With the constant news of everything from hacking attacks compromising security cameras to store break-ins and looting, it’s an era where businesses large and small need to be on high alert constantly.
Changes in technology and the evolution of ever more sophisticated criminal attacks have made this a very complex time for physical security officials — they have to stay abreast of all the changes that are defining the security landscape today and do everything in their power to keep their companies safe and secure.
Thinkcurity recently published an overview of the five most significant physical security threats today.
“We can expect cyber and physical security threats and vulnerabilities to converge. Our various internet of things (IoT) devices will pose more of a threat to digital and physical security,” the website reads.
Here’s a look at the top threats they identified:
1. Modern Threats are Outrunning Organizational Changes: Modern companies keep trying to update their physical security protocols to address the wave of modern threats. This means physical security has to be folded “into the everyday functions” of a business. While that seems intuitive, criminals who are aiming to attack a company or firm are adapting at a pace that far outruns these organizational realignments. This means physical security teams have to get everyone in a company aligned on what is at stake, train everyone on the team in the latest technologies and protocols, and make sure security stakeholders in a company aren’t siloed away. Instead, they all need to be integrated to work cohesively to respond to any new threat.
2. Hybrid Work Environments Make it Difficult to Keep Track of Who is on Campus: Since nearly every business has embraced hybrid work models since the COVID-19 pandemic, it has made it more challenging for security teams to monitor who is at the company’s physical campus at any given time. There are tools to track who is on site. This includes “mobile guard software” that can allow security officials to have “geolocation data” and software that can pinpoint who is working at home. Another option comes in the form of mobile-first access control systems that allow a security official to know who is in the building in real time.
3. Current Cyber Attacks are Exploiting Connected Tech Vulnerabilities: It’s important that all businesses today embrace modern, cloud-connected technology. That being said, having everything connected to the Internet exposes more points of entry to bad actors who hope to access sensitive data and compromise the physical safety of any given building. Thinkcurity writes that companies need to “bring together cyber security and physical security operations” — it’s the only way to address these multi-pronged attacks that are designed for our IoT-centric world.
4. Labor Shortages Provide Their Own Risks: Much has been made of the current reality of nationwide labor shortages that have hit nearly every sector in the post-pandemic U.S. Thinkcurity stresses that while this has always been a problem for the security industry, it has gotten even worse in recent years. They write that "understaffing makes the problem even worse, leading to burnout and low morale.” This means it’s high time that companies embrace HR and talent management software to pinpoint the right job candidates. Businesses also need to offer competitive incentives to recruit and maintain a steady security workforce.
5. Increased Crime: In recent years, incidences of crime like robbery, burglary, and theft have increased. This has all coincided with an economic downturn as well as the societal ruptures brought about by the pandemic. It’s all made for a big headache for security officials. In order to be ready to address these frequent threats, it might be prudent for businesses to invest in modern security softwares and devices to better offer real-time responses and defenses.
“Security needs to continually adapt to this changing threat landscape. To do this they’ll need to assist organizations in achieving comprehensive situational awareness. They’ll also have to focus on de-escalation to prevent threats from causing more damage than necessary,” Thinkcurity concludes.
It’s a complex — even harrowing — time for companies of all sizes. Security has to be prioritized.