Surveillance cameras are designed to watch over a given area, while security cameras are designed to alert you to specific incidents. Both types of cameras can let you watch a space. Either one may give you the option to watch what’s happening live or review recorded footage. Surveillance cameras, though, are more often used to record for later viewing. They don’t, for instance, have motion sensors, so they can’t alert you if someone is breaking into your business. In contrast, a security camera’s job is usually to capture footage when something occurs rather than to record continuously.