William Herschel, the German-born British astronomer responsible for the discovery of Uranus and two of Saturn’s moons, was interested in observing sun spots. To this end, he experimented with light filters.  When using a red filter, he found that a lot of heat was being produced. His curiosity whetted, he used a prism and a thermometer to investigate; the prism to break up the sunlight, and the thermometer to measure the temperature of each color of the refracted light.

He found the temperatures were not uniform. Violet had the coolest temperature, and red, the warmest. But

what surprised him most, was finding it was even warmer beyond the red, in an area he could not see.Further experimentation led him to the conclusion that there must be invisible light beyond the visible spectrum. He came up with the name infra-red for this warm portion just beyond red.

Next entry, we’ll look at Infra-red cameras. how they work, and who needs them.

Until then, here’s a question. You may have a device in your living room that sends out infra-red  light. Do you know what it is?


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If you'd like more information on IP cameras visit www.kintronics.com to fill out this information request form.  Sales engineers are also available at 914-944-3425 to answer your questions.

An IP Camera Can Be a Manager's Best Friend

In our last post, IP Cameras and Customer Service, we explored how IP cameras can allow a department store manager to make shopping a smooth, satisfying experience for his customers. Since IP cameras can be accessed from any network computer, he can  monitor every department from any PC in the store to gather real-time business intelligence. If cashier lines are growing long or shelves bare, he can summon help right then and there.  But did you know these same cameras can be used to train and manage employees?

Orientation

The first day at a new job is often spent in orientation where the new hire is introduced to the ins and outs of the store. After filling out assorted forms and being apprised of particulars like clocking in, breaks and lunch schedules, sick day and time-off policy, the newbie is often assigned to a fellow employee to observe and learn. But using IP cameras can add a valuable step here.

Before going down to shadow at the returns desk, the employee can view actual video to see what will be expected of her.

Reviews

No one likes annual reviews. Employees are nervous and supervisors feel uncomfortable. It's never fun being “under the microscopic”. Although it will never put the annual review on a level with the company picnic, exchanging the “microscope” lens for an IP camera lens might make for a more objective review. A cashier, witnessing her own actions in dealing with a difficult customer on saved video, is less likely to be defensive, and together, she and the supervisor might share a critique ------ or a pat on the back.

Cashier Compliance

Although the major portion of real time store crime  is shoplifting, internal retail loss can occur at the cash register. There are a number of ways a cashier can manipulate the system to steal or grant “favors” to friends or relatives. These can be lumped together under the heading Point of Sale (POS) Exceptions, and a wise manager should be on the look-out.

POS Exceptions

 Manually Entered Values

 When a disproportionate amount of manually-entered values like credit card numbers, article numbers or prices appears in the POS system it can be a sign that a cashier is manipulating the system.

Ghost Returns

 Returns entered when no  item has been surrendered or no customer present can be a way of transferring money from the cash register to the cashier or a friend.

Sweet Hearting 

When a cashier gives unauthorized discounts to a friend, family member or customer it is known as sweet-hearting and can add up to significant loss over time.

Voids

Voiding a sold items after a customer’s purchase can result in a cashier pocketing the surrendered cash.

The proper placement of a HDTV surveillancecamera in the checkout area can identify and isolate such manipulations. And when the IP camera system is integrated with the store’s POS system, it is easy to generate and view exception reports with accompanying high resolution video from any camera on the network. In this way, managers can stay one step ahead when it comes to cutting down on internal loss.

But integrating video with POS systems need not set a Gotcha! climate in a store. The video can be used as a training tool to insure all employees have a common understanding of approved practices. And when there is a perceived situation, archived video can bring clarity to a questionable transaction or situation. In a best case scenario, such a pairing can help create a safe, secure workplace where employees are free of false accusations. 

So when you see the sign,

it doesn't mean only  Shoplifters beware.
But if you are a shoplifter, don’t complain when an IP camera captures you in the act.
Them’s the breaks!

If you'd like to find out more about the AxisM2014 or any other IP cameras, you can visit www.Kintronics.com  or call 914-944-3425 to talk to a Kintronics sales engineer. If you prefer you can fill out a request information form. 

               

  

IP Cameras and Customer Service

Let’s say you walk into your local J.C. Penney's or Target  and you spot a sign,

What comes to mind? If you think "they’re trying to catch shoplifters", the majority of shoppers share your thought. 

And you’re probably right.  99% of retailers purchase IP cameras to prevent and deter shoplifting. And sometimes just the sign is enough to make a teenager intending to pocket a tube of mascara give it a second thought.

