Video Authenticity: ONVIF Announces a Media Signing Draft

ICT News / Video technology / 27 September 2026

Development announced: 26 August 2026. Status at this review: release candidate. ONVIF has announced a Media Signing Add-on draft designed to help compatible tools verify the origin and integrity of surveillance video. See the original ONVIF announcement.

What the proposal is intended to do

The draft describes signing encoded video at its source, such as a supporting camera or encoder. A compatible verification tool can then check the signature and whether the signed sequence has changed. ONVIF says the current scope is video, with audio support planned for a future version.

ONVIF expects the final specification at the end of 2026. The release candidate is therefore a development to track, not a feature to assume is available on every camera or recorder today.

Why businesses should pay attention

Zapture’s view is that export and verification workflows deserve the same planning attention as live viewing. An organisation may have excellent camera coverage yet struggle to retrieve the right period, identify who exported a file or open it on another machine.

Video signing addresses a particular technical question about the signed footage. It does not, by itself, establish the full context of an incident, correct a badly positioned camera or guarantee any legal or insurance outcome.

Questions for your next CCTV review

• Can authorised staff find and export the required time period?
• Are camera and recorder clocks checked as part of maintenance?
• What player or verification software is needed to open an export?
• How will you preserve the original exported file and record who handled it?
• If signed video is required, can the supplier demonstrate support across capture, export and verification?

Keep the upgrade decision practical

Begin with the result your site needs. A reception entrance, a warehouse loading area and a vehicle lane may require different camera views and operating procedures. A new software capability adds value only when the rest of the system produces useful recordings and staff know how to retrieve them.

For a planned replacement, ask for a supported feature list and a demonstration using the proposed equipment. Keep draft standards, future firmware promises and functions currently available in separate parts of the discussion.

Zapture helps businesses plan CCTV systems and ongoing system maintenance around their operating requirements. Pricing is tailored to the project and agreed support scope.

Source: ONVIF press release, 26 August 2026. Checked 27 September 2026.

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