Cyber-Hardened A/V: Meeting Security Requirements in Government & Education Installs

In today’s world, A/V systems are no longer just about displays and microphones, they’re deeply connected to the network, and that means they’re part of your cybersecurity surface whether you planned for it or not.

With stricter oversight from regulations like NIST, FERPA, and HIPAA, government and education institutions must ensure their A/V systems meet modern security standards. And for A/V integrators like Infinity Sound, that means designing with security-first thinking, not adding it on later.

Whether you're overseeing a city hall upgrade, installing a campus-wide paging system, or refreshing the A/V in your district's classrooms, here's what to know about cyber-hardened A/V integration.

Why Secure A/V Systems Matter More Than Ever

A/V systems are no longer isolated. Tools like Dante AV, NDI, and AV-over-IP have made it easier than ever to send audio and video signals over standard IT networks. But this convergence of A/V and IT brings new risks.

Without proper segmentation, logging, or user controls, an unsecured projector, microphone, or camera could become a vulnerable access point to your larger network. And that’s not just a theory; there have been real-world breaches traced back to poorly secured devices on education and municipal networks.

1. Network Segmentation: A Must-Have, Not a Maybe

The first step toward secure A/V design is keeping it in its own lane.

Network segmentation is the practice of isolating your A/V systems on their own VLAN (Virtual LAN), separate from sensitive systems like HR data, security cameras, or student records.

Best practices include:

  • Create dedicated A/V VLANs to reduce risk of lateral attacks

  • Use firewalls or ACLs (Access Control Lists) to restrict communication between subnets

  • Avoid putting A/V gear on open guest or Wi-Fi networks

At Infinity Sound, we work directly with IT departments and network admins to ensure every system we install respects these segmentation standards from day one.

2. Securing A/V-over-IP Systems

IP-based A/V is powerful, but it's only as secure as the devices and protocols in play.

Here’s what we recommend for securing A/V-over-IP environments:

  • Use encrypted protocols wherever possible (e.g., HTTPS for control interfaces, AES-256 for audio streams)

  • Disable unused services and ports on A/V devices to shrink the attack surface

  • Change factory-default passwords, many systems are left wide open

  • Schedule regular firmware updates as part of your long-term support plan

For compliance with NIST 800-53 or FERPA, these steps are crucial. We also prioritize vendors that provide centralized access management and robust security documentation.

3. Audit-Friendly Documentation & Device Logging

When a cybersecurity or compliance audit rolls around, documentation isn’t just helpful, it’s essential.

Every secure A/V installation should come with:

  • A full device inventory, including IP addresses, firmware versions, and locations

  • Access logs for control systems and admin interfaces

  • A documented user permission matrix, showing who can access what and when

  • A firmware update record that tracks lifecycle maintenance over time

We build these into our commissioning process to make handoff easier, and to help our clients sleep better at night.

Let’s Build It Secure From Day One

At Infinity Sound, we know that cybersecure A/V integration isn’t just an IT concern, it’s a critical part of every successful government and education project.

We collaborate with IT teams, general contractors, and facility leaders to design secure, scalable A/V systems that stand up to today’s compliance standards, and tomorrow’s unknown threats.

If you're planning a public-sector A/V project and want to make sure you're protected from both physical and digital vulnerabilities, let’s talk.

Schedule a free A/V security consultation today.