Re: Video Surveillance Requirements

["Drews, Jane E" <jane-drews () UIOWA EDU>]

Ed,
We developed a Video Surveillance guideline document that is specific to our central IT organization, because we could 
not find a lot of guidance for questions we had.  Our committee considered things such as whether the video was passive 
(non-recorded) or recorded (perhaps for law enforcement or policy violation purposes), its directionality, signage 
requirements, access control (who can view the video, how long its retained, and the process for requesting), and 
whether video was to be in a normally "occupied/staffed" area.  There are employee and others' privacy considerations 
to think through.   We also prohibit capturing audio, except on individual basis when there is consent.  Instructional 
content was not considered to be within scope.   I recommend you consult with your institution's counsel and perhaps 
law enforcement.

Non-recorded "webcam" video is typically more open & perhaps public viewable - ie  at a construction site, where you 
are not monitoring workers but rather "progress," or aimed at a place to see the current weather.  But this is 
typically not high enough quality to identify individuals.

For security reasons we often point cameras at entrances (ie at a data center door)  to record who enters/leaves, but 
not to monitor people's activity once inside.  If there are people involved I'm thinking you need to have prominent 
signage to warn that they are being monitored.

Jane Drews
Univ of Iowa

From: The EDUCAUSE Security Constituent Group Listserv [mailto:SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU] On Behalf Of Hudson, 
Edward
Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2010 10:58 AM
To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU
Subject: [SECURITY] Video Surveillance Requirements

(Apologies for cross posting)
Our campus has a new student recreation center, run by our Associated Students.  The building has many surveillance 
cameras --  in the weight room, exercise class rooms, cardio room, outside the locker room, etc.  Currently the 
facility has NO sign on the front door indicating that the building is under video surveillance.

The AS is now interested in putting two of the video feeds on their public website so that students can check to see 
how busy the facility is, before they head over to work out.   The images are still (taken every 3 seconds) and only 
about 2 inches square.  However, if you look at the source code for the page you can navigate to the two cameras and 
zoom in on the images. The website is open to the public at large, not just the campus community.

We feel that having the images available to the public could raise privacy concerns and represents a personal security 
risk.  You could effectively monitor the comings and goings of individuals or simply 'watch' when they are exercising.  
We do not currently have a policy related to video surveillance, but think one is needed.  What issues do you think 
this situation presents?  Has anyone faced a similar situation? We have been told that there are legal requirements for 
signage however coming up short on an actual citation in that regard.
TIA


Ed Hudson, CISM
Information Security Office
California State University, Chico
www.csuchico.edu/ires/security<http://www.csuchico.edu/ires/security>
Office: (530) 898-6307
Cell: 707-799-3250
ewhudson () csuchico edu