Start with access and accountability

An office security plan should identify the business problem before choosing equipment. You might need to understand who entered reception after hours, review access to a stock room or investigate a delivery handover. These purposes do not automatically require cameras over every desk.

Map entrances, reception, common circulation, equipment storage and any restricted rooms. Decide which events need an overview and where a recognisable or identifiable person is necessary. Consider mounting height, approach direction and daylight from glazing. A high-resolution camera aimed at the top of someone’s head may still be poor evidence.

Think about access control and cameras separately

An access-control record can show use of a credential; a camera can show an event in the scene. Neither automatically proves that the authorised person used the credential. If the purpose needs both records, ask the supplier what integration and clock synchronisation are needed.

For doors, record the physical door type, current locking arrangement, entry method, authorised groups, visitor access and who approves changes. Safe exit, fire interfaces and lawful installation require appropriate professional assessment. A camera questionnaire is not a door-compliance design.

Keep the network understandable

List fixed equipment, staff Wi-Fi, guest access, cameras and any recorder. Decide which traffic should remain separate and how authorised users reach the video system. A separate guest network should be tested for isolation, not merely given a different name.

Local recording and internet access are different dependencies. Losing internet may stop remote viewing while local recording continues, depending on the design. Losing power to the switch may stop several cameras together. Ask the supplier to identify the failure paths and explain which equipment any backup power supports.

Use a modest system with an explicit reserve

As a planning example, an office starting with six cameras may prefer a recorder with room for additional positions. But spare channel count is only one expansion check: incoming bandwidth, PoE budget, supported storage and playback capacity also matter. Paying for many unused channels without a realistic expansion need may be poor value.

At an illustrative 4 Mbps per camera, six continuously recorded cameras produce about 7.776 decimal TB over 30 days. Motion assumptions, metadata and usable capacity can change the installed requirement. Run the storage tool with your actual proposed settings rather than choosing a disk solely from the package name.

Plan permissions and staff changes

  • Give authorised people individual access where supported.
  • Identify who owns the primary administrator and recovery process.
  • Restrict export rights and decide how incidents are logged.
  • Remove access when a staff member’s role changes or they leave.
  • Document retention and review who can view footage.

Consult appropriate advisers about privacy and staff monitoring before installation. The relevant obligations depend on the organisation, location, purpose and features such as audio. The OAIC security-camera guidance is a useful starting point, not site-specific legal approval.

What a useful quotation includes

Expect exact equipment identifiers, lens choices, mounting hardware, storage, licensing where applicable and commissioning tasks. Installation work should identify cable routes, access restrictions, permitted hours and making-good exclusions. Require a handover that covers viewing, incident export, recovery and support contacts.

Build the next step

Use the office checklist for accounts and connectivity, and the camera planner for evidence goals. Request equipment options or an installation availability check when the brief is ready. BoxFreeIT and Security Wholesalers share ownership; installation requests may be handled by the related Serious Security team. Final scope and availability are confirmed separately.