Guidelines 03/2019 on processing of personal data through video devices

Section 9.1  Overview of video surveillance system

124. A video surveillance system (VSS) consists of analogue and digital devices as well as software for the purpose of capturing images of a scene, handling the images and displaying them to an operator. Its components are grouped into the following categories (3 x):

• 1 Video environment: image capture, interconnections and image handling:

•  o the purpose of image capture is the generation of an image of the real world in such format that it can be used by the rest of the system,

•   o interconnections describe all transmission of data within the video environment, i.e. connections and communications. Examples of connections are cables, digital networks, and wireless transmissions. Communications describe all video and control data signals, which could be digital or analogue,

•   o image handling includes analysis, storage and presentation of an image or a sequence of images.

• 2 From the system management perspective, a VSS has the following logical functions:

•   o data management and activity management, which includes handling operator commands and system generated activities (alarm procedures, alerting operators),

•   o interfaces to other systems might include connection to other security (access control, fire alarm) and non-security systems (building management systems, automatic license plate recognition).

• 3 VSS security consists of system and data confidentiality, integrity and availability:

•   o system security includes physical security of all system components and control of access to the VSS,

•   o data security includes prevention of loss or manipulation of data.

125 Figure 1-video surveillance system