Physical Security Readiness Checklist
A guide to help you confirm your organization’s preparedness before investing in or modernizing your physical security environment.
Is Your Physical Security Environment Ready for Modernization?
As environments become more connected and threats become more complex, physical security is aligning with broader IT strategies to integrate video, access, sensors and analytics. In fact, 77% of end users say physical security and IT now work collaboratively, and more than half say IT is actively involved in physical security purchasing decisions.1
Use this checklist to dig deeper into the steps you should take to ensure your physical security environment is modernization-ready.
Five Steps to Physical Security Modernization Readiness
Assess Your Current Security Posture
Thoroughly evaluate your existing environment so you can accurately prioritize upgrades or new investments.
- Can you define ownership and governance of your current systems along with key stakeholders on each team?
- Have you identified coverage gaps and the risks associated with them across sites, assets and entry points?
- Do you have an up-to-date audit of existing cameras, access controls and sensors? Is it clear how they share data with cybersecurity teams?
Clarify Your Ownership and Operating Model
Effective modernization depends upon stakeholder alignment. As physical security and IT overlap, it’s essential to define who owns which responsibilities.
- Have you identified who owns the decisions and budgets related to the physical security technology stack?
- Who will have responsibility for day-to-day operations, including monitoring, credentialing and incident response?
- Do you know all the stakeholders who must provide input and sign-off from IT, facilities, security and site leadership?
Evaluate Integration With IT and Cybersecurity Requirements
Verify that your physical security technologies will operate as a connected platform within your broader IT and cybersecurity strategy.
- Can your network accommodate the greater bandwidth demands of new devices and high-definition video?
- How will your surveillance, access control, credentialing and alerting systems share data?
- How will security considerations such as data governance, segmentation, access control and remote connectivity be integrated into new technologies?
Confirm Data Retention and Governance Needs
Modern physical security is highly data-intensive, so it’s crucial to understand the policies, storage demands and governance requirements associated with data.
- Have you established retention policies for video footage, logs and alerts?
- Have you considered the impact of meeting those policies and where the data is stored?
- What teams and processes will manage access controls and permissions in place for sensitive or restricted data?
- Can your storage infrastructure scale to accommodate growth, new technologies and changing compliance needs?
Validate Readiness for Evolving Technologies
53% of organizations currently use AI or automation tools to improve operations.2 Ensure your environment can support the shift toward real-time intervention.
- Do you have the IT infrastructure to support AI-driven analytics, automation and real-time threat insights?
- Are your teams trained to work with AI, intelligent systems and automated real-time communications?
- How will your workflows integrate intelligent video, AI-driven analytics and automated real-time responses?
Sources:
1 Genetec, “2026 State of Physical Security Report”
2 Trackforce, “Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report 2025”
Why CDW
CDW has helped thousands of organizations build, deploy and manage physical security solutions that are fully aligned with IT and business priorities.
- Full-stack, full lifecycle support, from assessment through integration and long-term support.
- Deep expertise across surveillance, access control, sensors, analytics and infrastructure.
- Tailored solutions from industry leaders designed to meet your organization’s specific modernization needs.
Explore Physical Security Solutions From CDW
See how CDW seamlessly integrates physical security with cybersecurity to better protect your organization and enhance operations.