Intelligent CISO Issue 21 | Page 60

Axis donation gives orphanage peace of mind Axis Communications has donated a fully networked and functional system for GCF ccording to the South African Child Gauge Report of 2018, millions of South Africa’s children are still hungry, 40% have had multiple experiences of violence in their homes, schools and communities, and over four million children don’t live with either biological parent. A The statistics are dire, but there is a beacon of hope for these children through organisations such as Give a Child a Family (GCF). Based in Kwa-Zulu Natal in South Africa, the organisation is a child protection organisation promoting the rights and wellbeing of children and works to the belief that children have the right to grow up in a family. Some of the children have been removed from very abusive homes and are kept in the sanctuary of GCF which is part of the reason the organisation required the assistance of a robust network of cameras that could provide onsite 60 and remote surveillance, security and oversight of its environment. It is with this that Axis communications stepped up to the plate and donated a fully networked and functional system for GCF. “The biggest need we had is that we provide the children in our care protection,” said Charmaine Wagenaar, Director Support Services at GCF. “As a place of safety, there are always external risks that threaten this sanctity, such as parents who have been denied access to their children who come and try to snatch the children back. Secondly, our property had been subject to crime, where people were breaching our perimeter. Thirdly we needed accountability among our staff, so that they were aware that they were being watched and to give them the assurance that we had evidence of potential incidents in the environment, so we could protect them if needed. You could say that Axis came to our rescue with their donation.” The diverse requirements of GCF were met by Axis with a donation of 15 cameras, that included indoor and outdoor units as well as cameras with audio so that incidents could be recorded in their entirety, monitors, cabling and switches. A team from Axis did the initial visits to the property, identified the needs of GCF and then appointed partner 3 Core Electrical to assist with the installation. Using a combination of newer cameras as well as encoders, the team was also able to provide smart features to legacy equipment. Cameras were placed at all the entrances and allow for both number plate and facial recognition. It now also boasts low light capabilities with the Axis Lightfinder technology. This provides the GCF team much needed ‘eyes at night’. Cameras donated include the Axis P3215-VE Network Cameras, Axis P1354 Network Cameras, Axis M3004-V Fixed Dome Network Camera for indoors and Axis P3225-LVE Network Cameras optimised for forensic video. The system is fully networked and includes an upgraded server to host the video footage on for an extended period. The new server placed on site can store more than 60 days of recordings, allowing the team to retain footage for investigative purposes. The system also supports remote login and management capabilities from a mobile phone, and GCF’s global funders based in Sweden, can access the environment at any given point to monitor the environment. u Technology helps accountability Issue 21 | www.intelligentciso.com