Secure Camera Video Push via Cloud Mediator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current monitoring of camera and video streams is insecure and vulnerable to attacks, particularly in security-sensitive environments, where external security companies need to access local networks, compromising security and leading to issues like unauthorized access and false alarm events.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that provides secure access to cameras and video streams by using a video pusher to establish a persistent data connection with a signaling server behind a firewall, processing and transmitting video data securely, and utilizing protocols like MQTT for communication, without requiring port mapping or VPN terminations, allowing remote video viewing while maintaining network security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If external security companies access local networks to monitor surveillance cameras, then remote monitoring capability is improved, but network security is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cloud-based video streaming server as an intermediary between the local network and external security companies. The video pusher on the local network side pushes video streams to the cloud server, which then distributes them to remote clients. This eliminates the need for external access to the local network while enabling remote monitoring functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of allowing external systems to pull video streams from the local network (which requires firewall openings and VPN connections), the patent inverts the approach by having the local network push video streams to external cloud servers. This reversal maintains network security while achieving the same remote monitoring goal.
2Ease of operation
If port mapping and VPN terminations are implemented to allow external access, then remote viewing is enabled, but device complexity and security vulnerabilities increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cloud-based video streaming server acts as a mediator that handles all external communications. The video pusher only needs to establish simple outbound connections to the cloud server, avoiding complex firewall configurations, port mapping, and VPN terminations that would otherwise be required for direct external access.
3Ease of operation
If surveillance camera source IP addresses are transmitted externally, then remote access is achieved, but unauthorized access risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cloud-based video streaming server serves as an intermediary that receives video streams from the video pusher and distributes them to authorized remote clients. The source IP addresses of surveillance cameras remain confined to the local network and are never exposed to external systems, eliminating the security risk of transmitting sensitive network information externally while still enabling remote access functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments include a system, method, and computer program product that enable secure access to cameras in smart buildings. Some embodiments control outbound video from an environment such as a local network through an intelligent on-event video pushing mechanism. The local intelligent on-event video pushing mechanism hides the IP address of a source video camera, transcodes the video to a reduced size for wide area distribution, and pushes video to a recipient upon an event triggered received within the local environment (e.g., the local network.) Embodiments enable a remote video client on the far-side of the local network firewall to view the video streams of cameras on the near-side of the local network firewall when an event or trigger occurs.