Sabotage
What does sabotage mean?
The term sabotage comes from French and originally means the planned thwarting of someone else's goal, for example by destroying or damaging something. Today it is mainly defined as the planned damage, removal or destruction of objects or parts of an infrastructure. Deliberate sabotage is called an act of sabotage; someone who sabotages something is called a saboteur.
What is the aim of sabotaging an alarm system?
In the context of security technology, it is always sabotage when an attempt is made to prevent the alarm system from being triggered by changing or negatively influencing the alarm technology. The aim is to ensure that the various detectors cannot trigger an alarm signal on the alarm system, that the burglar alarm center does not receive an alarm message and that an alarm cannot reach the signal transmitters or an emergency call and service control center. This means that functionality can no longer be guaranteed after an alarm system has been sabotaged.
How can an alarm system be sabotaged?
An alarm system is only effective if it can forward an alarm to the EMZ. However, if an intrusion alarm system is sabotaged, forwarding can often no longer be guaranteed. The following list gives a short, incomplete overview of how an alarm system can be sabotaged
Disconnecting a detector
In order for an alarm to be triggered, there must be a permanent voltage between a detector and the system.
Bridging the detector
Depending on the type of detector, a resistance is defined. If a bridge is created, e.g. by a conventional wire, the resistance value is changed.
Covering a motion detector
A motion detector or other sensors are covered with fabric or sprayed with paint so that detection is no longer possible.
Manipulating the periphery inside
Changing the internal infrastructure by manipulating, e.g. a trigger contact using a so-called cover contact that is connected to the sabotage line. Opening the system housing.
Cutting the leased line
Cutting the leased line over which the main detector sends signals. In normal operation, a permanent signal is sent to the alarm reception center over this leased line.
Disconnecting the telephone line
If the telephone line is cut, an alarm system connected to it can no longer transmit a signal. However, with modern alarm systems, the transmission is already transmitted via a next generation network.
What protection is there against sabotage?
If an alarm system is sabotage or manipulated, the functionality of the entire system will fail. This makes it all the more important that measures are taken to protect against this. The installed security technology often already has its own protective mechanisms that take effect in the event of a change to the infrastructure.
With direct current detectors, for example, an interruption in the resistance voltage would immediately trigger an alarm. The alarm system is programmed to send a signal immediately in this case. Such a sabotage alarm is triggered when the system registers a voltage drop of more than 3 volts over 300 ms. In contrast, a slowly decreasing voltage supply, such as with a weak battery, is not triggered as a sabotage alarm.
The measured resistance value also changes if attempts are made to tamper with it, e.g. with a wire to bypass it. The alarm center registers this change and sends a signal as a special sabotage alarm. Motion detectors react in a similar way if visual detection is prevented by paint, cardboard or fabric. The sudden change in the range of vision is detected and a sabotage alarm is sent as a warning. If sabotage is attempted inside an alarm center, an alarm is triggered as soon as the housing is opened if the system is connected to a sabotage line.
A technical sabotage message is most obvious when a dedicated line is interrupted: If a permanent signal is not sent to the alarm receiving center, an immediate alarm is sent to the receiving point.
In addition, structural protective measures can also be taken, for example by laying cables underground or by installing cameras at a height that is not accessible without additional tools.