A camera system can work perfectly on the day it is installed and still be the weakest point on your network. The difference is in the handover: what the installer changed, what they wrote down and who they gave it to. Here is what to ask for before anyone packs up their tools.
The devices
1. No factory passwords. Every camera, recorder and switch ships with a default account. Ask to see that each one has been removed or changed, and that no two devices share a password.
2. Current firmware. Devices often sit in a warehouse for months. Ask which version each one runs and whether it was updated at install.
3. Remote viewing through an encrypted link. If you can watch the cameras from your phone, ask how. A recorder opened directly to the internet is an invitation; a VPN or the maker’s encrypted service is not.
The network
4. Cameras on their own network. Cameras should not share a network with guest Wi-Fi or staff laptops. Ask which network they sit on and what else can reach them.
5. Unused ports switched off. An empty socket in a meeting room is a way onto your network for anyone with a cable. Ask for unused switch ports to be disabled.
6. Every cable labelled. If nobody can trace a cable, nobody will notice the one that should not be there. Ask for labels at both ends.
The paperwork
7. A port map. A drawing or a table showing which cable goes to which port, and what is plugged in at the other end.
8. A device register. One line per device: what it is, where it is, which network it sits on, what firmware it runs.
9. Credentials handed to a named person. Passwords belong in a sealed envelope or a password manager, given to someone you choose. Not on a sticky note in the rack.
10. How long footage is kept. Footage of people is personal data under the Data Protection and Privacy Act 2019. Agree how long recordings are kept, who may view them, and make sure the recorder deletes them on schedule. A plain summary to help you plan, not legal advice.
If your system is already in
You can ask for all of this after the fact. If your installer has gone, we can assess the system you have, fix what we find and hand over the records.