By Joanna Santander, VP of Sales & Business Development, Videoloft
TL;DR:
More insurers now require offsite video storage, and businesses using cloud CCTV like Videoloft are reaping the benefits. With secure, remote-accessible footage, extended retention options, and resilience against on-site tampering or damage, cloud surveillance helps lower premiums by 5–20% and improves claim outcomes. Keep your existing cameras, meet insurer demands, and gain better visibility across your sites, all with minimal disruption.
Every week, I speak with business owners and security professionals across a wide variety of industries, from recycling plants and nightclubs to retail chains and logistics hubs. And one question is coming up more and more, often prompted by an insurance broker or underwriter:
“Do you store your surveillance footage offsite?”
A few years ago, this might have been considered a “nice-to-have.” Today, it’s a must. More insurers are tightening their policy requirements. They expect CCTV systems that are resilient, accessible, and able to retain footage for a meaningful period of time. Businesses that can meet those expectations are increasingly benefiting, not just with stronger protection, but with lower premiums too. It’s reported that organizations are seeing savings of 5–20%, simply because the risk profile improves so significantly with cloud video surveillance in place.
Cloud CCTV: From passive deterrent to active risk management
Surveillance has changed. Where CCTV used to serve mainly as a deterrent, today it plays a direct role in helping businesses prevent, respond to, and resolve incidents.
Insurers are recognising that shift. According to Farsight Security, businesses with modern, well-managed CCTV systems, especially those with offsite storage, see lower claim rates and faster investigations. In turn, insurers reward this with more competitive policy terms.
Why offsite video storage makes all the difference
The logic is straightforward. When your footage is stored on a recorder sitting in the back office, or worse, out in the open, it’s vulnerable. If there’s a fire, break-in or internal tampering, the footage could be lost right when you need it most.
Cloud storage avoids that risk completely. With Videoloft, your video is encrypted and uploaded securely to the cloud in real time. We offer plans ranging from 2 days to 10 years of storage, so you can choose what suits your insurer’s requirements, and your own peace of mind.
It also makes accessing and sharing footage incredibly easy. Whether you’re on-site, at home, or halfway across the world, you can view and manage your CCTV footage. And in the event of a claim, getting the evidence to your insurer takes minutes, not days.
Customers meeting insurance requirements with Videoloft
NWH Group (8 sites, 95 Dahua cameras)
Faced with updated insurance regulations requiring 30 day offsite retention, NWH Group, a recycling center, turned to Videoloft. They didn’t need to replace their cameras or overhaul their infrastructure.
- Compliance achieved: 95 camera streams backed up securely to the cloud.
- Operational gains: Centralized access, remote monitoring, multi-user permissions.
- Improved visibility: Managers can now verify production timelines and respond to events across all eight locations.
The Cuckoo Club (1 site, 25 Dahua cameras)
This high end late night bar and restaurant needed secure, offsite backup to satisfy their insurer. With Videoloft, they got that, and more. Now the Cuckoo Club have secure remote access to footage, extended retention, and peace of mind through their busiest hours.
Recycled Packaging Ltd (5 sites, 23 Hikvision cameras)
Recycled Packaging’s insurer requested offsite video backup. Working with their CCTV installer – iFire UK, they chose Videoloft thanks to our seamless integration with Hikvision cameras and recorders. The result? Five sites now stream video to the cloud with features like motion alerts, and multi-user access.
How cloud video surveillance helps reduce insurance risk
Cloud video surveillance gives insurers the things they value most:
- Off-site resilience: If local storage fails, video footage can be lost forever. Cloud storage mitigates that risk and even if the internet goes down, Videoloft’s Cloud Adapter buffers video locally until the connection is restored.
- Reliable footage: Footage stored in the cloud is safe from theft, damage, or accidental deletion.
- Longer storage durations: We offer plans ranging from 2 days to 10 years of storage, so you can choose what suits your insurer’s requirements, and your own peace of mind.
- Remote access: Makes it easy for staff or investigators to find and share footage without site visits.
- Faster response: Motion-triggered alerts and real-time access mean fewer incidents and swifter action.
- Smarter insights: Add-ons like license plate recognition and people counting help businesses stay ahead of potential risks.
These aren’t just convenience features, they’re directly linked to lower claim frequency and reduced claim costs, which is what every insurer wants to see.
Quantifying the impact
The numbers speak for themselves. A variety of sources suggest that cloud CCTV systems with features like offsite storage and remote access can lead to 5–20% reductions in commercial insurance premiums (Expert Security Solutions Canada).
Meanwhile, businesses using advanced video platforms are seeing 30% fewer loss incidents in high risk environments like warehousing and logistics (Almas Industries).
This ties directly into how insurers calculate premiums. Risk exposure, likelihood of loss, and cost of payout are all factored into underwriting decisions. If your surveillance system helps reduce those risks, or helps resolve claims quickly, you become a safer bet. That means better rates, more favorable terms, and in some cases, coverage that might otherwise be out of reach.
Getting ahead of the conversation
When an insurer reviews your policy, or when you’re renewing coverage, here are a few things to be ready to discuss:
- How long do you store footage for, and where is it stored?
- Can it be accessed remotely if something happens?
- Are there alerts in place for out-of-hours activity or tampering?
- Can footage be shared easily for investigations?
- Is there evidence of system resilience, like cloud backup, encryption, and redundancy?
These are exactly the kinds of features Videoloft delivers, without forcing you to replace your existing hardware or overhaul your entire setup.
There is an alternative…
I’ve seen how stressful these insurance conversations can be, especially when the request comes suddenly, and you’re not sure what your current system can deliver.
That’s why at Videoloft, we’ve designed a platform that meets insurance expectations without adding complexity. You can keep your current cameras. We make storage simple. And we give you a support team that understands the real world pressures of compliance and insurance risk.
If your broker is asking questions you’re not sure how to answer, or if you want to avoid that awkward moment before it happens, we can help you get ahead.
Cloud video surveillance is fast becoming a standard insurance requirement across the US, Canada, Europe, UK and beyond. If your system isn’t meeting the mark, you could be paying more for your cover, or worse, struggling to get covered at all.
The good news? Making the switch isn’t as hard as it sounds. With Videoloft, it’s simple, affordable, and tailored to what insurers are actually asking for. If anything in this article sounds familiar, or your insurance broker has said offsite CCTV storage could reduce your premiums let’s have a conversation.
