The security of security systems has never been more important, with billions of security sensors and other edge devices connected to the Internet. 

One important fundamental aspect of securing a system that can sometimes be overlooked is protecting the communications between devices and software clients. The need for secure communication has been growing in demand and serves as the driver behind the new ONVIF TLS (Transport Layer Security) Configuration Add-on, set to be released later this year.

TLS provides end-to-end encryption and authentication for data transmission over the Internet. When enabled, TLS ensures that data is encrypted before it is transmitted between different network security system components, making it unreadable to anyone who intercepts the data. It also verifies the identity of the server, preventing man-in-the-middle attacks where someone pretending to be the server may try to steal information or compromise data. 

In addition to encryption and authentication, using TLS can also provide increased speed and reliability of data transmission. It reduces the risk of data loss and corruption during transmission, ensuring that the data is delivered in a timely and accurate manner.

Once released, support for ONVIF TLS Configuration Add-on can be incorporated into ONVIF conformant products. It will enable software clients, such as a VMS, that are conformant to the add-on to be able to configure and update the TLS settings on a camera or other device with support for the add-on. 

Using the data encryption, authentication and integrity offered by TLS in conjunction with other basic cybersecurity best practices can make the difference between a strong cybersecurity foundation and a vulnerable security system. 

Want to learn more about the ONVIF TLS Add-on (Release Candidate)? Find out more at https://www.onvif.org/profiles/add-on/tls-configuration-add-on-release-candidate/.