Data Security and Why It's Important for Your Physical Security

Some things are better together. Burgers and fries. Movies and popcorn. Peanut butter and chocolate.

Other things simply do not work without each other. Safes and locks. Parachutes and skydiving. Engines and oil. Try one without the other and you’ll probably regret it. 

Physical security and data security fall into the second category.

Most businesses invest heavily in protecting physical assets. They implement all kinds of solutions—cameras, access control systems, and license plate recognition (LPR) systems, to name a few. But those systems generate video footage, access logs, and vehicle records. In other words, a lot of sensitive data. And if that data isn’t protected properly, your security system may create a new vulnerability while trying to solve another one.

Are Your Security Cameras an Open Door? 

One 2025 report found over 40,000 security cameras that were openly accessible on the internet—meaning anyone could view their live footage. That same year, the Akira ransomware group found a single unmanaged IP webcam and used it to bypass endpoint security and take over a corporate network entirely.

A surveillance camera with weak data security is an open door, not an asset. 

The part that should keep you up at night is this: you probably wouldn't know if you had a data security problem—at least not immediately. According to IBM's 2025 Cost of a Data Breach Report, it takes an average of 241 days to detect a breach. That's eight months of someone potentially watching your camera feeds, moving through your network, and accessing your data. By then, the damage is done.  And that damage comes with a price tag that’s hard to stomach: the average U.S. data breach costs $10.22 million.

5 Questions to Ask Security Vendors

There are a lot of solutions on the market that claim to be best in class. Some vendors can back up their claims. Others make vague promises but leave your data exposed behind the scenes.  When evaluating a physical security provider, have a conversation about data security before signing anything. 

1. Do you encrypt data in transit and at rest?

Security footage and LPR data move constantly—from the camera to the platform, from the platform to authorized users, and sometimes into storage for later review. That creates multiple points where data needs protection. Encryption in transit means data is protected as it moves between your cameras and wherever it is stored. Encryption at rest means it is protected while it sits in storage. A vendor that does one but not the other leaves you vulnerable, so be sure to ask about both. 

2. What security standards or audits do you follow, or certifications do you hold?

Anyone can say they take data security seriously. Third-party audits help verify whether a company’s security controls are being reviewed and maintained over time.

→ LVT is SOC 2 compliant. Learn more about our approach to cybersecurity here. 

3. Who has access to the data collected by your systems?

Your vendor’s employees should not have open-ended access to your footage, vehicle records, or LPR data. Ask how access is approved, what controls are in place, and whether activity is logged. This is especially important for sensitive data like LPR data privacy because plate data can include vehicle records, timestamps, and locations. The fewer people who can access that information, the lower the risk of misuse.

4. How do you handle vulnerabilities?

Every technology provider has to deal with vulnerabilities. The important question is how quickly they identify, patch, and communicate about them. Ask how often the provider updates firmware and software, whether systems are monitored for unusual activity, and how customers are notified when an issue affects them. 

5. Where is your data stored?

Cloud storage has become common for security systems, but not all cloud infrastructure is equal. Ask where data is physically stored, whether it crosses international borders, and what compliance frameworks govern the storage environment. 

Don’t Forget About LPR Data Security 

License plate reads are timestamped location records. Collect enough of them and you have a detailed history of vehicle movement across your property over time. Depending on how that data is stored and who can access it, you may be holding something more sensitive than you realized. Data you collected for security purposes can become a legal exposure if it's retained too long, shared without structure, or stored without adequate protection.

When evaluating a vendor that offers license plate recognition, ask the same questions above. Then ask one more: What is the default data retention period for plate reads, and who controls it? Before you sign anything, you should know exactly how long that data is being kept and where it lives.

Your Security Data Needs Protection Too

You work hard to keep your people, property, and assets safe. But physical security works best when the data behind it is secure too. The stronger your provider’s approach to encryption, access control, vulnerability management, and LPR data security, the less likely your security system is to become a risk of its own.

LVT builds physical security solutions with data protection in mind, so you can protect your property without overlooking the information your systems produce. Request a demo to learn more.