Security access systems - Round table discussions

The economic fallout of the COVID-19 epidemic was felt in supply chain disruptions, higher prices, and shortages of certain goods. The physical security industry was not spared, although the epidemic also presented opportunities for security companies. Changing access control trends triggered by the pandemic are still reverberating throughout the industry, for example. Four years later, the impact of the pandemic is still being felt in the security market, lingering like the symptoms of "long CO...

The security industry offers a vast array of technologies and vendors. This can be overwhelming for end users, who depend on security integrators for guidance and service. But how well do security integrators provide end users with what they need? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the biggest challenges that end users face when working with integrators? 

Technology offers a range of tools to bolster security at public events, including before, during, and after. This year, the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris will draw the attention of the world, requiring the best protection available for the venues, the athletes, and the attendees. Other happenings such as the FIFA World Cup, the Super Bowl, the Tour de France, and the U.S. NBA Finals are momentous events that challenge security and law enforcement personnel to keep them safe. We asked this...

Technological leaps in the last several decades have revolutionised biometrics. The technologies are constantly evolving, spanning facial recognition to iris scanning to fingerprints, to provide new levels of security and convenience. Biometrics are everywhere, from smartphones to border control, constantly evolving to meet the needs of our increasingly digital world. They are also more accurate and easier to use than ever. We asked this week's Expert Panel Roundtable: What’s new with biom...

In the complex world of physical security systems, standards can enable disparate systems to be combined to function together as a cohesive whole. Standards help to ensure that all the “pieces” fit together to create a clear, unified picture. More broadly speaking, standards also play a role in ensuring best practices are deployed in a range of security-related situations. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Which standards have had the greatest positive impact...

There is a complex and interdependent relationship between security and productivity. Good security is needed to make productivity possible, but security measures could, in some instances, hinder workplace efficiency. New technologies are enabling security systems to have a more profound and positive impact on productivity by yielding better intelligence to guide the improvement of workplace practices. Multiple systems that work together, rather than separately, improve the productivity of secur...

Security systems are often seen as an investment, but usually not one that pays dividends. However, newer technologies are enabling end users to extend their efforts to cost-justify a security system beyond the mirage of “measuring what didn’t happen.” Nowadays, security systems provide quantifiable benefits that yield a return on customers’ investments. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How can security systems maximize return on investment (ROI)? 

For many years, security systems produced their share of "data exhaust." Every access control action and each video image became a data point to be stored in perpetuity, with no practical way to use the data. More recently, systems have been developed to enable organizations to analyze data from sensors and other connected devices to gain valuable insights into how their systems are being used, to identify potential vulnerabilities; and even to provide insights into broader enterprise operations...

An organization’s security director manages a staff of security personnel, implements and enforces security policies and procedures, and generally ensures the safety of personnel and visitors to the organization’s premises. Over the years, the role of security director has expanded to include new disciplines such as cybersecurity. More and more, security directors are also taking a “seat at the table” as integral and critical members of a company’s management team....

In the United States, they are called license plate recognition (LPR) systems. In Europe, the more common term is automated license number-plate recognition (ANPR). In either case, the systems provide capabilities that can benefit a range of applications from schools to municipalities to parking lots. Newer technologies can even identify vehicle color, type, make, and model. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What's new with license plate recognition (LPR) and/or automated numbe...

Headlines of violence in our schools are a reminder of the need to keep educational institutions safe. In fact, if there is a positive aspect to the constant bombardment of headlines, it is that it keeps our attention perpetually focused on how to improve school security. But what is the role of physical security systems? As the new school year begins, we asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Are schools safer because of physical security systems? Why or why not? 

As physical security technologies become more complex, it is incumbent on the dealer/integrator to have the skills and expertise needed to ensure that a system operates smoothly. The value of integrators increasingly rests on the skill sets they bring to bear when installing a system. If the skills are missing, there is a problem. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What missing skills among security integrators can cause problems for customers? 

Driving the smart homes market is the convenience of simple technology solutions. Almost every home now has a “smart speaker” that makes it easier than ever for homeowners to interface and control their technology. But where does security fit into the new landscape of smart home systems? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What’s new in smart homes and residential security systems?

Historically, the emphasis of security systems has been on reactivity, whether it’s providing video evidence of an incident or data to support a resulting investigation. Reactivity is core to impactful security, but increasingly, systems are also seeking to be more proactive. A proactive system seeks to prevent events from happening in the first place, thus mitigating the harm to an organization, and making the need for a reactive response moot. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roun...

The role of the integrator/installer in the physical security marketplace is shifting as technologies evolve and applications expand. Integrators are being faced with a need to augment their expertise both in a wider range of systems and deeper into the specifics of each increasingly complex technology. At the end of the day, it falls to the integrator/installer to ensure a system performs as promised, however much a consultant or even a manufacturer might be involved in the process. We asked th...

