The energy sector is facing unprecedented challenges, from rising security threats, vast remote infrastructure, and increased demand to protect high-value assets from theft, vandalism, and operational disruption.
For most traditional systems, they fall short in addressing these ever-developing risks, especially with sites based in remote locations or have rapidly changing environments.
Due to this, many energy companies are turning to mobile surveillance solutions to bridge the gap in their security. Offering flexible, technology-driven systems that provide rapid deployment, real-time monitoring, and reliable protection to temporary, remote, or high-risk locations.
Below we explore the exact threats faced by energy companies, delving into the need for mobile surveillance and the benefit it offers across the industry.
What Security Threats Do Energy Companies Face?
Critical infrastructure as a whole face numerous security threats due to their often remote locations, high-value assets, and reliance of the general public on their vital services.
As a society, almost all of us depend upon the energy they supply, so anything that causes a supply failure is a severe issue.
This only adds to the importance of securing energy sites due to sheer reliance from the general public and businesses on a daily basis.
The first step to bettering your site’s security is establishing the types of threats that could present themselves to your energy substation, and the reasons behind this:
Theft
From pipelines and transformers to metal and machinery, energy substations have various driving factors that gain attraction from criminals.
In particular, the increase in resale values of metals, especially copper have seen energy companies becoming the center of attacks. Many energy suppliers utilize copper for cabling and powering production, and thieves are aware of this.
However, stealing materials like this will often leave services temporarily out-of-service which can significantly impact operations for customers.
Earlier in the year, an attempted copper wire theft at an energy substation caused a temporary power outage, including Las Vegas airport.
Vandalism
Vandalism is commonly faced by energy companies for various reasons, whether it’s criminals looking to sabotage your business or simply looking to cause disruption in some capacity.
But, the extent of vandalism can vary, and depending on the type of attack, it can leave substations unable to provide service for its customers.
Unfortunately, the known reliance on services provided by the critical infrastructure industry tends to increase the interest of criminals looking to cause damage both physically and to your business.
Trespassing
Energy substations are often based in remote locations, and this often entices trespassing.
Trespassing increases the risk of theft and vandalism, but also the risk of liability claims. Energy sites are dangerous places, with live electricity and complex layouts meaning that even workers face high risks there.
As a business, you hold a duty of care to have safety and security measures in place to prevent this, and neglect of this can lead to claims, even from trespassers.
Liability claims can lead to financial penalties, legal bills, and increased insurance claims.
Environmental Impact
Many energy and power sites are in remote locations and tend to be more exposed to bad weather conditions.
Hurricanes, wildfires, flooding, storms, extreme heat or cold can damage assets directly or degrade physical defenses, making them more vulnerable to secondary attack or failure.
For example, during the Texas freeze, there were widespread energy substation issues primarily due to insufficient power generation and grid failure.
Terrorism
Critical infrastructure in general is an attractive target for terrorism, due to the vast disruption that would occur if a strike were to occur at one or more substations.
For energy companies, the link to the public and businesses can at times create tensions, and this can lead to some individuals and groups acting upon this in an extreme manner.
Terrorist acts tend to be extremely destructive and this makes recovery more difficult, time-consuming, and expensive for energy companies.
Operational Disruption
Equipment failures, maintenance mistakes, or procedural lapses can inadvertently create vulnerabilities, allowing for crimes such as, theft, vandalism, and physical attacks.
This could be an employee leaving a gate unlocked, equipment outages, misconfigurations, or an employee forgetting to arm the security measures at the end of the day.
Human and technological errors occur, and without the correct responses in place, energy companies can be left scrambling to get services back up and running.
What Energy Companies are at Risk?
Every energy company faces risks, but some are more exposed than others. Large utilities with vast networks, small operators with fewer resources, and even renewable providers all carry vulnerabilities.
Whether it’s cyberattacks or physical threat, understanding your risks and what crimes you’ll likely be targeted for.
Key types of energy producers are:
Oil and Gas Companies
Oil and gas companies manage pipelines, rigs, and distribution networks, providing energy for millions of homes and businesses across the US.
Crime targets for: Fuel theft, pipeline sabotage, and ransomware attacks
Nuclear Power Companies
Nuclear energy is a form of renewable energy that can be naturally occurring or man-made. They operate highly sensitive facilities where the stakes are highest.
Crime targets for: Cyberattacks, insider sabotage, and terrorism
Wind and Solar Companies
Renewable energy providers that generate power through wind turbines and solar farms, supplying clean electricity to the grid.
