Pros and Cons of Running Image and Video Redaction On-Premise

In industries like autonomous driving, mapping, smart cities, and video surveillance, where the collection of vast amounts of image and video data is commonplace, safeguarding personal information within these visuals has become crucial.

Image and video redaction, essential for processing data in accordance with major global data protection laws, has gained critical significance. While cloud-based redaction services or those provided by cloud providers might seem like the easiest options to implement, they come with valid concerns. These concerns include:

• Recent disputes between US-EU data transfer protocols
• Heightened security risks associated with transferring data over the internet to the cloud
• Bandwidth limitations when dealing with terabytes of data
• Prohibitions on transferring personal data to other jurisdictions, such as India

This article aims to deepen the pros and cons of running the image and video redaction process on-premise, offering insights for businesses navigating the complexities of data privacy and compliance in these cutting-edge fields.

The Advantages of On-Premise Anonymization

On-premise image and video anonymization offer several compelling advantages that address concerns related to security, speed, and control:

1. Enhanced Security:

• Control Over Data: By keeping data within your local infrastructure, you reduce the risk of data breaches during transit.
• Compliance: Maintaining data locally simplifies compliance audits and ensures you are in full control of your data.

2. Improved Speed:

• Eliminate Bandwidth Constraints: Redaction performed on-premise eliminates the need to transfer large datasets to and from the cloud, resulting in faster processing.
• Low Latency: Immediate access to processed data without relying on external servers or third-party processing.

3. Total Control:

• Data Governance: You retain complete control over your data, ensuring that sensitive information is handled according to your policies.
• Customization: Tailor the redaction process to your specific needs and make adjustments as regulations evolve.

4. Cost-Efficiency:

• Reduced Bandwidth Costs: Eliminating the need for large-scale data transfers to the cloud can lead to significant cost savings in terms of bandwidth and associated expenses.
• Predictable Expenses: On-premise solutions provide more predictable and manageable costs, as there are no unexpected fees associated with cloud usage.

Limitations of On-Premise Redaction

While on-premise redaction offers significant benefits, it's important to acknowledge its limitations:

1. Scalability Challenges:

• Processing at Scale: On-premise redaction may face difficulties when scaling up for processing a large volume of images or videos with limited machine resources.

2. Infrastructure Costs:

• Maintenance Expenses: Managing and upgrading local infrastructure can be costly.
• Hardware Requirements: The processing speed is limited by the power of the local machines, which may require investments in high-performance hardware.

3. Processing Speed Constraints:

• Resource-Dependent: The processing speed relies on the capacity of the local hardware, which can be a potential bottleneck for time-sensitive tasks.

Celantur's Solution: Balancing Security, Speed, and Convenience

Celantur Container offers a solution that strikes the perfect balance between on-premise control and flexibility. Here's how our containerized image and video redaction solution can empower your organization:

• GPU and CPU Acceleration for Efficient Processing: Celantur Container leverages the computational power of GPUs or CPUs, depending on your infrastructure, to ensure efficient and high-speed redaction. This adaptable approach allows you to tailor processing capabilities according to your specific hardware resources and cost structure.
• Seamless Cloud Integration: You can choose to run Celantur Container on your own public or private cloud infrastructure. This option provides added convenience and scalability while maintaining control over your redaction process.
• Flexible Interaction Options: Celantur Container offers flexible methods for interaction, including a REST API (widely recognized for their simplicity and ease of use among developers) and TCP connection (which gives you performance gains in specific scenarios)
• Metadata and Segmentation Masks: Unlike directly applying blur to images, Celantur Container can provide metadata (in JSON format) and segmentation masks (in JPG or PNG format) as an output.
• PGR2PGR and PGR2JPEG Conversions: As part of our commitment to streamlining your image and video redaction process, Celantur Container is optimized for PGR2PGR and PGR2JPEG conversions (native Ladybug format) through Horus' Horison Framework.