Security Camera + NAS Setup (Small Business)

This is a security setup I did for small welding shop. The goal was setting up a system that was organized, secure, and resilient against data loss and ransomware.

Overview

The setup includes:

4 security cameras connected to a DVR
A dedicated network switch for the camera system
A NAS used for local backups of important business data

Camera System

I installed four cameras. The cameras connect to a DVR, which is physically secured and not given unnecessary internet exposure.

I avoided leaving default settings in place:

Default passwords were changed
Unused services were disabled
Remote access was limited

The goal was to treat the camera system as something that should not be trusted by default.

Network Setup

Instead of plugging everything straight into the router, I added a dedicated network switch for the cameras and DVR.

This helped with:

Keeping the network cleaner and more organized
Reducing unnecessary traffic on the main network
Making it easier to control which devices talk to each other

The switch also makes the system easier to scale or troubleshoot later.

NAS & Backups

I set up a NAS on the network to act as a local backup system for important files. This was mainly done as protection against ransomware and data loss.

Backups are scheduled instead of manual, so they actually happen. Access permissions are limited so normal user accounts can’t modify or delete backups, which helps prevent ransomware from encrypting them.

Keeping backups local also avoids relying on third-party cloud services.

Security Notes

This isn’t an enterprise environment, but the setup follows the same basic ideas:

Reduce attack surface
Don’t trust default credentials
Limit access where possible
Plan for recovery, not just prevention

Result

The business now has:

Reliable video coverage
Cleaner network infrastructure
Automated backups that protect against data loss

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