Executive Summary
- Shift to Operational Technology (OT): AV over IP has transitioned AV infrastructure into OT networks, increasing exposure to cyber threats and lateral movement from IT breaches.
- Vulnerabilities via Trusted Access: Most compromises occur through phishing, unmanaged devices, or local access rather than firewall breaches, directly risking business continuity and critical AV services.
- Adoption of Zero-Trust Security: To mitigate evolving risks, the AV industry must adopt zero-trust network segmentation and treat security as an essential differentiator and core service.
Ten years ago, I was making the case for AV over IP to an industry that was perfectly comfortable with its closed, proprietary systems. The common response was familiar: “We don't use IP,” or “We have our own network: we don't need to worry about that”. We all know how that story ended. AV over IP is now the foundation of every modern AV deployment, and the integrators who resisted it longest spent years catching up.
Today, I hear the same thing now about security. “We air gap our networks,” or “Security is IT's problem.” It’s clear to me that history is about to repeat itself, and this time the cost of being wrong is considerably higher than the cost of a legacy AV system.
History is repeating itself. The difference is that this time, falling behind doesn't just mean living with outdated technology. It can mean exposing customers to operational disruption, reputational damage, and risks that are far more costly than any legacy AV system ever was.
AV Networks are Operational Technology
Everything your customers deploy falls into a category the security industry calls operational technology, or OT. Unlike IT networks, which carry sensitive customer data and are subject to rigorous compliance and access controls, OT networks manage daily operations: conference rooms, digital signage, IP cameras, control processors, audio DSPs. Historically, OT was off the radar for attackers because it was air-gapped and hard to reach.
That is no longer true. AV over IP made these networks IP-connected. Cloud management made them internet-reachable. Remote monitoring opened ports. As a result, what was once invisible to attackers is now visible, and far less defended than the IT networks sitting alongside it.
According to IBM's 2025 Security Report, the average cost of a data breach now stands at $4.9 million. Fortinet's 2026 OT Report found that 60% of organizations experienced an OT or IoT security incident in the past year. And SANS research shows that 96 % of OT incidents begin with a compromise of the IT network before attackers move laterally into operational systems. In other words, attackers don't need to target AV directly. They breach the IT network, and the AV network is there waiting, with no inspection between them.
How AV Networks Actually Get Compromised
The mental model most AV professionals have for a network breach, that of a sophisticated remote attacker defeating a firewall, does not reflect how the majority of incidents actually happen. When people think about a cyberattack, they often picture a highly skilled attacker breaking through a firewall from halfway around the world. In reality, that's rarely how AV environments are compromised.
More often, attackers take advantage of trusted access that's already available. It could be a contractor plugging into an unused network port in a meeting room, or an unmanaged device connecting to the AV network. Without controls such as network access authentication or port security, that connection can provide visibility into every connected AV device, from control processors and DSPs to displays and cameras, without triggering any obvious alarms. An even more common scenario starts somewhere else entirely. An employee clicks a phishing email, malware gains a foothold on the corporate network, and then moves laterally into connected operational systems. If the AV environment isn't properly segmented and protected, it can become another destination for the attacker rather than a separate, secured domain.
The important point for customers is recognizing that AV systems don't have to be the initial target to become part of an incident. As AV infrastructure becomes increasingly connected to enterprise networks, its security posture directly affects business continuity. A compromised AV network can disrupt meetings, collaboration spaces, digital signage, and other business-critical services at exactly the moment they're needed most.
The Model the AV Industry Needs to Adopt
The security posture of most AV deployments today was built for a different era. Air-gapped networks are increasingly rare, and while VLAN segmentation is a good starting point, it is no longer enough. The direction the industry needs to move is toward zero-trust segmentation: every device verified, every flow inspected, access granted per policy instead of by default.
In practical terms, this means your IP speaker should only be able to communicate with your DSP. Your IP camera should only reach its assigned video management server. Your digital signage display should only connect to its designated media server. Each device operates within a defined policy envelope.
Security is the Next Differentiator for AV Integrators
Beyond reducing risk, security is becoming a competitive advantage. Customers are looking for partners who can design, deploy, and support AV systems that are secure by design. Integrators who can demonstrate that expertise will stand out in an increasingly competitive market. Compliance requirements are evolving as well, creating an opportunity for integrators to help customers meet security expectations and document best practices, delivering value that goes well beyond the AV installation itself.
Ten years ago, the integrators who moved early on AV over IP built practices that compounded. They had the expertise when the market moved. The integrators who waited spent the next five years playing catch-up.
Security is on the same curve. The data on OT incidents, the trajectory of compliance requirements, the acceleration of AI-enabled automated attacks… All of it points to a market that will look materially different in five years than it does today. The AV industry has a window to get ahead of this, build the expertise, and position security as a core service rather than a reactive cost.
The networks we deploy are no longer isolated. They never will be again. The opportunity now is to make security a core part of every AV deployment, and a defining part of the value we deliver.
