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The camera you buy matters less than where it goes, how it is powered and who can see the footage. An installer plans each field of view so it covers an entry point without filming your neighbour's windows, chooses between battery, plug-in and wired power, and sets up recording on a local device, in the cloud or both. Canadian winters add their own demands: cold, snow, ice and short days all affect batteries, lenses and night vision.
Every connected camera is also a device on your home network. Default passwords, outdated firmware and shared accounts are how strangers get in, so a proper installation ends with each camera secured, the app locked down and the administrator account in your name.
Indoor, outdoor and doorbell security cameras: what each type does
- Video doorbells: replace or supplement the doorbell at the main entrance, let you see and talk to visitors from your phone, and record deliveries and anyone who comes to the door.
- Outdoor cameras: weather-resistant cameras mounted under the eaves or on a wall to cover the driveway, side doors, the garage and the backyard.
- Floodlight cameras: outdoor cameras with built-in lights that switch on with motion, useful over a garage door or along a dark side yard.
- Indoor cameras: small cameras for an entrance, a stairway or a room with valuables, often used to check on pets or a cottage while you're away.
- Wired camera systems: several cameras connected by cable to a recorder, suited to larger properties or owners who want continuous recording without relying on Wi-Fi.
- Pan-and-tilt cameras: models you can turn remotely to look around a room or a yard, which cover more ground but only see one direction at a time.
Local vs. cloud storage for security camera footage
Local storage keeps recordings on a memory card inside the camera or on a recorder in the house. You don't depend on a subscription and the footage stays under your roof, but a burglar who takes the camera or the recorder takes the evidence too, and a full card overwrites older clips. Put the recorder somewhere discreet, ideally on a backup power supply.
Cloud storage uploads clips to the manufacturer's servers, so footage survives if a camera is stolen or damaged and you can review it from anywhere. It usually comes with a subscription, depends on your Internet connection and upload speed, and places your videos with a third party, so check how long clips are kept, who can access them and whether they are encrypted. Many owners combine the two: continuous local recording, with key clips sent to the cloud.
Security cameras and privacy: neighbours, the street and audio recording
A camera meant to protect your home can easily record far more than your property: the neighbour's yard and windows, the sidewalk, the street or a shared lane. Filming what you don't need intrudes on other people's privacy and can sour relations next door, so the rule is simple: frame your own doors, driveway and yard, and nothing more. Many cameras offer privacy masking, which blacks out part of the image such as a neighbour's window, and motion zones that ignore the street.
Audio deserves extra caution. Recording conversations is more intrusive than video, and a doorbell that picks up people talking on the sidewalk records people who never agreed to it. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada advises disabling the camera and microphone when they are not in use, and keeping web-connected cameras out of especially sensitive areas such as bedrooms and bathrooms. In a condo, a duplex or a rental, check the building's rules before aiming a camera at common areas, and talk to neighbours before installing one that looks toward their home.
Securing your security cameras: passwords, updates and two-factor authentication
A camera that anyone can log into is worse than no camera at all. The Government of Canada's Get Cyber Safe campaign and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner stress the same basics, and a good installer sets them up before leaving.
- Change the default username and password on every camera, recorder and app account, using a strong password you don't reuse anywhere else.
- Turn on two-factor authentication for the camera account whenever it is offered, so a stolen password alone isn't enough.
- Turn on automatic updates, or install firmware updates as soon as you're prompted, and check before buying that the camera can be updated.
- Put cameras on a separate guest network so a compromised device can't reach your computers and phones.
- Keep the account in your name, give each family member a separate login instead of sharing one, and remove the installer's access once the job is done.
- Before selling or discarding a camera, reset it to factory settings and remove it from your account.
Powering security cameras: batteries, low-voltage wiring and new circuits
Battery cameras are the quickest to install and need no wiring, but they must be recharged and are easier to steal. Plug-in cameras need an outlet nearby, ideally an outdoor outlet designed for wet locations. Wired systems often use a single network cable that carries both power and data from the recorder or a network switch, which avoids an outlet at each camera and gives the most dependable connection; running that low-voltage cable through walls and soffits is part of the installer's job.
A video doorbell usually connects to the existing doorbell wiring and transformer, which an electrician may need to replace if it can't supply enough power for the new unit. Anything that touches the house wiring, such as a new outdoor outlet, a new circuit or a floodlight camera replacing a light fixture, is electrical work, not a do-it-yourself job. In Ontario, only a Licensed Electrical Contractor can legally be hired for it, and the contractor files a notification of work with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA). In Quebec, electrical work done for others is reserved for electrical contractors, meaning master electricians who are members of the CMEQ.
Where to place security cameras: height, angles, lighting and winter
- Cover the entry points first: the front door, back and side doors, the garage and any ground-floor or basement window hidden from the street.
- Mount outdoor cameras high enough to be out of easy reach but low enough to see faces, and angle them slightly down rather than toward the horizon.
- Avoid pointing a camera straight at the sun, a bright window or a streetlight, which washes out the image at certain times of day.
- Plan lighting where it's dark: motion lights installed by an electrician improve night images and discourage prowlers, while infrared night vision alone records in black and white and loses detail at a distance.
- Place cameras under the eaves or a soffit to shield them from rain, snow sliding off the roof and frost on the lens.
- Remember the cold: battery cameras need recharging more often in winter, so mount them where you can reach them safely.
- Check the Wi-Fi signal at each spot before mounting; a camera at the far end of the yard may need a wired connection or an outdoor access point.
Security Cameras: frequently asked questions
Can I point my security camera at my neighbour's house?
Avoid it. Frame your own doors, driveway and yard, use privacy masking to black out a neighbour's windows or yard, and talk to them if a camera can't avoid looking toward their property. Filming more than you need intrudes on their privacy and can lead to disputes.
Should my doorbell camera record audio?
Only if you need it. Recording conversations is more intrusive than video, and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada advises disabling the microphone when it isn't in use. Some doorbells let you keep two-way talk while turning off audio recording.
Is local or cloud storage better for security cameras?
Each has a weakness: local recordings can disappear with a stolen camera or recorder, while cloud storage depends on your Internet connection, usually requires a subscription and places your footage with a third party. Many homeowners use both.
Do I need an electrician to install security cameras?
Usually not for battery or plug-in cameras, or for the low-voltage cable a camera installer runs. You do for any work on the house wiring, such as a new outdoor outlet, a new circuit or a floodlight camera: in Ontario, a Licensed Electrical Contractor, and in Quebec, a master electrician who is a CMEQ member. In Quebec, electronic security systems are also a private security activity regulated by the Bureau de la sécurité privée, so ask the installer for their licence.
How do I keep my security camera from being hacked?
Change the default password, turn on two-factor authentication, keep the firmware up to date and put cameras on a separate guest network. These are the basics recommended by Get Cyber Safe and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
Sources
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: Someone could be watching, tips for securing web-connected cameras
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: Smart devices and your privacy
- Get Cyber Safe: TVs and smart devices
- Get Cyber Safe: Know the features that can help keep your smart devices cyber secure
- Electrical Safety Authority: Hire a Licensed Electrical Contractor
- CMEQ: A licence is mandatory
- Bureau de la sécurité privée: How the BSP protects the public
Written by the LokalMatch editorial team. Reviewed by Zubair Afzal on September 10, 2026. How we write and check our guides