VideoEdge NVR from JCI first to earn UL cyber certification

MILWAUKEE—Johnson Controls announced recently that its VideoEdge network video recording platform from American Dynamics is the first product to be officially certified as meeting the highest level of third party cybersecurity standards from Underwriters Laboratories for Life Safety and Security, UL2900-2-3.

“It's never been more crucial for the market to recognize the importance of cybersecurity as a core component of product design and development,” William Brown, senior engineering manager, Cyber Protection Program, Building Technologies & Solutions, Johnson Controls, told Security Systems News in an email interview. “That's why it was so important to pursue this new certification with UL which, in conjunction with our internal Tyco Cyber Protection Product Security Program, demonstrates our overarching commitment to providing the security market with solutions designed to be cybersecure.”

UL's Cybersecurity Assurance Program tests network-connectable products and systems against established criteria from the UL 2900 series of cybersecurity standards. The UL CAP program also assesses a manufacturer's processes for cybersecure product development, incident response and internal ongoing testing and evaluation of security vulnerabilities of products. To garner the Level 3 certification, the highest UL CAP designation, the VideoEdge NVR platform underwent a series of evaluations based on UL 2900-2-3, a standard developed specifically for the electronic physical security industry, which assesses a product's software vulnerabilities and weaknesses and reviews its exposure to exploitation and known malware.

"Johnson Controls understands that safer, more secure connected technologies start with stronger internal procedures, attention to detail and diligence,” Ken Modeste, director of UL's Connected Technologies business, told SSN. “In addition to internal efforts, third-party assessment via UL's Cybersecurity Assurance Program (UL CAP) can help improve security along the entire supply chain.”

He continued, “Submitting the VideoEdge NVR platform for UL CAP assessment and certification demonstrates Johnson Controls' commitment to supporting their customers and end users. The product submitted by Johnson Controls meets science-backed third party industry best practices for cybersecurity, and thus provides them a higher level of trust and confidence.”

Brown pointed out in the announcement that the development of standardized, testable cybersecurity criteria “by an organization such as UL, the preeminent security and life safety certification organization, provides a level playing field for end users and systems designers, who can now trust that a UL CAP certified product meets robust cybersecurity standards,” he said. “We're extremely proud of this first UL CAP certification, as it encapsulates the ethos of our Tyco, Cyber Protection Product Security Program and our product engineering, development and support culture, which is to provide our customers with solutions designed to meet a high degree of security and reliability and provide a positive operational impact.”

The VideoEdge NVR platform was developed under the Tyco, Cyber Protection Product Security Program, which combines secure product development, testing and evaluation, and configuration guidelines for compliance. The Cyber Protection Product Security Program approach begins with product design and continues once a product is in the field, and through the rapid incident response service, the dedicated cybersecurity team quickly assesses new threats and vulnerabilities and advises customers on how they may reduce their cybersecurity exposure.