Genetec shares results of research into state of physical security market

The report takes a closer look at how physical security teams across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) are leveraging technology to manage both short-term needs and long-term priorities. The findings of the research, which was conducted in January, offer useful insights for those responsible for developing their organisation’s own infrastructure and security strategies.

Physical security leaders highlight cyber security as a strategic priority and also focus on the accelerating adoption of cloud infrastructure for physical security.

The realities of COVID-19, and the subsequent shift to working remotely and from home, has emphasised the value of technology that can provide greater insight and control. As a result, video analytics, access control and identity management have all been identified as strategic technologies for 2021.

“Last year,” said Cyrille Becker (managing director for Europe at Genetec), “we witnessed a seismic shift in the way companies approach security. The access control boom within facilities showed that the physical security industry is capable of streamlining innovative solutions, and particularly so when there’s a demand for enhanced safety. As we enter a new chapter, the industry must continue to adapt to changing requirements and invest in the latest enabling solutions to help make workplaces safer, healthier and more secure.”

Strategic priority

Cyber crime is primed to reach record heights in 2021 given the rise in the numbers of people working from home in parallel with the growing adoption of the Internet of Things. Set against this backdrop, 67% of respondents to Genetec’s survey suggest that they’re planning to prioritise the improvement of their cyber security strategy this year.

“The rise of cyber crime has absolutely highlighted the fact that cyber and physical security measures can no longer be treated as separate conversations,” observed Christian Morin, vice-president of cloud services and CSO at Genetec. “Physical security professionals must now partner with their colleagues in the IT space to understand the true limits of the security perimeter and mitigate risk. This requires solidifying a resilient cyber-physical security framework to ensure that trusted devices are integrated in the network and subsequently configured, updated and managed throughout their operational life.”

Adoption of cloud and hybrid cloud

Physical security departments have traditionally been slower to adopt the cloud. However, Genetec’s survey results indicate that this particular situation is rapidly changing. Almost two-thirds of respondents report that the pandemic has either somewhat (51%) or greatly (12.5%) accelerated their cloud strategy in relation to physical security.

“The unprecedented shift to remote work and the resulting need for supporting technology has highlighted the importance of cloud computing and, if business leaders had not been convinced of its benefits before, they are likely to be so now,” concluded Morin.

Back in January, Genetec EMEA surveyed physical security professionals based in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Following a review of submissions and data cleansing, 1,550 respondents were included in the sample for analysis.

*For further insights and key takeaways on optimising security operations, the full report can be downloaded from this link: ‘Physical Security in EMEA 2021’