Crime targets for: Copper and cable theft, vandalism, and cyberattacks
Electric Utility Companies
Electric utilities run vast grids and substations. These companies are involved in the generation of electricity for commercial purposes.
Crime targets for: Vandalism, copper theft, and terrorism.
Offshore Refineries
Companies involved with seabed drilling to explore and extract petroleum/oil, often based in remote locations which are difficult to secure.
Crime targets for: Environmental sabotage, equipment tampering, piracy
Coal mines
Mining companies tend to be located in isolated areas, and are involved in the exploration and extraction of coal from underground.
Crime targets for: Theft, vandalism, and operational disruption.
Energy companies are classified and differentiated by whether they are renewable or non-renewable power sources.
Oil, gas, and coal are all examples of non-renewable energy, while wind, solar, and hydro (water) are all renewable energy sources.
The Reasons Behind Why Energy Companies Are Turning to Mobile Surveillance Cameras
Across the US, energy companies are turning to mobile surveillance cameras to protect their critical infrastructure from the several security threats presented to them.
Securing energy sites is a complex challenge - with sites often remote, isolated, and stretching over vast terrain.
Having been supplying mobile surveillance to the critical infrastructure industry for over 20-years now, we’ve established first-hand why energy companies are transitioning over to these solutions:
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Remote and hard-to-reach sites, making fixed systems less practical due to their vast locations also.
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Rising physical threats. As mentioned, vandalism, metal theft, sabotage, and even terrorism on infrastructure is becoming more common nowadays.
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Regulatory and insurance compliance meaning that there are now greater expectations on companies to protect their sites.
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Need for scalability as the demand for renewable energy grows, companies require coverage of all sites with easy-access to video footage.
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Stretched budgets, meaning that businesses are looking to consolidate their security and ensure strong ROI with their investment.
Similarly, the vast array of threats facing energy sites calls for a security solution that is effective, reliable, proactive, and versatile to your needs.
The Benefits of Mobile Surveillance Cameras for Energy Companies
For energy companies, asset protection is vital for both the business and those utilizing its services, however, their remote, vast locations present constant challenges.
Mobile surveillance cameras and trailers offer a smart solution to critical infrastructure sites, delivering flexibility, rapid deployment, and real-time monitoring and recording that traditional systems are unable to keep up with.
Below, we outline these core features and explore their typical use cases in different energy facilities.
Enhanced Security Coverage
Mobile surveillance solutions now offer technology-driven cameras that help to enhance your security coverage, from AI video analytics to PTZ capabilities and night vision cameras.
Not all manufacturers will offer these cameras features, however, for those that do, they offer crystal clear imagery, even at far distance, in complete darkness, and during bad weather.
This means that if you wish to access footage remotely, you’ll have a clear view of your site and any recorded footage will still be usable as evidence for any criminal proceedings.
Complete Power Autonomy
Traditional systems rely on permanent infrastructure, power, and internet, placing it at higher risk of operational downtime.
Lapses in security, even small, could leave your site vulnerable to theft, vandalism, and trespassing, all of which can cause costly consequences for your energy company.
Mobile surveillance units have complete power autonomy, utilizing alternative power supplies, like solar energy and 4G/5G connectivity, reducing the risk of operational downtime.
At WCCTV, we go one step further by backing our systems with Heartbeat, our in-house performance diagnostics software. This runs regular checks to help identify any issues early, so that we can react quickly to avoid downtime.
Also, most technological errors can be resolved by a system reset, so we fitted our products with smart switches which allow our teams to remotely reset your products. This minimizes the need for service visits and betters system performance.
Weatherproof Design
Remote sites will often be prone to harsher weather, and traditional systems are unlikely to be prepared to withstand such conditions.
Whereas, mobile surveillance systems will often be designed with these considerations in mind.
Cameras encased in weather proof equipment, strong fixtures to protect against wind, and high-tech cameras that continue to provide clear video, even in poor weather or low-light conditions.
Flexibility
Energy substations and power sites will often cover vast, remote locations which are difficult to cover with permanent surveillance and security guard patrols.
This is where mobile surveillance comes into its own, providing complete flexibility for you to adjust your surveillance to your security needs.
Surveillance trailers have become particularly popular as their design allows you to move them yourself, meaning that if any new or emerging threats occur then you can move them to manage these.
Mobile surveillance also provides scalability, so if you have multiple sites, you can move them to the new locations with ease or increase the number on rent to cover that requirement.
