City halls, military bases, and schools face new threats every day. SCW designs, builds, and supports security systems that meet NDAA and ONVIF rules. Our Government Solutions help agencies of every size install compliant cameras, access control, software & monitoring services that qualify for federal grants and contracts. Hundreds of defense, space, municipal, and nonprofit organizations already trust SCW to guard their facilities and data. In this guide, you’ll learn why smarter security matters, what NDAA compliance means, and how to create a future ready system that can grow with you.
Sections
- 1. The Need for Smarter Security in Government and Defense
- 2. Understanding NDAA Compliance & Government Regulations
- 3. Critical Components of a Government Surveillance System
- 4. Integrating Surveillance with Access Control and Alarms
- 5. Optimizing Surveillance for Large-Scale Government Projects
- 6. Planning Your Budget for a Secure Government Surveillance System
- 7. Case Study: Implementing Secure Surveillance for Government Agencies
- 8. Future Proofing Your Security with Compliant, Scalable Solutions
- 9. Security Technology for Smarter Operations: Get Started with SCW Government Solutions
Transform your surveillance with Scalable Security Technology.
Security challenges are becoming increasingly complex for government agencies, defense contractors, military installations, and public institutions due to today's rapidly evolving threat landscape. From physical threats to cyber vulnerabilities, the demand for robust, intelligent, and adaptable surveillance solutions has never been greater.
To effectively safeguard sensitive assets and infrastructure, organizations must deploy security systems that are not only highly reliable and scalable but also fully compliant with strict federal regulations, such as the NDAA.
SCW’s NDAA-compliant technology empowers mission-critical operations to stay ahead of emerging threats while enhancing situational awareness, ensuring regulatory compliance, and optimizing operational performance across secure environments.
In this guide we deliver the critical insights decision-makers need for designing, upgrading, and maintaining modern surveillance infrastructures - highlighting the importance of custom-tailored solutions that integrate AI-powered analytics, real-time threat detection, and future-ready scalability.
Key takeaways from this guide:
- The need for specialized security solutions in the face of an ever-changing threat landscape
- The critical components of a compliant, scalable government security system
- How to optimize your surveillance for large-scale government projects
1. The Need for Smarter Security in Government and Defense
The Changing Threat Landscape
In response to the evolving threat landscape facing government and defense sectors, it's more critical than ever to adopt a smarter, more adaptable approach to your security.
Agencies must now contend with a wide range of physical risks—including unauthorized access, vandalism, and workplace violence—while also navigating an increasingly complex regulatory environment marked by NDAA compliance, FCC bans, and sanctions on foreign-made surveillance equipment.
At the same time, shrinking budgets and resource constraints require security solutions that are not only robust and reliable but also scalable and cost-effective. These converging challenges highlight the urgent need for intelligent, compliant, and future-proof surveillance systems tailored to meet the unique demands of mission-critical environments.
Why Government Security Needs Specialized Solutions
Government and defense facilities—such as administrative buildings, police stations, and military bases—operate under unique security demands that consumer-grade surveillance systems simply cannot meet. Protecting classified information and sensitive areas requires specialized solutions that incorporate advanced access control, encrypted data storage, and hardened infrastructure built to withstand sophisticated threats.
These high-stakes environments demand more than just passive monitoring; they require real-time alerts, intelligent intrusion detection, and AI-driven analytics that proactively identify risks and reduce response times.
To ensure national security and operational continuity, government agencies must deploy purpose-built surveillance systems designed to meet the highest standards of performance, reliability, and compliance.
Smarter Security Solutions in Action
For military contractors securing high-value assets such as weapons manufacturing facilities, traditional surveillance simply isn’t enough. These critical environments demand multi-layered security solutions that combine perimeter protection with advanced monitoring capabilities.
Multi-sensor cameras equipped with real-time intrusion detection provide comprehensive situational awareness, allowing security teams to detect and respond to unauthorized movements instantly.
By leveraging AI-powered analytics and thermal imaging, these systems ensure 24/7 visibility across expansive perimeters—protecting sensitive operations from both external threats and internal vulnerabilities.
At SCW, Your Mandate is Our Mission.
As end-to-end security solution specialists, we understand the unique security challenges Government agencies, defense contractors, military bases, and public institutions face.
