A Guide to the Different Types of Security Systems for Business

Verified business security isn’t optional - it’s essential. Crime, vandalism, fire, and internal theft are constant threats, and outdated or piecemeal security systems leave your business vulnerable.

Police don’t respond to unverified motion sensor alarms, making many traditional systems practically useless. The solution? A fully integrated, verified security system that stops criminals in their tracks and ensures emergency responders take immediate action. 

Layered security is the best way to protect your business fully. That means combining different types of security solutions, each playing a vital role, to create a foolproof defence against criminals.

With that in mind, let’s break down the different security systems available to your business, their strengths and weaknesses, and why true protection requires the ability to integrate different technologies.

Types of Security Systems for Businesses

1. CCTV Cameras and Motion Sensor Alarms

CCTV cameras provide video surveillance, while motion sensor alarms detect movement and trigger alerts. Many businesses use these as their primary security measures, yet the unfortunate reality is that these solutions simply aren’t going to protect your business from crime - or even satisfy your insurance provider.

Pros

• Useful for operational management, monitoring employees, and complying with workplace safety requirements.
  
  
• Helps document shipments by recording when undamaged and complete products are loaded onto, and unloaded from, transport trucks.

Cons

• No Crime Prevention: They only record incidents, and offer zero deterrence since criminals know they are easily bypassed.
  
  
• Blind Spots and Limited Coverage: Unlike Sonitrol’s Audio Intrusion Security, cameras don’t cover every angle of your premises and they can easily be bypassed. Even if criminals are caught on video, they know how to bypass them with disguises or shoot them with paintballs.
  
  
• No Police Response: Because they aren’t verified, law enforcement ignores them.
  
  
• Insurance Compliance Issues: Many insurance providers don’t recognize them as valid security measures.
  
  
• Lack of Integration: Most alarm companies sell piecemeal solutions and technologies that don’t work together.
  
  
• False Sense of Security: If they don’t prevent crime or ensure police response, what’s the point?

2. CCTV With Monitored Sonavision

Unlike self-managed CCTV systems that leave you to sift through hours of footage after a break-in, Monitored Sonavision provides real-time, live video feeds to trained security professionals who immediately dispatch police. With an average response time of 3.5 minutes, officers can catch criminals in the act - not just review footage of them getting away.

Pros

• 24/7 Remote Monitoring: Live security experts watch over your property in real-time when they are sent a live audio or video feed, verifying threats when they are real and ignoring what would be false alarms for any other alarm solution.
  
  
• Guaranteed Police Response: Officers are dispatched immediately, ensuring rapid intervention.
  
  
• Criminal Deterrence: Thieves avoid businesses with Sonitrol-verified security systems because they know they’ll get caught.
  
  
• Insurance Compliance: Meets the highest security standards recognized by insurers.

3. Audio Intrusion Detection

Sonitrol’s audio intrusion detection technology provides full coverage of your premises. Unlike motion sensors or cameras, audio systems don’t have blind spots - they listen for suspicious sounds anywhere inside your building and verify threats in real time.

Pros

• 100% Coverage: Detects intruders in areas cameras can’t see.
  
  
• They are Verified: Verification ensures police respond quickly, unlike unverified alarms where they don’t respond at all.
  
  
• Eliminates False Alarms: No wasted time or resources on false alerts.

Cons

• Audio Sensors Cannot be Used Outside: Outside environments are protected using Sonavision Monitored video.

4. Managed Access Control

Managed access control is a security solution that regulates and monitors entry to buildings or restricted areas. It allows businesses to control who can enter specific areas and when, reducing the risk of unauthorized access, theft, or internal threats. Access control will also actively let you know if staff try to enter areas they are not authorized to enter. This allows you to proactively ask them why they are attempting to enter the area, preventing crimes from escalating.

Unlike traditional key systems, Sonitrol’s integrated managed access control relies on electronic credentials such as keycards, fobs, or biometric authentication. These systems can be centrally managed and updated in real time, ensuring security remains intact even as employees come and go.

Pros

• No Need to Change Locks: Eliminates the cost of rekeying when employees leave.
  
  
• Reduces False Alarms: Employees are less likely to set off false alarms when it’s clear who has access to what areas.
  
  
• Eliminates On-Site Security Needs: Reduces reliance on physical security personnel by regulating who goes where and when.
  
  
• Instant Access Updates: Easily add or remove employee/visitor access in real-time.
  
  
• Detailed Access Logs: Provides a record of who entered specific areas and when - improving accountability.
  
  
• Remote Management: Security teams can monitor and adjust access permissions from anywhere.

Cons

• It doesn’t deter intruders from entering your premises or verify threats before they’ve tried to access your secured areas, and therefore should be combined with audio detection and monitored Sonavision for full protection.

5. Verified Fire Alarms

Verified fire alarms ensure rapid emergency response and compliance with fire codes. In fact, it’s illegal to remove monitored fire alarms without fire department approval.

Pros

• Immediate Firefighter Dispatch: Verified alarms ensure a rapid response.
  
  
• Compliance with Fire Regulations: Protects your business from legal violations.
  
  
• Faster Problem Resolution: Detects trouble spots before they become full-scale fires.

Why Security Systems Should Be Integrated

Security systems function best when they work together as a unified solution rather than isolated components. A business that relies on separate CCTV, alarms, and access control systems risks inefficiencies and gaps that criminals can exploit.

Integration ensures that all security components communicate seamlessly, providing a layered approach that enhances protection and eliminates weak points.

A well-integrated security system allows for centralized monitoring and management. Instead of handling multiple systems separately, your businesses can streamline security operations from a single platform, ensuring real-time alerts, coordinated responses, and better oversight. Not only that, but its easy management will save you countless hours!

This level of connectivity also reduces false alarms, as verified security events trigger immediate law enforcement responses while non-verified ones are filtered out.

Another key benefit of integration is scalability. As your business grows, your security needs evolve. An integrated system can adapt, expanding with new locations, employees, or access requirements.

Why Sonitrol is the Best Choice for Integrated Security

When it comes to security, Sonitrol sets the gold standard. We’re not just another conventional alarm company - we’re an industry leader with a proven track record of stopping crime in real time.

• Over 187,000 Criminal Apprehensions: No one else comes close.
  
  
• Monitored Sonavision and Audio Intrusion Detection: Real-time verification ensures police respond in an average of 3.5 minutes.
  
  
• Fully Integrated Solutions: Everything - video, audio, access control, and fire detection - works seamlessly together for maximum protection.
  
  
• 24/7 Professional Monitoring: Our security specialists verify alarms and coordinate with law enforcement to ensure rapid response.
  
  
• Unmatched False Alarm Rate of Just 3%: No wasted resources, no ignored alarms.

And we put our money where our mouth is. Our $5,000 warranty proves how confident we are in our systems. Other alarm companies wouldn’t survive a week if they offered the same guarantee.

It’s time to stop trusting ineffective cameras. Your business deserves better. Don’t wait until it’s too late - choose Sonitrol for real, verified security that works when it matters most.