Security software

Intercity has signed a new sporting deal with Bristol Bears that will see it move into the South West for the first time. The technology solutions provider, which marked 40 years in business in 2026, has become an official club partner ahead of the 2026/27 season in an agreement that will see it support IT Managed Services, Cloud, Cybersecurity and Communications for the rapidly expanding men’s and women’s teams. Major positive impact With technology playing an increasingly critical role in elite sport, the company will support the Bears as the club continues to invest in innovation on and off the field. The one-year deal will also see Intercity become the official lower back-of-shirt partner for Bristol Bears Women, who has recently made the high-profile signing of England Red Roses legend Ellie Kildunne. Oliver Hayward, Chief Revenue Officer at Intercity, commented: “This is a major milestone for our business, giving us a new presence in the South West, whilst also extending our footprint in the sporting world - where we already have similar agreements with Birmingham City Football Club and Edgbaston. Bristol Bears and Bristol Bears Women are very ambitious and share our values of developing talent and delivering a major positive impact to the communities we both operate in.” Modern high-performance sport He continued: “There is a real buzz around rugby in the city, and we want to equip both teams with the robust IT foundations and technology innovations they require to make the most of performance analytics and the matchday experience.” “The sponsorship element of the deal will also raise awareness of the Intercity name in a relatively untapped area for us, with stadium branding, digital engagement and, the icing on the cake, our logo on the lower backs of the Bristol Bears Women’s shirts.” Through the partnership, Intercity will support Bristol Bears’ continued growth and innovation in Premiership rugby, recognizing the vital role technology plays in modern high-performance sport. It also reflects a shared commitment to developing talent. Just as Bristol Bears Women are committed to growing the women's game, the Birmingham headquartered firm is dedicated to creating opportunities for women in technology through career development, apprenticeships, graduate pathways and mentoring. Developing female talent Daisie Mayes, Bears Women General Manager, added her support: "We're delighted to welcome Intercity to Bristol Bears. Its commitment to developing female talent and creating opportunities for women in technology really resonates with what we're building within our women's program.” “Having its support as our lower back-of-shirt partner is a fantastic endorsement of our ambitions, and we're excited to work together as we continue to grow the team and inspire the next generation." High-performance environments Intercity's community focus also mirrors the work of the Bristol Bears Foundation, with the technology company supporting charities including Acorns Children's Hospice, the Army Benevolent Fund and Kids Village to make a lasting impact beyond the workplace. Bristol Bears CEO Tom Tainton concluded: “As we continue to invest in high-performance environments across our men's and women's programmes, we're excited to work alongside Intercity, a partner that truly understands the vital role technology plays in enabling success both on and off the field.”

Non-human identities in Fortune 500 companies grew 480% in the last six months alone, and enterprises have no visibility into most of them. The moment an AI agent is deployed, it inherits elevated human permissions and moves at machine speed, touching data in seconds that would take a human a career to reach. This invisible layer of the new autonomous workforce is rapidly becoming the fastest-growing attack surface in enterprise security. Until now, there's been no infrastructure purpose-built to govern what agents can see and do, leaving sensitive data, critical systems, and regulatory obligations increasingly at risk. Black Hat 2026 Today at Black Hat 2026, Cyera launched Agent Guardian, built to make every AI agent as visible and accountable as a human employee. Agent Guardian goes beyond the prompt and the response, monitoring every tool call, database query, and reasoning step in between. Alongside Agent Guardian, Cyera also introduced Cyera Endpoint, bringing AI guardrails directly to employee devices for local agents that operate outside corporate network controls, where they are increasingly doing their most sensitive work. Together, they extend the trust layer Cyera is building for the agentic enterprise, answering what an agent can reach and what it should be allowed to do with it.  Accelerate AI adoption “AI agents have become a new class of enterprise identity. But the fundamental shift isn't that organizations have more identities; it's that the gap between permission and execution has disappeared," said Tamar Bar-Ilan, cofounder and CTO of Cyera. “Agent Guardian and Cyera Endpoint give organizations the visibility and runtime control to govern this new reality, enabling them to accelerate AI adoption without putting sensitive data at risk.” Built to secure the agentic enterprise, from the device to the cloud Agent Guardian fills the critical gap between rapid agentic adoption and operational control, organizing the agent security journey around a continuous, systematic operational lifecycle:  Discover—Account for every agent: Automatically inventories every AI application and agent running across endpoints, SaaS platforms, and cloud environments, including shadow agents and MCP servers security teams didn't know existed, and maps exactly what data each one can reach. Govern—Set the rules: Defines what each agent is allowed to do, flags when it drifts from its intended purpose, and continuously audits for overprivileged access and risky configurations. Protect—Stop threats in real time: Operates inline within the execution path and uses AI-driven policy and content evaluations to intercept dangerous tool calls, block unauthorized data transfers, and quarantine compromised agents before execution. Validate—Prove the guardrails hold: Continuously red-teams defenses against prompt injection, jailbreaking, and privilege escalation, and generates audit-ready compliance reports to satisfy frameworks like the EU AI Act. Whether enterprises are deploying agents built on AWS Bedrock, or managing developer agents running on employee devices or rolling out Microsoft 365 Copilot, Agent Guardian secures the entire agentic surface from one platform, giving security teams the visibility to see every agent, the precision to govern what it touches, and the runtime control to stop it before it causes harm. AI Guardrails: where agents work Agent Guardian enforces policy wherever AI interacts with enterprise data, including through platform APIs, AI gateways, browser extension, agent framework hooks, and remote scans of employee devices. That last control point has become increasingly important as developers adopt local agents such as Claude Code and Cursor, where activity never crosses a network boundary and traditional security tools have little or no visibility. To add runtime protection to where local activity happens, Cyera today also introduced Cyera Endpoint, a lightweight endpoint control that brings Agent Guardian's policies directly to the device. It provides live visibility into sanctioned and shadow local agent activity, classifies and protects sensitive files before they're accessed or leave the machine, and blocks data from reaching unauthorized personal AI accounts, enabling consistent governance across cloud, SaaS, and endpoint environments. Built for every agent, across every platform Cyera covers the full agentic surface, from desktop agents like Claude Code and Cursor to enterprise platforms like Microsoft Copilot Studio, Salesforce Agentforce, and Snowflake Cortex AI, to custom cloud deployments on AWS Bedrock, Microsoft Foundry, and Vertex AI.“AI is only as trustworthy as the data behind it,” added Mayank Upadhyay, Chief Security & Trust Officer at Snowflake. “Working with Cyera lets Snowflake customers see every Cortex AI agent in use and understand exactly what data it can reach, so they can adopt agentic AI with the same confidence they place in their data.” To see Agent Guardian and Cyera Endpoint in action, visit Cyera at Black Hat 2026, Booth #4152.