There's a wide range of security and surveillance solutions that can help achieve government mandates, from preventing crime and finding criminals to tracking endangered animals and preventing pollution, to preserving the beauty of natural or community parks, to protecting the border, to securing prisons, to measuring and tracking congestion on highways, to making sure that city services like water treatment or waste management facilities are operating correctly.
We've done it all and we can help design effective solutions to achieve your goals.
2. Understanding NDAA Compliance & Government Regulations
What is NDAA Compliance?
Understanding NDAA compliance is essential for any organization involved in government or defense-related security projects. Under Section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), U.S. government agencies and contractors are strictly prohibited from using surveillance equipment or components from certain Chinese manufacturers, including Hikvision, Dahua, and Huawei, due to national security concerns. Non-compliance can result in contract ineligibility and potential legal repercussions.
SCW ensures full adherence to these federal regulations by exclusively offering NDAA-compliant surveillance solutions - providing government entities and contractors with safe, approved technology that meets the highest standards for secure deployment.
The Impact of Non-Compliant Equipment
Using non-compliant surveillance equipment can have serious consequences for federal and state agencies, including the risk of losing current and future government contracts.
Devices from blacklisted manufacturers not only violate NDAA regulations but also introduce significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities that can compromise national security. These systems may serve as backdoors for data breaches, espionage, or remote access by foreign actors.
To maintain eligibility and protect sensitive operations, agencies must proactively identify and remove banned equipment, replacing it with secure, NDAA-compliant alternatives before facing regulatory audits or inspections. Compliance isn't just a legal requirement—it's a critical component of a secure and resilient security infrastructure.
Understand Security Camera Compliance with our guide on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). In this NDAA guide, we talk about what the NDAA regulations mean to the security industry.
Security Compliance Use Case
To modernize its security infrastructure and ensure regulatory compliance, a county sheriff’s office recently upgraded its outdated surveillance system by deploying SCW's NDAA-compliant IP cameras. These advanced cameras are integrated with remote access control, allowing authorized personnel to securely monitor jail facilities, holding cells, and administrative areas in real-time from any location.
This upgrade not only enhances situational awareness and incident response but also supports chain-of-custody requirements and transparency—critical for maintaining public trust and meeting modern law enforcement standards.
To ensure national security and operational continuity, government agencies must deploy purpose-built surveillance systems designed to meet the highest standards of performance, reliability, and compliance.
3. Critical Components of a Government Surveillance System
Surveillance Cameras for Government Use
A secure and effective government surveillance system relies on deploying the right mix of camera technologies tailored to specific environments and threat scenarios.
- Fixed Lens Cameras: Fixed lens cameras, such as SCW's Warrior series, provide dependable coverage for controlled indoor spaces like hallways, lobbies, and secure entrances.
- Wide-Angle Cameras: For broader outdoor surveillance, wide-angle options like the SCW Deputy series are ideal for monitoring expansive areas such as parking lots, courthouse grounds, and perimeter fences.
- Long-Range Cameras: Long-range cameras with license plate recognition capabilities are essential for tracking and logging vehicles approaching military bases and sensitive government buildings—enhancing both access control and investigative capabilities. The Specialist 2.0 is perfect for this as a 2MP Vari-Focal Dedicated License Plate Recognition Camera.
- Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) Cameras: For active monitoring, SCW’s PTZ cameras deliver high-performance zoom and real-time movement tracking, making them ideal for critical incident response.
- Multi-Sensor & 360° Cameras: To minimize blind spots in complex environments like detention centers, airports, and federal facilities, SCW’s multi-sensor and 360° cameras offer panoramic visibility with a single deployment point—reducing equipment needs while maximizing situational awareness.
Need inspiration? Check out this Sample Security Camera System Coverage Map for a manufacturing facility.
Secure Video Storage and Retention
Secure video storage is a critical component of any government surveillance system, with agencies needing to choose between on-premise NVRs and cloud storage based on their compliance, security, and operational requirements.
SCW’s large-capacity on-premise NVRs offer unmatched scalability and control, with options capable of securely storing up to 672TB of footage—ideal for high-resolution, long-retention environments such as police departments, courthouses, and federal buildings. Whether storing video locally or in the cloud, agencies must ensure their storage solutions align with public records laws and law enforcement retention policies.
SCW’s storage systems are designed with government compliance in mind, delivering the reliability, data protection, and scalability required for mission-critical operations.
