Powerful operating system ensures the performance and security of your network products

AXIS OS is the operating system at the heart of almost 200 Axis products and tens of millions of deployed Axis devices. Purpose-built for network surveillance devices, it supports new features, strengthens cybersecurity, and enables tighter-than-ever integration. 
 
In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of this powerful operating system and why you should always ensure your devices are running the latest and greatest version.
 
Built with well-tested, open-source components, our powerful Linux-based operating system is the backbone of your Axis devices. It creates unified user experience across our diverse portfolio of network products and helps ensure your devices’ components, such as the sensor, processor, storage, and network interface, work together harmoniously in a secure and robust way. For instance, it supports various chipsets and allows users to run the same analytics applications on different products. And with one operating system, once a vulnerability is patched, the patch is applied to all products. AXIS OS also allows us to keep our portfolio up to date with the state-of-the-art features and more.
 

Continuous improvement and long-term value 

AXIS OS is continuously adapted to support shifting market requirements, so we can continuously fulfill the use cases and needs of our customers. With six active tracks released each year, this proprietary operating system evolves to keep up with new customer requirements and advancements in technology. It also makes it easy for us to develop and release new features and functionality. Axis Security Development Model (ASDM) follows secure-by-design principles to ensure security is baked into every stage of our product development. And AXIS OS lifecycle software support provides three options to keep your Axis devices up to date: the active track, the long-term support (LTS) track, and the product-specific support (PSS) track.

 

“Can you imagine that your car is getting faster and faster, while consuming less and less fuel?” said Turgut Öner, Global Product Manager for AXIS OS. “This is what happens with your Axis network products over time. With every new AXIS OS release, performance, usability and cybersecurity increase. This unlocks the possibility to use your Axis device in new ways that you didn’t think of when you bought it years ago.”
 

Active track

In the active track, AXIS OS is continually updated with new features and security patches. So, you can benefit from new and improved cybersecurity features, and access to bug fixes and security patches for years to come. With this track, the cybersecurity level is continuously increasing until the device reaches its end of life and moves to its final LTS track. 
 

LTS track

The LTS track is focused on maintaining consistency of APIs and ensuring compatibility and robustness toward third-party systems. The updates are limited to security patches of existing functionality, which include updating software components with known vulnerabilities. 
 
As time progresses, the overall cybersecurity level of your device and its AXIS OS is higher on the active track compared with the LTS track. This is because the active track has an evolving feature set compared to the static feature set of the LTS track. Regardless of what track you choose, we recommend you to always upgrade your devices to the latest available version of AXIS OS to ensure they’re always up to date. In general, AXIS OS is supported for as many as 8-12 years, depending on product.
 

High standards for cybersecurity 

Designed with robust cybersecurity in mind, AXIS OS includes measures to ensure your devices are kept up to date throughout their expected lifetime. Our hardware-based cybersecurity platform, Axis Edge Vault, supports secure boot, signed OS, and a Common Criteria EAL6+ and/or FIPS 140-3 level 3 tamper-protected environment for the secure storage of customer-loaded cryptographic keys and other sensitive information. 
 
It also offers secure communications using protocols, such as MQTT over TLS, HTTPS, and RTSPS/SRTP. And it supports the IEEE 802.1AE MACsec security standard, enabling Axis devices to automatically encrypt data at a foundational level to enhance zero-trust networking, securing network protocols that do not offer native encryption. It also disables root privileges to protect the confidentiality of services and applications developed on AXIS Camera Application Platform (ACAP), helping safeguard your data, preventing information leakage, and increasing system integrity. 
 
AXIS OS supports remote management of your devices so they can be easily updated at anytime from anywhere. Every release includes a software bill of materials (SBOM), showing what patches are included for known vulnerabilities. What’s more, as an approved CVE Numbering Authority, we disclose vulnerabilities through CVE IDs and follow the CVE program’s best practices for identifying, managing, and disclosing vulnerabilities. Together with Bugcrowd, we run the AXIS OS bug bounty program which encourages independent security researchers to discover and report vulnerabilities in AXIS OS. All vulnerabilities found via the bug bounty program receive CVE IDs and are thus publicly shared. We issue advisories to subscribers to our security notification service so that timely action can be taken. This transparency helps minimize our customers’ risk of exposure. 
 

Tight integration and advanced analytics

AXIS OS ensures great interoperability with all Axis products and third-party systems. This means you can seamlessly integrate your Axis devices with other systems, such as surveillance platforms, access control systems, or IoT ecosystems. And, once you’ve integrated one Axis device, it’s easy to integrate any other devices, thanks to consistent features and APIs. This powerful operating system also supports open standards like ONVIF, enabling interoperability with third-party ONVIF conformant products. And its centralized tools simplify device management for administrators. 
 
AXIS OS allows you to manage your Axis devices just like any other IT infrastructure. For instance, through IEEE 802.1X network authentication, IEEE 802.1AE MACsec for zero-trust networking, and OAuth 2.0 for centralized account/password management through an Identity Provider/ADFS. This robust OS supports systems-on-chip (SoC), which powers increasingly advanced analytics. So, your AXIS OS devices can run and manage applications such as motion detection, object tracking, and other analytics applications. In addition, it supports both frame-by-frame and consolidated metadata streams for post-event forensic search, real-time use, and identification of trends, patterns, and insights.
 

Tailored to meet your needs

Our operating system is tailored to optimize performance for surveillance use cases. Each new release continues to build on the core principles that set AXIS OS apart: long-term value, high cybersecurity standards, and ease of integration. What’s more, it enables cloud connectivity and real-time communication for streaming video, audio, and metadata, making it a flexible and future-proof solution for modern surveillance needs.
 
AXIS OS reflects our commitment to innovation, reliability, and seamless integration. Not only does it ensure enriched user experiences, but it also allows us to solve your needs in the long term. So, you can grow and protect your business in ways that could not have been foreseen when you deployed your Axis devices.
 
Find out more about this powerful operating system on Axis.com and read the AXIS OS e-Brochure. Also subscribe to the AXIS OS notification service to get regular updates on new features and highlights from each AXIS OS release.

About Axis Communications:
Axis enables a smarter and safer world by creating solutions for improving security and business performance. As a network technology company and industry leader, Axis offers solutions in video surveillance, access control, intercom, and audio systems. They are enhanced by intelligent analytics applications and supported by high-quality training.
 
Axis has around 5,000 dedicated employees in over 50 countries and collaborates with technology and system integration partners worldwide to deliver customer solutions. Axis was founded in 1984, and the headquarters are in Lund, Sweden.
 
Axis Communications Singapore has received the Cybersecurity Agency of Singapore (CSA) Cybersecurity Labelling Scheme (CLS) Level 4 certification, demonstrating the company’s strong commitment to cybersecurity and product assurance.
The Axis Experience Centre across APAC display many of the latest offerings, including advanced surveillance systems encompassing features such as audio analytics, intrusion detection, automated access control systems, as well as data analysis tools that yield actionable insights for better decision-making.
 
Learn more and book a visit https://www.axis.com/axis-experience-center?head_region=APAC

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