But increasingly retailers are adding other duties to an IP camera’s job description. And they all come under the heading………

Customer Service

Wikipedia defines customer service as

 “The provision of service to customers before, during, and after a purchase”

Wise Geek words it this way:

 “Customer Service refers to the practice of providing people with a positive, helpful experience before, during, or after buying something.”

Installing IP cameras aids a store manager in improving her customer’s experience. With the intelligence afforded by a video managementsystem, she can put herself in a customer’s shoes as he travels down every aisle and turns every corner of the store. 

She can monitor the length of the lines at the cashier counters and customer service areas,check for bottlenecks at the escalator, 

even check on the maintenance of  the parking lot on a snowy day. 

Real time viewing will reveal patterns in customer traffic. And like all traffic, foot traffic does not flow uniformly. It can benefit from ………….

Traffic Control

Just as air traffic controllers in their towers rely on radar to keep track of arriving and departing plane , a wise management team utilizes IP cameras to keep abreast of the good, the bad, and the potential for improvement in their store.

Real Time Viewing

·         If the lines at the checkout counter are getting long, additional cashiers can be summoned to open more cash registers.

·       

 When the stock in the electronics department is getting low, a stocker can be alerted to come replenish the shelves.Using real-time viewing allows retailers to keep up on operational details so they can make decisions and improvements based on daily observations. 

Stored video from those same cameras,  on the other hand, can make use of  weekly, monthly or even annual data to determine the effectiveness of those decisions.

Analyzing Stored Video

Video Management Software ( VMS) and stored video.

Using  Video Management Software, such as ONSSI, retail business managers can view multiple cameras, record and retrieve video, and monitor alarms. There is a variety of video management software on the market, each with its own particular capabilities, that users can adapt to their particular specifications. For example, retail managers can study a compilation of day-to-day traffic to determine if their store’s layout needs revamping.

Dwell Time

What area attracts the most customers? Do they pause there? For how long? This is called dwell time. Dwell analysis can be used to measure the results of advertising campaigns. What age group is prevalent? Is it mostly men? 

Is it mostly women? All this information is valuable in determining product placement and the positioning of promotional displays.  

Zone Counter

IP camera management software can automatically count  the number of people who pass through different areas or departments throughout the day. It can keep track of how many people use various check out areas. Analysis of the resulting patterns can aid department heads with personnel scheduling and best allocation of staff throughout the store.

Browsers vs Buyers

People counting can also be used to determine conversion rates. What is the ratio of a day’s total visitors to the number of sales transactions recorded that day. This can also result in changes in displays or product placement to help convert browsers to buyers..

And so next time you see a surveillance camera remember as law-abiding as you are, you may be one its targeted subjects.     

      For more information on IP cameras or Video Management Systems, call Kintronics at 1-800-431-1658 to speak to one of our Sales Engineers or visit our website,  www.kintronics.com . If you prefer you can fill out an information request form and a sales engineer will get back to you.                                                                                          

Dear Mr Banker, Have You Considered an IP Camera?

Dear Mr. Banker,

I’m one of those people who actually bring my paycheck to your bank, to a real live teller every other Friday. And on non-paycheck Fridays, I use your ATM for a withdrawal. Most people I know opt for automatic payroll deposit but I like to see my money come and go.

I thought I was in the minority until I found an article in The Gallup Journal. When Gallup polled U.S. bank customers they found that 94% go to the bank, with 67% visiting at least once a month. Of those, 44% use the ATM at least once a month and 37% several times a month. The article does not go into why less than half use the machines. Perhaps it has to do with ATM fees or the convenience of paying with a debit card. Or maybe they’re just plain scared.

We all know ATM’s pose a threat for being robbed, being unmanned and available round the clock. And then, there’s identity theft to worry about.  In the last post of Kintronics blog by Virginia we delved into the crime of card skimming where criminals use high tech scanners to steal account information when a cardholder swipes his ATM card while a covert captures the keystrokes of his PIN.

Savvy managers like you know that banks need to stay ahead of crime so you can assure your customers they’ll be secure when using your ATM’s. And I’m here to tell you that IP cameras are perfect for round-the-clock monitoring no matter where they are.

in your lobby

 

a standalone

or a drive-thru

Police will tell you that one of the biggest challenges in apprehending ATM crime is coming up with usable video to identify criminals. So, many banks, maybe yours included, have been installing surveillance cameras at their ATM’s for years. But the problem is you’ve been using analog cameras. Analog cameras do not produce the sharply detailed images required for forensic investigations.




 But swapping them out for IP cameras will give you high resolution images that capture even the smallest details, and this will make for accurate identification.