City Hall & Government Buildings Use Case
To enhance security and streamline operations across multiple facilities, a municipality recently upgraded from outdated DVR systems to a centralized VMS and distributed NVRs. This advanced solution enables seamless surveillance across city hall, public offices, and city council chambers—all from a single, unified interface.
With SCW’s NDAA-compliant technology, authorized personnel can securely access live and recorded footage from multiple buildings, improving incident response, public safety, and transparency during council meetings. The centralized system not only simplifies management but also ensures compliance with municipal security and data retention policies.
4. Integrating Surveillance with Access Control and Alarms
Why Access Control Matters for Government Security
Integrating surveillance with access control and alarm systems is essential for creating a comprehensive security framework in government facilities. Access control plays a critical role in restricting unauthorized entry to sensitive areas such as IT rooms, evidence lockers, and command centers—ensuring that only vetted personnel can access critical infrastructure.
SCW’s cloud-native access control solutions offer mobile credentialing for flexible, secure management, allowing administrators to grant or revoke access in real-time. Detailed audit trails and automated reporting features further support compliance requirements for law enforcement agencies and municipal buildings, providing transparency and accountability for every entry and exit point. This integration enhances overall situational awareness and fortifies physical security against both internal and external threats.
Remote Guarding for Government Facilities
Remote guarding adds a critical layer of real-time protection for government facilities by combining live video monitoring with human intervention. Unlike traditional alarm systems that can overwhelm responders with false alerts, remote guarding enables trained security professionals to actively monitor sites, verify threats, and take immediate action—such as issuing audio warnings or contacting local authorities.
SCW’s remote guarding solutions integrate directly with surveillance and access control systems, allowing centralized oversight of multiple government buildings from a single monitoring interface. This approach not only deters criminal activity before it occurs but also improves response times and minimizes disruption across secure environments.
How we helped enhance courthouse security
To enhance both security and access management, a court facility implemented SCW’s access control system to secure high-sensitivity areas such as judges’ chambers and evidence rooms—ensuring only authorized personnel can enter. At the same time, the facility deployed AI-powered SCW surveillance cameras at public entrances to support real-time security screening and threat detection. This integrated solution improves courtroom safety, safeguards critical areas, and provides a proactive approach to identifying potential risks before they escalate—all while maintaining compliance with judicial security standards.
5. Optimizing Surveillance for Large-Scale Government Projects
Best Practices for Multi-Site & Multi-Building Surveillance
Optimizing surveillance for large-scale government projects requires a strategic, technology-driven approach that ensures consistent security across multiple locations.
The following best practices empower government agencies to maintain high levels of security, compliance, and scalability across complex, multi-site environments:
- Centralized Command Centers: Establishing centralized command centers enables real-time monitoring of federal, state, and local government sites from a single interface—streamlining oversight and response.
- Multi-location VMS Integration: With SCW’s multi-location Video Management System (VMS) integration, agencies can securely access and manage footage across various buildings and departments, improving collaboration and operational efficiency.
- Edge AI Analytics: Leveraging Edge AI analytics further enhances situational awareness by enabling intelligent features like people counting, traffic flow analysis, and automated breach detection.
6. Planning Your Budget for a Secure Government Surveillance System
How to Compare Security Quotes Effectively
When planning a budget for a secure government surveillance system, it's essential to look beyond just the bottom line. Comparing security quotes effectively means evaluating the full value of what's being offered—ensuring the proposed solution meets compliance standards like NDAA, delivers high-performance quality, and includes long-term support.
Carefully review the scope of work in each proposal to understand who will handle installation, ongoing maintenance, and system updates.
Most importantly, ask the right questions up front: “What challenges could arise during implementation?” and “How will failures or system outages be addressed?” A low-cost option may save money in the short term but could compromise performance, compliance, or reliability when it matters most.
Key takeaways:
- Don't just compare price—Ensure quality, compliance, and long-term support.
- Check the scope of work—Clarify who installs, maintains, and supports the system.
- Ask the right questions—“What challenges could arise? How will you handle failures?”
Cost-Effective Strategies for Government Security
Building a secure government surveillance system doesn’t have to strain your budget—smart, cost-effective strategies can ensure both compliance and performance over time. With careful planning, agencies can build a future-ready surveillance infrastructure that stays within budget and meets evolving security demands.
