Overview: Advancing Cybersecurity in Video Surveillance

Video networks are no longer just watching the world — they’re helping shape it. In hospitals, retail stores, factories and cities, surveillance systems are evolving into intelligent edge systems that analyze data, flag anomalies and help make decisions in real time.

But as these systems grow more autonomous and connected, they also become more vulnerable. Cyber threats are evolving in speed, scale and sophistication, targeting everything from firmware and credentials to the video footage itself. The surveillance industry finds itself at a critical crossroads, where smarter systems demand stronger, embedded trust.

Axis Communications, a pioneer in network video, saw the shift coming early. To stay ahead, they’re bringing security into every layer of their systems — from software to silicon — powered by strategic collaboration with NXP.

What began as a supplier relationship has grown into a long-term collaboration. Together, Axis and NXP are aligning roadmaps, solving complex cybersecurity challenges and stepping forward with a shared vision for secure, intelligent surveillance.

Challenge: Tougher Threats Demand Smarter Systems

With the rise of AI-driven applications, surveillance has entered a new era — and so have the risks. Systems are now targets for deepfake manipulation, remote intrusion and data tampering. The attack surface is expanding across increasingly connected fleets, cloud integrations and third-party ecosystems.

Meanwhile, compliance requirements are growing just as quickly. Initially driven by the North American market, demand for FIPS 140-3 Level 3, the highest standard for cryptographic hardware security, is accelerating across federal, industrial and critical infrastructure systems, now becoming a globally recognized benchmark. Conversations around post-quantum cryptography (PQC) are also beginning to shape design decisions.

Axis needed hardware that could do more than meet current regulations — it had to scale for the future.

“The EdgeLock SE052F allows us to push the limit of edge device security within the physical security industry. The solution enables new Axis network cameras, access control, intercom and audio products to meet the FIPS 140-3 security requirements for cryptographic modules.”

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The solution: EdgeLock® IoT Secure Elements. These tamper-resistant chips provide a hardware-based root of trust, protecting cryptographic keys, validating device identities and securing communication channels. With the integration of each new generation of EdgeLock® chip — from the EdgeLock SE050 to the EdgeLock SE051 and now the EdgeLock SE052F — Axis has continued to strengthen its security, building an architecture that keeps pace with evolving threats.

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Solution: Engineering Trust, Brighter Together

As the collaboration deepened, NXP’s role extended beyond just silicon support, looking at the security aspects of Axis’s entire development cycle by:

• Facilitating threat modeling and risk analysis to help define secure system architectures tailored to their use case
• Providing middleware and developer tools to accelerate integration and reduce development overhead
• Delivering a Common Criteria and FIPS pre-certified platform to simplify and streamline their certification journey
• Collaborating and planning to help ensure uninterrupted supply even during global shortages

This collaboration helped Axis bring a major breakthrough to market: the first FIPS 140-3 Level 3-compliant network camera  — a milestone for embedded trust in video surveillance.

While achieving this certification is usually a rigorous process requiring advanced cryptography, full tamper response capabilities and third-party lab validation, the EdgeLock SE052F simplified the path. With pre-certified, hardened security built in, Axis was able to reduce development time, streamline testing and accelerate time to market.

“Collaboration with companies such as Axis have enabled us to leverage best-in-class technology to develop innovations which tackle today’s security challenges head on. The recently launched SE052F IoT secure element represents the next level of protection at the edge, helping our customers to keep their valuable data safe.”

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Secure by Design: Future-Proofing Devices Against Emerging Threats

Built on the EdgeLock IoT secure elements, Axis’ latest generations of network products, including cameras, intercoms and speakers, deliver the following capabilities:

• Provide verifiable and trusted IEEE 802.1AR unique device identities for secure network onboarding using IEEE 802.1X and fundamental layer-2 network encryption using IEEE 802.1AE MACsec effectively doubling network encryption when combined with other secure communications protocols such as HTTPS, MQTTS and others.
• Secure private keys stored in the secure element used to protect the device’s network communication, including HTTPS, WebRTC, SRTP, MQTT and more.
• Protect OSDP Secure Channel (AES symmetric) keys to secure physical access control processes in Axis door and access control applications.
• Generate cryptographic signatures to provide trusted and verifiable video integrity for Axis Signed Video technology.
• Provide secure storage for private keys used by Axis’ partner applications (ACAPs) to independently protect their data and communications.

Together, these use cases deliver stronger protection and position Axis to meet both today’s compliance demands and tomorrow’s emerging risks.

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Results: Stepping Forward Into a Secure Future

Surveillance systems will only become more intelligent and more critical. More devices. More data. More autonomy at the edge. That also means more responsibility to design for trust from the start.

Axis and NXP are looking ahead. With a security mindset and a foundation of collaboration, we’re continuing to provide secure, scalable solutions for what’s next in surveillance, from advanced cryptography to post-quantum resilience.

Together, we’re stepping forward into a more secure and intelligent future.

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About Axis Communications

Axis enables a smarter and safer world by improving security, safety, operational efficiency and business intelligence. As a network technology company and industry leader, Axis offers video surveillance, access control, intercoms and audio solutions. These are enhanced by intelligent analytics applications and supported by high-quality training.

Learn more about Axis Communications