Alarm System Office

[gabrieldriscoll]

Hi, I’m a student in a university in New South Wales, Australia and we were asked to compare an alarm system from a security system. Because of that homework, I was unable to understand the difference between security systems and Alarm Systems. I mean, they are used for the purpose of alerting you whenever an intruder is detected. So why are there so many varieties of security and alarm systems? How can we justify that an alarm system is way better than a security system? Why do some people prefer installing an alarm system over the other, and vice versa? If you are to choose from them, which will you choose?

 

[manofchalk]

Just saying, no formal education on the topic beyond what I have learnt in high school IT class', whatever I say could be completely wrong.

A security system would be something that immediately prevents an intruder from gaining access, regardless of what it is being protected. Two types of security, physical and digital. Physical is pretty self-explanatory, locks on the doors, tall fences, bars on the window, that kind of thing. Digital would be Username/Passwords on any computers, firewalls and encrypting sensitive data. These measures literally stop whoever is trying to gain access to the data being protected.
Alarm system sounds more like something that would alert an outside authority (police, private security) to the intrusion and they would deal with the problem. Equipment for this would be camera's, motion detectors and all that. On the software end you could also have network monitoring to see of any computers are doing anything they shouldn't or are on when it shouldn't be etc.

The main difference between the two I see would be cost, a small business probably doesn't have the capital to properly secure their data/premises so they would instead install an alarm system that warns whatever security contractor when something is happening. Over the long-term it might end up costing more than a security system, but that requires a massive initial investment and the expertise to get it done.

 

[4Ryan6]

Hi, I’m a student in a university in New South Wales, Australia and we were asked to compare an alarm system from a security system. Because of that homework, I was unable to understand the difference between security systems and Alarm Systems. I mean, they are used for the purpose of alerting you whenever an intruder is detected. So why are there so many varieties of security and alarm systems? How can we justify that an alarm system is way better than a security system? Why do some people prefer installing an alarm system over the other, and vice versa? If you are to choose from them, which will you choose?

First of all this is posted in the wrong section but seeing as how I have 3 alarm systems on my home and 360 security camera coverage I think I can answer this for you.

Really and truly alarm systems and security systems are actually the same thing, the difference between each is the system monitored by an outside source, outside monitoring for the longest time was done by hard line telephone connection line, which is totally useless if the outside phone line is cut, you have zero monitoring.

The only true protection monitoring wise is cell phone monitoring because they cannot cut that but they can Jam it, so nothing is actually an infallible protection, anything can be broken into or gotten around, don't ever forget that.

We live out in the country and our nearest neighbor is approximately 1/4 mile away, fastest law enforcement response is 30 minutes away, so we have non paid monitored alarm systems on our home with sirens, the alarms are to alert us, from that point if I am at home, my security is a 12ga pump shotgun, if not at home we call the Sheriffs Department!

The cameras are equipped with night vision and motion detection and record all movement, the camera system is all hard wired and the wires are sealed in metal enclosures so you cannot cut the wires, we can monitor the entire setup from a smart phone and call the Sheriffs department if a breach is detected.

So we monitor it ourselves, and if you have the ability to monitor your system yourself why would you pay an outside source to do it, the response time will be the same!

The most important thing regarding your question is whether any security or alarm system is monitored as an additional paid service or not, and how it is monitored, because phone lines can be cut, so a monitored hard line phone connection is useless, it would have to be cell phone monitored and even then you'd have to have excellent full time cell phone area coverage.

Basically a truly in home simple dedicated Alarm system with it's own alarm sirens has no outside monitoring at all but some of the more expensive systems can be programmed to call out to phone numbers of your choice with a pre-recorded message, if the perimeter is breached. But once again most all of those use a phone hard line, which is useless when the line is cut, but some do have an alternate option to automatically set off the system if the outside line is cut, so you at least still have the onsite alarms activated.

Most paid monthly monitored security systems are actually giving the customer a false sense of security with the advertising based on fear to entice the customer to choose their service, and those that only monitor through a phone hard line is useless, even if they provide a steel enclosure to protect your phone connection at your home the line can still be cut down the road.

Here's where the customer needs to educate themselves past the fear advertising and concern, the paid monitoring is actually useless, if it can be either severed or signal jammed, at that point only the on site sirens alert to any intrusion.

Hope this helps!