As much as I've been trying to be brief but informative here, there are so many important details that may not make it into posts. It's difficult to produce content that's not going to be too long to read comfortably, especially when your passionate about the topic.
Specifically, when it comes to remote monitoring, there as nothing in that last post about the exposure to malicious data manipulation, theft or disturbance. It's not the primary threat, but it is one that should be considered.
If you have data leaving your network to get from your building in South Carolina to RTP (example), it's much more exposed. Even though most security video and security system data is encrypted as it's sent, it's not hack proof. There are choices in encryption methods, but from my experience, what you get out of the box most of the time is not very secure when it comes to network traffic.
Even if you're using VPNs and other methods, the fact remains - you've got information critical to your security operation "out there" where it can't be protected as well as in your network. Not the kind of thing that's a definite deal killer, but a serious consideration to be planned for.
That being said - having back-up routes for data to use is essential to mitigate both connectivity risks as well as malitious ones. But - with your alarm system and access control system you can always send the data over a standard telephone line or cellular signal as a back-up. That kind of method is not really an option for streaming video - especially if you've got a ton of cameras.