Deployed across a wide range of devices, the Internet of Things (IoT) collects data to help business owners make decisions on a macro scale as well as at a granular level. The IoT is a network of physical devices embedded with sensors, software, and network connectivity that allows them to collect and share data. We called on this week's Expert Panel Roundtable to comment on the intersection of the IoT and physical security. We asked: How is the Internet of Things (IoT) increasing the effectiven...

Analog video cameras are still used in a variety of applications, primarily because yesterday’s robust and flexible technology is still functioning today, although it has been years, or even decades, since the initial installation. In many cases, this past generation of security cameras is still reliable and effective.  Embracing an installed base of analog cameras is often the most cost-effective approach when updating or expanding a surveillance system. But what about the future? W...

Time flies in the busy world of security, so it’s no surprise that the midpoint of 2023 comes before know it. Let’s pause after the first half of the year to look ahead at what can expect during the second half (Hint: It’s all about AI). We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What will likely be the most important technology development in the security marketplace in the second half of 2023?

A sad irony in the physical security industry has been the lax attention paid historically to the cybersecurity elements of our industry’s systems. However, the picture has improved starkly in recent years as manufacturers have stepped up to meet the cybersecurity challenges and awareness of the issue has become much higher. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What's new in cybersecurity for physical security systems?

Integrators and installers are on the front line of creating most security systems. They are also usually the first point of contact if there is a problem with the system. In general practice, many end users deal with integrators and seldom if ever speak to the manufacturer. Should it be that way? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Why does a manufacturer need a direct relationship with an end user?

Every security system is unique, of course. Specific to each installation are the problems the customer and the integrator may experience along their journey. However, given the installation of hundreds of physical security systems, there are commonalities that occur. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the major pain points when installing a physical security system?

Biometrics is both a mature technology in the physical security world and an innovation perpetually on the cutting edge. Biometric technologies received a boost during the COVID pandemic when “touchless” became a buzzword with particular relevancy to the world of biometrics. Higher security needs, such as “two-factor authentication,” are also driving demand for biometric products. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the latest technology trends in...

Some products may become obsolete faster than others, while some may have a longer life span due to ongoing innovation and demand. Technology and security threats are continuously evolving, and older security systems may no longer be effective in protecting against the latest threats. Additionally, older systems may have outdated technology, making them more vulnerable. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Given rapid technology development, are the lifecycles of security sy...

Some systems and assets are so vital that their incapacity or destruction would have a debilitating impact on security, economic security, public health or safety, or any combination of those factors. This so-called critical infrastructure has historically faced many complex threats. In 2023, we can add growing concerns about cybersecurity to the mix. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What is the largest risk to critical infrastructure in 2023? How can we address it?

There’s always more to talk about in our Expert Panel Roundtable discussions, and we appreciate the variety of opinionated responses offered throughout the year. Looking back at 2022, we found several random and uncategorized Expert Panel responses that were not previously published. We have rescued these responses from our cutting-room floor and present them here in the interest of generating even more discussion.

A multi-factor authentication is a layered approach that requires users to provide two or more verification factors, such as credentials, to gain access to data and applications. If one of the credentials is compromised, the thinking goes, an unauthorized user will still be unable to meet the second authentication requirement and will be denied access to a targeted physical space, computing device, network, or database. Cybersecurity applications have long embraced the idea of MFA, which is also...

With 2023 well underway, it’s a good time to look back on what we learned in the tumultuous previous year. In the security marketplace, there was no shortage of technology developments and a few challenges that kept 2022 interesting, to say the least. But what can we learn from the past? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What changes had the biggest impact on the security marketplace in 2022?

Some trends in the security marketplace continue for several years, while others come and go quickly and are soon forgotten. Scrutinizing a trend’s expected lifespan can help predict its impact on the marketplace. Trends that evaporate seemingly overnight are not useful for the greater good, and they can also distract customers from more enduring subjects. Unfortunately, sometimes hype is just hype. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Which new security trend do you think w...

From lodging to food service to event planning to tourism, the hospitality market faces a large and growing range of security threats and challenges. Given the competitiveness of the market and the heightened flow of information about customer satisfaction via social media, there is more at stake than ever as hospitality professionals seek to ensure the safety and security of guests. We asked this week's Expert Panel Roundtable: What security challenges are impacting the hospitality market of to...

For decades now, usernames and passwords have been a critical, and highly visible, element in data protection and cybersecurity. However, the use of passwords is a far-from-perfect approach to protecting access to computer systems. Nowadays, newer, more sophisticated forms of user identification and authentication have emerged on the scene. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Is the password on the brink of extinction in physical security? Why or why not?