As the fourth quarter gets underway, businesses are deep in the cycle of year-end planning. You’re finalizing budgets for 2026, reviewing performance, and setting new goals. But amid all this forward-looking activity, there’s one critical task that often gets overlooked: a comprehensive audit of your security system.
Your security infrastructure is not a “set it and forget it” asset. It’s a dynamic system that requires regular attention to remain effective. The end of the year is the perfect time to assess its health, identify vulnerabilities, and ensure you’re starting the new year on secure footing. A security weakness discovered in January is often a problem that was missed in December.
Before the ball drops, here’s a checklist every business should use to conduct a year-end security system audit.
1. Conduct a Full Physical Hardware Inspection
Time and the elements take their toll. What was working perfectly in the spring may have issues by winter. Walk your entire facility and physically inspect every component.
Cameras: Are all cameras online and recording? Check for clear, unobstructed views. Have new partitions, stacked inventory, or even seasonal decorations created blind spots? Clean any dirty lenses and check housings for signs of damage or moisture.
Door Access & Locks: Test every controlled door. Do card readers respond quickly? Do magnetic locks and door strikes engage properly? Check for loose wiring or physical damage.
Sensors & Alarms: Inspect motion detectors, door contacts, and glass-break sensors for damage or obstruction.
2. Verify All Software and Firmware Are Up-to-Date
This is one of the most critical and most neglected aspects of security maintenance. Running on outdated software or firmware is like leaving a digital door unlocked for cybercriminals.
Check for Patches: Work with your security provider to verify that all your devices—cameras, recorders, and access control panels—are running the latest stable firmware version. These updates contain crucial patches for security vulnerabilities.
Update Management Software: Ensure your Video Management System (VMS) or access control platform is updated to the latest version to get new features, bug fixes, and security enhancements.
3. Audit Your Access Control Permissions
Over the year, employees come and go, and roles change. Your access control database needs to reflect the reality of your current workforce.
Remove Former Employees: This should be standard practice, but it’s often missed. Run a full user report and ensure every single credential belonging to a former employee has been deactivated.
Review Current Employee Access: Does the employee in marketing still need access to the warehouse? Review permissions for every user and apply the “principle of least privilege”—granting individuals access only to the areas they absolutely need to do their jobs.
4. Re-evaluate Camera Coverage and Strategic Placement
Your business has likely evolved over the past 12 months. Your camera coverage should evolve with it.
Identify New High-Value Areas: Have you created a new server closet, a prototype lab, or a storage area for valuable inventory? Ensure these zones have adequate surveillance.
Assess High-Traffic Zones: Review footage from your loading dock, reception area, and parking lots. Are you capturing the information you need? Do you need to adjust angles or upgrade to a camera with a wider view or better resolution?
5. Check Your Data Storage and Retention Policies
Running out of storage space during a critical incident is a nightmare.
Review Storage Capacity: Check your NVR or cloud storage account. Do you have enough capacity for your current camera count and resolution settings? Are you meeting your company’s or any regulatory retention requirements—30, 60, or 90 days?
Test Footage Retrieval: Randomly select a date from a few weeks ago and attempt to pull the footage. Is it easily accessible? Is the playback smooth? This simple test can uncover issues with a failing hard drive or misconfigured settings.
Start 2026 with Confidence, Not Vulnerability
Conducting this audit yourself is a great first step, but a professional assessment can reveal underlying issues you might not see. A trained eye can spot subtle signs of hardware failure, identify network vulnerabilities, and recommend strategic upgrades that will provide the best return on your investment.
Don’t wait for a security incident in the new year to reveal a weakness from the old one. Use this final quarter to be proactive.
Schedule Your Professional Year-End Security Assessment Today
The experts at Systems Integrations can provide a comprehensive, top-to-bottom audit of your entire security infrastructure. We’ll provide a detailed report on your system’s health and a clear roadmap for any necessary improvements for 2026.
Contact us today at (866) 417-3787 to schedule your no-obligation consultation and enter the new year with peace of mind.