Video surveillance systems play an essential role in protecting the physical security of organizations across a wide variety of industries. Until recently, these systems ran on closed-circuit television technology and were the domain of physical security and facilities teams.

Modern systems, however, take a different approach and leverage digital networks to facilitate easy deployment of cameras and rapid analysis of camera data. The digitalization of this technology often shifts responsibility for camera systems away from facilities teams and moves it under the umbrella of the IT department.

I often work with CIOs and other IT leaders who find themselves responsible for the reliability and security of these systems. I’ve seen camera systems deployed in dozens of organizations and have learned some common lessons that can help any organization improve the security of its video surveillance deployment. Let’s look at six things organizations can do right now to protect the cybersecurity of these important assets.

As a member of CDW’s cybersecurity incident response team, I spend much of my time working with organizations in the heat of a crisis.

Whether they’re in the middle of an active network compromise or they’ve fallen victim to a ransomware attack, my team steps into emergency situations and helps companies get back on their feet as quickly as possible. In that respect, our team is much like a battalion of firefighters.

At its heart, DevOps is a methodology that enables fast, frequent delivery of value to end users. This often happens through cloud-native technologies and a realignment of tools, teams and culture.

To appreciate the benefits of DevOps, remember that traditional IT organizations work with big, bulky applications that can be fragmented among teams. This can lead to handoffs, long lead time and a lack of ownership over the final product. Testing integration may be less of a priority, which creates challenges, because by the time code gets into production it’s hard to pinpoint the source of any problem.

Here’s why I see DevOps as a much better foundation for digital transformation.

Sometimes, I feel like CDW configuration services are the best-kept secret in enterprise IT. The customers who have relied on us for years keep coming back because of how much time and energy we can save them, allowing their internal IT staff to focus more on mission-critical projects than device configuration.

But many business and IT leaders simply don’t know that we’re out here (or what we do). As a result, they tie up their own IT professionals with time-consuming — but necessary — tasks and projects that end up extending the amount of time it takes to get devices into users’ hands.

Here are six ways that configuration services can help your business simplify its operations.

Managing a mobile computing environment was already complex enough at the beginning of this year. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit, driving many employees (and their mobile devices) out of the office and into their homes, limiting the visibility and control of IT teams.

Most enterprises were already getting on board with unified endpoint management tools, recognizing the need for a common platform to help them manage their fleets of smartphones, tablets and notebook computers, along with associated mobile apps and content. But for organizations that were dragging their feet with UEM, 2020 has served as a wake-up call about the importance of these tools.

For organizations still looking for the right fit, here are four ways that UEM solutions can help navigate these challenging times.

With Azure, organizations have many choices to make, from which services to use to how to purchase, manage and govern its use. In October 2019, Microsoft announced changes to the volume licensing programs in ways that affected a customer’s ability to acquire Azure. Specifically, Microsoft:

1. Will no longer write new Azure-only Server and Cloud Enrollment (SCE) agreements
2. Will no longer renew Azure-only SCE agreements and subject any extended contracts to a 3 percent administrative fee
3. Will no longer allow Azure to be added to existing Enterprise Agreement (EA) contracts