Perimeter security systems are vital for protecting critical infrastructure such as airports, seaports, oil and gas facilities, defence compounds, and much more. Yet despite the importance of these systems, we commonly see organisations being let down by inefficient or unreliable solutions. The perimeter security landscape needs to change; organisations need reliable, cost-effective solutions that enhance perimeter security without causing additional issues such as false alarms, continuous breakdowns, or even missed threats.
At Bandweaver Technology, we’re making that change. Our cutting-edge fiber optic sensing solutions are designed to transform perimeter security, taking it from outdated, inefficient practices to new and improved solutions that keep organisations and their infrastructure safe. Step into the future of perimeter security and discover the unlimited potential of fiber optic sensing technology in this blog post.
False alarms & missed threats
Where security breaches are evolving, becoming more intelligent, more common and more devastating, perimeter security systems are failing to keep up. A common problem we’ve seen with several outdated systems is the frequency of false alarms; these waste both time and money as security teams must spend hours investigating harmless events such as animals, weather, or moving vegetation.
Traditional perimeter security systems like CCTV cameras, motion sensors, and fence-mounted sensors struggle with a range of problems. Blind spots are a frequent occurrence with these systems, limiting coverage areas to allow intruders to avoid detection if they can locate these blind spots. When used outdoors for perimeter security, these systems are susceptible to environmental interference from fog, rain, snow, and even bright sunlight, all of which affect reliability. One of the most significant issues with these systems is the delayed response times, that allow intruders to cause more damage. In high-security environments in particular, such as airports, ports, and oil refineries, just one delayed response could lead to catastrophic consequences.
What if your security system could think smarter?
Imagine the benefits of a system that can distinguish between threats, detecting if an event is an intruder climbing a fence or a stray animal, if a vehicle is approaching or if it’s just a strong wind, if it’s digging activity or normal vibrations. What if your system could even pinpoint the exact location of an intrusion, even miles away around the perimeter?
Fiber optic perimeter intrusion detection
Fiber optic sensing like our ZoneSentry, FenceSentry, and DualSentry systems revolutionises perimeter security. These systems use distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) technology to detect unusual or malicious vibrations as a result of an intrusion, monitoring the entire perimeter in real time with no blind spots. Fiber optic systems can be tailored to each application, allowing users to configure the system to account for environmental elements while still detecting real threats, reducing the likelihood of false alarms.
Owing to its design, fiber optic security systems will work in all conditions, no matter how extreme, as the system withstands fog, rain, darkness, or electromagnetic interference. This makes fiber optics the ideal solution for perimeter security in areas facing extreme weather conditions or remote locations. Yet the system’s durability doesn’t hinder its efficiency; fiber optic cables act as highly sensitive acoustic sensors, detecting vibrations along the perimeter and listening for specific patterns to distinguish which vibrations are caused by a threat. Using these vibrations, the system can identify an intruder climbing a fence, unaccounted-for vehicles approaching, or digging activity that indicates an attempted underground intrusion or damage to underground assets such as oil and gas pipelines or water supply. Intrusions are detected in real-time to allow for prompt response and are located at the precise point of the intrusion to allow organisations to head right to the source of an intrusion.
Why fiber optic sensing is a game-changer
The flaws of traditional security methods are common knowledge, not only to those providing or using the system but also to criminals and intruders as well, making them more vulnerable.
Alternatively, fiber optic-based perimeter intrusion detection offers users a wide array of benefits such as minimal false alarms, using intelligent configurations to filter out false alarms whilst still detecting real threats to allow security teams to respond promptly. Organisations also benefit greatly from 360-degree, real-time coverage with no blind spots, as fiber optic cables monitor the entire length of the perimeter simultaneously, making it the perfect solution for large or remote sites where physical security is difficult to extend across the entire perimeter.
The robustness of our fiber optic systems allows for all-weather, all-conditions protection as the sensing cables operate unaffected by rain, snow, fog, total darkness, and extreme temperatures as there is no reliance on cameras or motion detectors. This also means fiber optic is immune to electromagnetic interference, which makes it ideal for applications such as substations or industrial sites. For large perimeters, fiber optics is incredibly cost-effective. Just one fiber optic cable is able to cover tens or even hundreds of kilometres without requiring any active electronics or additional hardware along the perimeter. This means that the larger the site, the cheaper fiber optic is, with just one operator covering a vast area, making the cost per square meter lower as the coverage increases. Fiber optic is also low maintenance compared to security cameras and motion detectors, which can become damaged easily.
These factors make fiber optic sensing systems ideal for high-security industries such as airports and seaports to detect unauthorised access across vast areas, data centres, and substations to protect critical infrastructure from intrusions and sabotage, and oil and gas facilities to secure remote pipelines and refineries.
Smarter security for a safer future
Why waste your time and money on ineffective, costly, unreliable systems?
It’s time for a change; if your current system triggers too many false alarms, requires continuous maintenance just to keep running, or, most importantly, misses real threats, then it’s time you upgraded to fiber optic. At Bandweaver, we offer a range of intelligent, highly effective fiber optic sensing solutions specifically designed for high performance and continuous monitoring even in the toughest environments. No blind spots, no delayed responses, just simple, effective monitoring to keep businesses and their assets secure.
Ready to invest in the future of perimeter security?
Learn more about our cutting-edge fiber optic sensing systems and the vital role they play in securing organisations perimeters here.