How Virtual Security Guard Works
Virtual Security Guard is a monthly subscription service from Rapid Response that provides live monitoring of camera motion events for compatible enrolled cameras at your home or business. Trained guards will monitor events when a person is detected on a camera and act accordingly on your behalf. Virtual Security Guard is an add-on service for Ring Protect Pro or Protect Plus (1st Gen) customers who are enrolled in Ring Alarm Professional Monitoring.
Using Virtual Security Guard with Astro for Business?
Learn important information about how the service works with Astro.
How Virtual Security Guard works
Virtual Security Guard turns on when you Arm your Ring system by setting the Mode to Home or Away. When the service is on, guards will monitor your cameras when a person is detected.
To turn off Virtual Security Guard, just set your Mode to Disarmed. When the service is off, guards won’t monitor camera motion events and can’t see Live View for those cameras. Other ways to pause monitoring.
When Virtual Security Guard¹ is on and a person is detected on an enrolled camera, this is called an Event. During an Event, guards from Rapid Response will monitor your camera’s Live View, and the Live View from other enrolled devices at your Property, if necessary. Depending on the situation and your alert preferences, the guard may do any of the following:
- Send you a text with a link to the Event recording
- Initiate Two-Way Talk (when a person is observed)
- Request dispatch of emergency services (e.g. fire, medical, or police).
Event Examples
Standard guard responses to events that may occur on your property when Virtual Security Guard is active.
Event Type | Description | Guard Response |
Common Event | A passerby is captured on the property. | Guard resolves the event without contacting the property owner. No text will be sent. |
Delivery or Service Worker on Property | A service worker or delivery person is on the property. | Guard uses Two-Way Talk to announce that the property is being monitored and sends a text with a link to a video recording of the event. |
Person on Property | A person is on the property that is not a service worker or delivery person. | Guard uses Two-Way Talk to announce that the property is being monitored and sends a text with a link to a video recording of the event. |
Person on Property Escalation | A person is still on the property after the guard engaged in Two-Way Talk. | Guard uses Two-Way Talk to announce that the property is being monitored and activates the device siren (if available)
Guard sends property owner a text indicating that an event needs attention.
Guard calls all emergency contacts. |
Urgent Events | Package Theft or Property Damage is taking place. | Guard activates the device siren (if available) and requests to dispatch emergency services to the property.
Guard calls the property owner and emergency contacts.
Guard sends a text to property owner and emergency contacts, indicating that emergency services have been alerted with a link to a video recording of the event. |
Emergency Events | A life threatening or violent situation is taking place. | Guard activates the device siren (if available) and requests to dispatch emergency services to the property. Guard calls the property owner and emergency contacts. Guard sends a text to property owner and emergency contacts, indicating that emergency services have been alerted with a link to a video recording of the event. |
Choose the right number of events for you
A Virtual Security Guard subscription includes 175 events for $99/month per location. Events don’t roll over to the next month, but reset at the start of each billing cycle. You can opt in to Extra Events to keep Virtual Security Guard active beyond your included events each month. Learn about Extra Events.
If you need more Events in your billing cycle, you can opt in to Extra Events for $0.99 per additional Event. If you use all the included Events in your plan’s billing cycle and you did not opt in to Extra Events, the service will stop until your next billing cycle. At the start of your next billing cycle, the number of Events will restart and the service will resume.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does a Rapid Response guard have access to my Live View?
- Guards can monitor your Live View during a camera motion event when your Mode is set to Home or Away and a person is detected.
- If an event occurs and a guard initiates Live View on one enrolled camera, they can then initiate Live View on any or all of your enrolled cameras at the same location until the event is resolved.
- Guards can only initiate Live View if there is a camera motion event on a device enrolled in Virtual Security Guard when there is a qualifying Event.
Important! Rapid Response guards don’t have access to your Event History and can’t download, share, or save any videos. They can only access Live View on your enrolled devices while actively monitoring an Event when your system is Armed.
How do I unsubscribe from Virtual Security Guard? To unsubscribe, follow the steps on this page.
Who do I contact if I have questions? Contact the dedicated Virtual Security Guard support line at 1-866-894-8282.