Years ago, while watching one of the ‘Mission Impossible’ movies, I recall commenting about the apparent ease with which the lead character (played by Tom Cruise) and his team managed to map out the entire security grid of a building into which they wanted to enter. My thoughts went along the lines of, ‘Oh, yeh, right, as if anyone can find out the entire network of each security sensor.’

I now eat my words. Thanks to the sparkie who installed these cameras, the entire camera system can be taken out, and also manipulated. All that is required is to find an open door — whether it be a physical one or an electronic one, accessible via cyberspace. Imagine an more horrifying thought: what if the same logic used for the car-park is also used for the gaming floor, or the back room network. If that were the case, and it’s highly likely, we graduate from 007 and Mission Impossible, all the way to Oceans Eleven, where the team was able to hack into the cameras of the casino nerve centre. You would not believe the number of high-end institutions who install million-dollar security systems yet fail to re-set the codes beyond the defaults. Do you want to know how many people’s luggage has the factory-default code of 000? The same laziness exists at banks and government departments. The more grand the establishment, the more lazy and presumptuous its staff who are lulled into a sense of grand security. The more show and pomp that surrounds a priceless painting or rare diamond, the more likely for there to be security flaws, simply because each manger presumes two things: 1) We have such sophisticated systems that we seem to be well protected, and 2) All these lights and codes and sensors must scare anyone from even contemplating a heist.

Study the great robberies and the most daring of escapes, and you will see that the grandest of all were often executed right under the nose of the custodians of the most sophisticated systems. The bigger they are, the more easily they can be tripped.

P.S. I had mentioned to a client who had similar camera casings that they ought to plug the holes. Sadly, this is what they did. No doubt you can spot the mistake. Anyone with a simple wrench can unscrew the black plugs. This might deter the passing vandal, but it does nothing to protect the establishment. It’s exhausting tring to get people to think for themselves. It’s disheartening when those people carry a professional title of ‘Security Manager’.

Unfortunately, the control panel is within easy reach. Any customer can press any of the buttons to pause or stop the recording. A sophisticated criminal could take the whole unit and run. However, the purpose of this entry is not so much to show you the stupidity of the location of the control unit, but the absurdity of the yellow Post-It note placed on the side of the TV. Guess what it’s there for. It outlines the step-by-step instructions on how to turn the system on and off.

This means that anyone who does not even know how to use these recording devices can follow the simple instructions, courtesy of the owner. The man is smart enough to run a large business, yet he is not bright enough to think like a criminal. If you want to satisfy your customers, you have to know what matters to them. If you want to delight your partner, you must learn to see life and love from their perspective. Similarly, if you are trying to outsmart criminals and thieves, you have to think like they think. This story shows that even smart business operators who can run a complex retail enterprise, are lacking in so many other areas. Here, it is blatantly obvious that they have no idea about security. Pilferage and shrinkage represents the bulk of all a store’s losses. If something so important can be so neglected, imagine how much more other areas of the business might be overlooked, including marketing, finance, merchandising, staff management, planning, stock control, pricing, cash flow, banking, insurance, and a host of other areas in which the owner might be just as lacking in skill and attention. One major weakness points to other potential weaknesses.

The location of cameras has fascinated me for years. Now, something new is attracting my attention: the placement of the security recording console. This photo was taken inside a hamburger restaurant. They make excellent food. I dine there when passing through Auckland, New Zealand. The place came under new management, and all of a sudden, they installed security cameras. I did not ask them why. Perhaps their insurance company required it.

What amazed me was that for many months, the control unit was placed on a bench where patrons would sit to dine. Those who ordered coffee or a kebab would sit at this bench, on which a range of magazines and newspapers are placed for customers to enjoy. And as you can see, right there, in full view and within easy reach, is the control centre. This stack is the unit that controls all the camera inputs, and which records the activity of the day.

I placed my order and took this photo. One of the staff became agitated. ‘Why are you taking photos of it?’ asked one man, somewhat concerned at my actions. I replied, ‘I find this absolutely stupid, and I give lectures about security, so I wanted to show my class.’ They did not understand what was so stupid about having the control centre within reach of any would-be thief.

A few months later I noticed that they had built a shelf, and raised the equipment high up. Well done. But I was still unhappy about its location. I took more photos, and they were still curious. I explained that an intruder who would gladly pull a knife of carry a gun, would have no hesitation in reaching up and turning the system off either by reaching high, or turning the whole thing off from the electricity switch lower down the wall. Thieves have been known to take the whole recording system with them so as to destroy any evidence.

My warning must have played on their mind. As a result, six months later, they covered the unit with a white tablecloth. When the man saw me enter the store, he must have remembered something about the system, so he hurried to fiddle with the switches. Perhaps my presence reminded him that he had not turned it on that day. He did not escape my eagle lens.

They are improving slowly. I expect that by my next visit, they would have built a cabinet for it, and taken it well away from public view. Here’s hoping.