There’s a moment—right after you’ve found the perfect new tool for your security system—when you feel like a genius.
You’ve solved it.
The thing that’s been bugging you for months? Gone. Fixed. Over.
And then you loop in IT.
That’s when everything slows down.
Approvals stall.
Infrastructure concerns bubble up.
Someone mentions “compliance.”
And suddenly your smart, strategic upgrade starts to feel like trying to push a boulder through procurement while blindfolded.
The relationship feels difficult… more difficult than it should.
We wanted to know why so we did what any well adjusted adult does and asked Reddit:
“Why does the relationship between security and IT feel so… difficult and how can we get on IT’s good side?” r/sysadmin
The IT people of Reddit had a LOT to say.
Helpful. Frustrated. One kinda weird one. But mostly? Coming from a place of goodwill.
Buried in all of it was a clearer picture of why this tension exists—and what we, as security, can do to fix it.
Because you’re not asking for favors. You’re trying to get IT buy-in for the security tools that protect people, property, and peace of mind.
This one came up a lot.
The most common theme: nobody told us.
It’s not that IT is against you.
It’s that they’re already overloaded and weren’t invited into the conversation early enough to plan for it.
We’ve felt this frustration too—from the other side.
Security wants uptime, retention, and compliance.
IT cares about compatibility, permissions, and infrastructure health.
We’re both trying to reduce risk—but from different angles, using different checklists.
When those don’t align, tension creeps in.
We’re not just trying to be annoying—we just want the proper infrastructure to secure what’s most valuable, protect the company, and safeguard the organization.
You’re swamped.
They’re swamped.
You get blamed when video is missing.
They get blamed when something breaks.
You have no insight into network infrastructure.
They have no insight into which cameras actually matter.
But we’re all trying to keep things running—and the system secure.
You’re not in competition.
You’re just working in parallel silos that should be connected.
Let’s break that down:
That’s a lot of overlap.
It isn’t us vs. them.
It’s just… us.
We can’t say it any better than this Redditor.
So before you tell IT that you already have a PO for The Boring Toolbox mayyyyybeeee frame it like this:
“We’re exploring options for camera health monitoring—can I get your thoughts before we move forward?”
Even if IT doesn’t have time to dive in, the gesture builds trust.
You might love the uptime reports but IT is wondering about permissions, logins, and network load.
So when you’re talking about a new tool, consider things like:
If yes—call that out early and share how the tool handles it.
Transparency builds trust—and saves time.
Pro-Tip: you could even share some resources like video links, data sheets, or a sample report like the one below. Make it easy for them to say yes.
IT isn’t sold by uptime dashboards.
They’re sold by “fewer helpdesk tickets,” “less Excel,” and “no 2 AM panic calls.”
If you’re asking them to adopt something new, make sure they understand what it takes off their plate—not just what it adds to yours.
Frame conversations in terms of shared benefits:
We’re all just trying to survive the workday. A little goodwill goes a long way.
Donuts. Jokes. Empathy.
Even small talk about your shared hatred of [insert terrible vendor here] can change the tone of your relationship with IT.
When the relationship isn’t just transactional, collaboration becomes easier. And that means smoother rollouts, faster approvals, and more room to do your actual job.
And if you’ve ever had an IT ally who “just made things happen”—you already know how powerful that can be.
If IT helped roll something out that’s working well? Tell someone.
Even better, put it in an email or recap deck and cc the right people.
A little recognition turns allies into champions.
This is the part where we mention The Boring Toolbox.
Because it really is one of the few tools designed with both teams in mind.
Security gets real-time camera health, SD card alerts, and compliance reports.
IT gets centralized dashboards, Slack/Teams integrations, and fewer surprise support tickets.
Both get fewer headaches, better visibility, and more confidence in the system.
It doesn’t change your system. It just makes it easier to manage—together.
Need to see it to wrap your head around the magic that is The Boring Toolbox? Check out our youtube videos or sign up for 30-day free trial today.
IT isn’t the enemy.
They’re just overworked, under-consulted, and not here for another headache.
Start earlier. Communicate clearly. Lead with empathy.
And if you can, bring snacks.
It’s the newsletter security professionals use to work smarter. We promise you’ll learn stuff and enjoy a few blissful moments of productive procrastination.
Your go-to XProtect eXPerts. We learn the technical stuff that will save you time and make it less boring.
Your go-to XProtect eXPerts. We learn the technical stuff that will save you time and make it less boring.
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