A CCTV system in its simplest form is composed of one, or more, surveillance camera, which is fitted with the proper lens to cover the monitored area and sends its video signal to a monitor, before which an operator or a guard sits.

A typical CCTV system, nevertheless, is usually more complex and may comprise hundreds of cameras fitted with advanced zoom lenses and mounted on pan-tilt heads that might be located kilometers away, or even in another country, from a sophisticated central control system.  Many peripherals can be added to the CCTV system to enhance its features and capabilities, e.g. matrices, multiplexers and time-lapse recorders.

Access control systems, as the name suggests, control the access of persons to security-sensitive areas by means of restricted doors and gates, which open when a person trying to access such areas is successfully identified as eligible to go through that door or gate.  Identification is accomplished through a given means (e.g. card or fingerprint) and eligibility is determined using a computer system and according to a certain set of criteria (e.g. door or gate number, day and time of access, etc.).

Integrating CCTV systems with access control and alarm systems is today's common trend in security industry, especially with large systems in governmental buildings, mega stores, factories, etc.