There’s an IP camera to suit every ATM, no matter what its size of shape

• ·         HDTV cameras can give you coverage of the entire ATM with a wide 16:9 format.
• ·         Megapixel cameras can cover a large area that would require several analog cameras.
• ·         Discreet cameras can be concealed in an ATM to capture “face shots.”

IP cameras can overcome the lighting challenges presented by an ATM

• ·         Megapixel IP cameras with Wide Dynamic Range provide superb image quality in bright sunlight, under street illumination, or indoor florescent lighting. Even reflections pose no problem.
• ·         HDTV IP cameras with 720p or 1280x720 resolution and 16:9 wide screen format with back light compensation capture high clarity, detailed video.

There are several quality covert surveillance cameras available that can improve your ATM security but for this post, let’s look at the Axis Communications P-12 series of IP cameras.

Axis P-12 series

Tight spaces limit your choices for concealing a surveillance camera. That’s where covert models such as the flexible pinhole Axis P-1204 and P-1214 come in handy. 

It consists of a small pinhole sensor unit and a separate main unit holding all the intelligence, with a 26 foot cable to connect the two. Such a modular design allows it to fit where a conventional IP camera cannot. 

 So while the sensor unit with its 720p HDTV resolution and 3 mm lens is concealed in the wall of the ATM, the main unit placed inside the bank connects to the network like any conventional IP camera.

photo

Real Time Video

 Since the installation or retrieval of a skimming device can take place in the time it takes to withdraw cash, scoring real time video is of the essence.  Mounted at eye level, the P12 sensor unit with its 3mm lens will capture the criminal’s facial features from a natural angle, producing the perfect “face shot” in vertically-oriented video stream. Voila! The card skimmer is caught in the act, and the 720p HDTV resolution video sent to the police will make for a positive identification.

Bandwidth and Storage Considerations

You’re wondering about getting that video to the police? That’s another area in which IP cameras excel over analog. With an analog camera, someone would have to visit the site of the ATM to retrieve video from the DVR, but since an IP camera is network attached you can access the footage remotely.

Axis Corridor Format is perfect for the narrow areas typical of ATM’s, and the vertically-oriented video requires less bandwidth than landscape formats. So taken along with H.264 compression, you’re trimming your storage needs without compromising image quality. This makes for faster downloads too.

Or if you’d prefer edge storage, both the P1204 and P1214 as well as the P-1214-E with housing come with built-in slots for micro SD and micro SDHC chips. This comes in handy for backup if primary storage fails.

Compliance

What’s that you say? Oh yes, security. Banks do have IT security concerns, don’t they?

The P-12 guarantees IT security with HTTPS encryption and it complies with IEEE.802X standards. So you don’t have to worry about sensitive data being lost or stolen.And when it comes to protecting the privacy of law abiding customers, VMS software can blur facial features.

Well, Mr. Banker I’ll be on my way now, but I’ll leave you with this video link so you check out the

Axis P-12 IP Camera for yourself. 

And if you’d like more information it can be found at www.kintronics.com or you can call and speak to a Kintronics sales engineer at 914-944-3425. Or perhaps you’d prefer filling out an information request form so a sales engineer can contact you with the best solution.

What You Should Know About ATM Card Skimming

How many times have you heard someone say “I never buy anything online?  There’s too much identity theft on the Internet.”? Well, next time someone says that to you, you might want to tell him that he should be safe if he is doing business on a secure website, one whose URL begins with https If there is that s on the end he can be pretty comfortable that he is giving his credit card information to a secure site. 

Then ask him how comfortable he is swiping his debit card at the ATM. If he says "very”, tell him that according to the Secret Service, there were 350,000 cases of ATM fraud in 2008.That sounds like a lot, doesn't it? But wait, I left out two important words – a day. That’s right 350,000 cases a day and, 66% of the instances involved a practice known as card skimming.

Card Skimming

Card skimming is the process where the account information stored on the magnetic stripe of an ATM debit card is illegally copied while the rightful owner is using an ATM machine. The PIN number is obtained at the same time. The account information is then copied to a blank card and the cloned card is used along with the stolen PIN to withdraw money from the victim’s account and/or make unauthorized purchases. Creative skimmers devised a scheme to upload the information onto blank gift cards so as to avoid merchant suspicion.

The cost of card skimming is not confined to cardholders. The Secret Service, in another report estimates banks lose over $1 billion dollars annually to ATM skimming. And the problem is growing; the number of cases banks reported to the Secret Service from 2008 to 2010 grew by 10% a year. And if you combine ATM skimming with the skimming of credit cards at points of purchase, the Secret Service estimates that card fraud costs individuals and businesses over $8 billion annually.

