Intrusion Detection: A Complete Guide

6.13.24 – SSI

We explore intrusion detection as a means of guarding against potentially malicious intruders and avoiding suspicious cyber activity.

The proliferation of Ring security cameras — and the spike in people spending every moment when they’re away from their homes monitoring every movement that goes on within a 10-mile radius — shows that interest in intrusion detection is exploding by the day.

We’ve rounded up all the critical resources to help security system integrators excel in this growing segment of the industry. We know you’ll find something useful here, and we hope you’ll come back often to see what we’ve added since your last visit.

This guide will cover the following topics:

Intrusion Detection: What Is It?

Because homeowners and business owners need to be aware of bad-intentioned intruders who might want to do harm to life or property, IDSs have become more a part of everyday life.

That includes inside the home, at work and otherwise in public, whether that’s at restaurants, shopping centers, hotels, sports stadiums, concert venue or elsewhere.

Adobe Stock image by Ян Заболотний

Growth of the Intrusion Detection Market

We can’t say if the forecast for the perimeter intrusion detection systems market reaching $21.3 billion in 2023 came true, but we do know that intrusion prevention systems remain big business for physical security integrators looking to help customers protect themselves, the products they sell and the equipment they use to make it.

Of course, intrusion detection systems are also important for homeowners looking to make sure their properties aren’t burglarized when they’re not there. Monitoring Matters columnist Peter Giacalone recently highlighted the emergence of presence detection in smart homes.

Role of Radar, Thermal Imaging and Drones

Magos America general manager Yaron Zussman looked at why many customers were inadvertently neglecting to use radar in their perimeter security plans, while also emphasizing how doing so could really enhance their protection.

Drones have become a key element of intrusion detection systems, Dedrone chief marketing officer Mary-Lou Smulders wrote. They can sometimes become security threats, though, according to Leo McCloskey, vice president of marketing for Echodyne.

Former SSI editor-in-chief and associate publisher Scott Goldfine talked to drone provider DSLRPros about its partnership with FLIR, which helped it become a leader in thermal imaging-capable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

John Distelzweig, general manager and vice president of security for FLIR Systems, looked at how thermal imaging can combat false alarms in IDS.

Adobe Stock image by 35microstock

Steps Toward Improving Your IDS Protocols

Ken Dunlap, the founder and managing partner of Catalyst-Go, wrote about developing a security plan for a sensitive venue or major event that could protect against the threat of drones invading the space.

Stanley Security regional sales manager Eric Talley outlined five steps to protecting outdoor assets using intrusion detection systems.

Pairing thermal cameras and radar can serve as a nice perimeter intrusion detection system, says Daniel Gundlach, vice president and general manager of security at FLIR Systems.

Meanwhile, Keri Systems’ technical sales representative, Bob Stosse, outlined how to protect campuses with perimeter security.

The History and Future of Intrusion Detection

Of course, intrusion detection is nothing new. Former Tech Talk columnist Bob Dolph looked at PHP intrusion detection systems, network intrusion detection systems, intrusion detection software and smart intrusion detection systems, among other related topics, way back in 2015.

More recently, Crestron Electronics senior content writer Ed Wenck highlighted the way security system providers can benefit from partnering with smart home integrators.

Top IDS Brands

Here’s a look at some of the top thermal camera brands on the market today, as well as the leading manufacturers of drones, gunshot detection systems and radar technology, all of which enhance the intrusion detection process in different ways.

Adobe Stock image by Leon

Intrusion Detection in Cybersecurity

On the cybersecurity side of the intrusion detection spectrum, IBM defines an IDS as “a network security tool that monitors network traffic and devices for known malicious activity, suspicious activity or security policy violations.”

An IDS “can help accelerate and automate network threat detection by alerting security administrators to known or potential threats, or by sending alerts to a centralized security tool,” according to the multinational technology company.

A centralized security tool such as a security information and event management (SIEM) system can combine data from other sources to help security teams identify and respond to cyberthreats that might slip by other security measures.

IDSs can also support compliance efforts. Certain regulations, such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), require organizations to implement intrusion detection measures.

An IDS cannot stop security threats on its own. Today IDS capabilities are typically integrated with—or incorporated into—intrusion prevention systems (IPSs), which can detect security threats and automatically act to prevent them.