Rather than going all out on a complete system overhaul, phased upgrades offer a practical and cost-effective way for agencies to transition from outdated or non-compliant legacy systems to NDAA-compliant solutions without disrupting daily operations.
Financial support for your security upgrades is often available if you know where to look. By leveraging available federal and state grant programs, agencies can secure funding to offset initial costs and accelerate the modernization of their surveillance system.
Investing in ongoing maintenance and staff training is also a smart way to ensure long-term system reliability, reduce unexpected downtime, and empower personnel to use security technologies effectively.
7. Case Study: Implementing Secure Surveillance for Government Agencies
The U.S. Navy required a surveillance solution for highly sensitive installations—including a nuclear submarine base and munitions storage—that could operate completely offline while meeting strict NDAA compliance standards.
Their previous system required constant network connectivity, creating unacceptable security risks. SCW was selected for its fully standalone architecture, NDAA-compliant hardware, and ability to operate in isolated environments without any cloud connection or ongoing fees.
SCW provided multiple 16-channel NVR systems paired with 4K cameras across four sites, enabling real-time monitoring through multi-monitor setups and SCW’s proprietary ViewStation software. These systems utilize advanced analytics such as line-crossing, intrusion detection, and license plate recognition—features only available when SCW cameras and NVRs are used together.
With US-based support and seamless multi-site management, the Navy is expanding SCW systems across additional locations in the Puget Sound area, citing success in deterring theft, vandalism, and policy violations.
8. Future Proofing Your Security with Compliant, Scalable Solutions
As threats to national, state, and local government facilities continue to evolve, so must the security strategies used to protect them. From military bases and police stations to courthouses and city halls, today’s critical infrastructure demands advanced, scalable, and compliant surveillance systems designed to safeguard sensitive areas and support operational continuity.
Upgrading from outdated, non-compliant equipment to modern NDAA-compliant solutions—such as SCW’s AI-powered cameras, access control systems, and secure video storage—helps agencies mitigate risks, meet regulatory requirements, and enhance situational awareness in real-time.
Future-proofing government surveillance involves more than just hardware. It requires intelligent integration across multiple buildings and sites, centralized command centers, edge analytics for proactive threat detection, and flexible remote access via cloud-native platforms. Agencies are increasingly adopting phased upgrades, utilizing grant funding, and prioritizing ongoing maintenance and training to ensure long-term performance without exceeding budget constraints.
By implementing a strategic, tailored approach to surveillance and access control, government entities can secure their infrastructure, protect personnel and data, and remain resilient in the face of ever-changing security challenges.
9. Security Technology for Smarter Operations: Get Started with SCW Government Solutions
SCW: Your Trusted Partner for Government Security Solutions
When it comes to securing critical government infrastructure, SCW delivers smarter, scalable, and NDAA-compliant solutions trusted by hundreds of agencies across the country. Whether you're protecting city offices, county facilities, or federal installations, SCW offers a comprehensive approach to safety and compliance—providing layered security systems that address escalating threats with precision and speed. From AI-powered surveillance and access control to faster HR responses and streamlined incident reporting, our solutions help government agencies enhance security while reducing the total cost of ownership.
SCW’s equipment is fully NDAA and ONVIF compliant, making it eligible for federal funding and fully aligned with today’s strict regulatory requirements.
Our team works directly with municipalities, law enforcement, defense contractors, and public institutions to design systems that meet specific operational needs.
Submit your government floor plans, and our experts will deliver a custom surveillance and access control design that ensures maximum coverage, real-time threat detection, and audit-ready performance.
The key benefits for SCW Government Clients
- NDAA Compliant Solutions
- Easily give employees access to building areas on a need-to-access basis. Limit access by time of day and/or day of week - learn more
- Lower Total Cost of Ownership—Fair pricing on hardware, centralized cloud-based management for updates and remote access security to lower your TCO.
- Restrict Access to Critical Infrastructure—Touch-free mobile access with audit trails; learn more.
- Easily Share with First Responders—Real-time incident sharing.
- One Login for All Your Locations—Manage multiple sites under one platform.
- Speed up Investigations—Innovative video search and access-control logs reduce investigative overhead.
- Keep Track of Incident Reports—Utilize ViewStation for chain-of-custody and reporting tools.
- Improve Network Cyber Security—Enhanced cybersecurity posture with cloud-based management.