At the ATM

In preparation, a skimming criminal needs to install two pieces of equipment at the ATM site:

·         a card skimmer

·         a pinhole camera

Card Skimmer

Card skimmers are sophisticated scanners that contain a magnetic stripe reader to extract the information stored on the stripe each time an unsuspecting cardholder swipes his card.  Some skimmers can hold as many as 2,000 swipes.

By the very nature of the beast, a skimmer must blend in with the legitimate card scanner. Most are made of molded plastic or metal manufactured to the same texture and color as the sponsoring bank’s decor, and placed over the bank’s equipment at the mouth of the card slot. There is a whole international Internet community devoted to counterfeit equipment bearing the logo of major ATM manufacturers like Diebold and NCR.

Most skimmers incorporate flash memory to store the stolen data. And here’s where the criminals get even more inventive. Rather than risk coming back to retrieve the memory, some have installed a 3G transmitter to relay the information over a cellular network in batches  Others send an SMS text to the criminal’s cellphone to notify him each time a card is swiped.  Keeping up with technology, some crooks are using blue-tooth- enabled skimmers to download the account info in real-time. And in order to avoid a worst case scenario, some have gone as far as equipping their skimmers with an alarm that can alert them if the device is removed so they can download the information immediately.

PIN-Purloining Pinhole Cameras

Account information without a personal identification number (PIN) is of no use to skimming criminals since there would be no way to access the account.  So they have installed covert cameras to hover over the ATM’s  keypad to capture the PIN as the cardholder enters it.

Since the key here is to make the cameras invisible, the smallest of pinhole cameras are the instruments of choice. Some are embedded in false overlays made to blend in with the ATM’s structure. If there is a brochure rack or deposit slips adjacent to the ATM, all the better as it makes for a convenient hiding spot. Sophisticated crooks use cameras attached to the skimmer allowing it to be activated each time a card is swiped.

Keypad Overlay

Another method of stealing a PIN is to attach a keypad overlay. The overlay itself is very thin and similar in feel to the keys and fits inside a dummy metal frame custom made for the ATM model. When a cardholder types in her PIN, the fake key depresses the real key and the ATM responds as usual. The only difference is that each key press has been stored on a local memory chip along with a time stamp.

$$$ - Bank Theft vs Card Skimmers

Although the general public is accustomed to hearing of bank robberies on the news or watching movies centered around them, card-skimming is relatively unknown.  Yet it dwarfs robbery in loss. The American Bankers Association puts the average amount yielded to a bank robber at $5,000, in what is usually a one-time occurrence.
Card-skimming, on the other hand is clandestine and accumulative.  Once installed, a skimmer will stay in place until it is physically detected or until a bank traces customers reports of criminal activity and traces it back to a particular ATM.  According to the same ABA spokesman, one skimmer can net a criminal an average of $50,000.

Surveillance Measures:  IP Cameras vs. Analog

So what can banks do? Faced with the fact that a skilled criminal can attach a skimmer in the time that it takes to make a withdrawal, banks are installing surveillance cameras in their lobbies and standalone ATM kiosks in hopes of catching him in the act. However if a bank installs analog cameras, the resolution of the resulting video can lack sufficient clarity for positive identification .

Using a high resolution IP camera would definitely improve the chances of a positive identification that would hold up in court.

Forensic analysis can be slow, difficult and costly when the camera is analog since the recorded video is stored on site to a local DVR. Remember – analog cameras are shackled by coaxial cable so a trip to remote locations must be made to retrieve needed footage.

But switch to an IP camera and the stored video is  easily accessible and can ready to share due to its being network attached.

Now that we know about card-skimming, our next post will explore an IP camera solution that can attack the growing problem.

Personal Precautions

Meanwhile, here are some tips to keep you from becoming a victim of skimming.

•         Do not use an ATM if there is any extraneous equipment nearby or it somehow looks different.
•          Before fully inserting your ATM card, wiggle the entry point to see if it’s been tampered with.
•          Cover your hand and the keypad when entering your PIN.
•          Immediately eject your card if the keys are not concave or feel stiff.
•          Do not use if people are hanging around.
•          Monitor your account online daily and your bank statements monthly

And to sum it all up - Be Suspicious.

If you'd like more information about IP cameras, you can visit http://www.kintronics.com/neteye/neteye.html  or call Kintronics at 914-944-3425 to speak to a sales engineer. Or if you prefer,just fill out an information request form.