Remote Monitoring Capabilities
Every energy substation manager will understand the difficulty of managing security on-site, especially when they are responsible for multiple sites and other key areas of their role.
Mobile surveillance systems are driven by technology, and most will offer remote video monitoring, helping to remove the burden of security from your daily responsibilities and placing them in the hands of professionals.
Trained monitoring centers will watch your live video feed 24/7, detecting threats, and responding appropriately. This helps to increase accuracy of threat detection, minimizing false alarms.
Cost-Effective
Some mobile surveillance units can save up to 88% in security costs in comparison to security guards, making them an extremely cost-effective solution for your business.
And this savings doesn’t mean a cut in quality. Mobile surveillance provides a wealth of benefits and is considered the strongest form of crime prevention for critical infrastructure sites.
Insurance Benefits
Trespassing runs the risk of liability claims if injuries were to occur on-site, and this can increase your insurance premiums if so.
Demonstrating proactive security measures can lower insurance premiums. By reducing the likelihood of theft, accidents, or damage, mobile surveillance shows insurers that risk is being actively managed.
Regulatory Compliance
Many energy sites are required to meet strict security and safety standards, meaning that companies are having to prove compliance more, ensuring transparent, audit-ready documentation.
This covers topics like access control, air quality, health and safety, and noise levels.
Non-compliance can lead to financial penalties, legal actions, and even work stoppages.
Advanced mobile surveillance solutions offer both security and compliance in one, reducing the need for multiple suppliers, automating reporting, and bettering the transparency of your business.
At WCCTV, we provide Stellifii, an in-house smart platform that can be integrated with all our surveillance solutions to support environmental monitoring, smart detection, and security, all via one platform.
This helps to minimize workload for compliance teams, boost business reputation, and avoid costly penalties.
Use Cases For WCCTV at Energy Sites
WCCTV already supports various US energy substations and power sites, helping to successfully deter crime and protect their assets, workers, and services for the public and businesses.
Below are some key ways we support the different sectors listed above.
Electrical Substation Security
According to the FERC, there are more than 55,000 transmission substations in the United States, but an attack on less than ten could plunge the nation into darkness.
As well as malicious and targeted attacks, these sites are vulnerable to everything from severe weather to trespass, vandalism, and petty crimes.
We are helping secure electrical substations via automated remote monitoring services.
This proactive security solution immediately alerts our security professionals when activity is detected at the site.
This triggers a remote crime prevention process, as outlined above.
Oilfield Security
Providing complete security for oilfields and gas infrastructure is immensely challenging due to the remoteness and sheer scale of pipeline networks.
Mobile surveillance units assist by monitoring miles of pipelines, reducing the need for security personnel to walk these areas.
Our units can be entirely solar-powered, so they are easy to deploy at off-grid locations without power or internet connectivity.
Clients can remotely access their cameras and view pipelines without needing site visits.
With our built-in video analytics, they also receive an alarm should any suspicious activity be detected.
Wind and Solar Farm Security
Like oilfields, wind and solar farms face the dual challenge of being remotely located and sprawling over large areas.
This makes it impossible to secure these locations using security guards, as they cannot physically cover the whole area.
Mobile surveillance cameras can pick up the slack, cover vast areas, no matter the time of day, and never need a break.
They are ideal for these locations due to their total autonomy of power and internet, as they are hardened to withstand the harshest outdoor environments.
Why Choose WCCTV for Energy Substation Security
Complex security challenges require a modern security approach, and mobile surveillance cameras offer a range of technological capabilities and flexibility unmatched by other security options.
Mobile surveillance cameras allow you to be proactive in surveillance - don't just record a crime; stop it!
With our mobile surveillance unit, this is achieved by:
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Automatic detection of intrusions or loitering in these zones
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Live alert from the site of a potential crime in progress
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Issue an audio challenge from the camera's horn speaker, speaking directly to intruders
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Despatch guards or law enforcement to respond
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Capture evidence for law enforcement prosecution
Aside from their proactiveness, mobile surveillance cameras have many benefits that meet the specific needs of different energy facilities.
Choosing the right security solution is essential with so much that could go wrong at an energy facility.
This relies on selecting the right mix of technology and experience, and at WCCTV, we’ve created mobile surveillance solutions that develop with you and your needs.
Ready to strengthen your security strategy? Discover how WCCTV’s mobile surveillance units can help your energy company reduce risks and protect operations.