Zero Networks, the foremost provider of Zero Trust security solutions, announced Least Agency Enforcement, a new capability that applies the Open Worldwide Application Security Project’s (OWASP) principle of Least Agency to help organizations safely deploy AI agents. Lateral Movement Exposure Report Zero Networks’ 2026 Lateral Movement Exposure Report research reveals that nearly 80% of enterprises have already deployed internal AI agents, yet two-thirds lack governance policies for them — creating rapidly expanding, unmanaged attack surfaces. As organizations grant AI agents the ability to access enterprise systems, invoke privileged tools, and make decisions with minimal human oversight, they must also define and enforce appropriate levels of autonomy. The OWASP Agentic Applications Top 10 Project’s Least Agency principle recommends constraining an agent’s autonomy, tool access, and decision-making authority to reduce the impact of prompt injection, privilege abuse, and compromised AI agents. Least Agency Enforcement Using identity-based microsegmentation, policy automation, and just-in-time MFA for privileged access, Zero Networks’ Least Agency Enforcement ensures that AI agents communicate only with explicitly authorized systems, only access approved resources, and require human approval before performing sensitive administrative actions. Unlike governance frameworks that document policy, Zero Networks enforces Least Agency across cloud, on-premises, Kubernetes, IoT/OT, and hybrid environments. “Least privilege works because it is simple: give people access to what they need, nothing more. We're doing the same thing for AI agents, except now it must be automatic, because nobody has time to babysit a thousand agents by hand,” said Benny Lakunishok, CEO and Co-founder of Zero Networks. “If an agent gets fooled or misused, it should hit a wall almost immediately, not wander around the network looking for something valuable. That's the bet we're making: less freedom for the agent now, which beats explaining a breach later.” With Zero Networks’ Least Agency Enforcement, organizations can: Limit AI agents to only the systems and services required for their assigned task Prevent lateral movement between applications, infrastructure, and administrative systems Require Just-in-Time MFA before AI agents access privileged ports or sensitive infrastructure Automatically generate and enforce least-privilege communication policies without manual rule creation Contain compromised, manipulated, or over-permissioned AI agents before they can impact critical business systems Least Agency Enforcement builds upon Zero Networks’ AI Security platform, including AI Agent Control, AI Segmentation, AI SaaS Control, and protection for enterprise LLM deployments. Together, these capabilities provide organizations with an enforcement layer that allows AI innovation to proceed without sacrificing security or cyber resilience. Availability Least Agency Enforcement is available now.  Zero Networks at Black Hat USA Zero Networks will showcase Least Agency Enforcement and its AI security platform at Black Hat USA 2026 in Booth #1852.

Commvault, a pioneer in unified resilience at enterprise scale, announced a new integration with Google Threat Intelligence, Google’s comprehensive threat intelligence platform, that incorporates Google Threat Intelligence data and scanning capabilities into Commvault Threat Scan workflows. Through this collaboration, Commvault can help customers transform global threat intelligence into actionable recovery insights, enabling organizations to identify clean recovery points faster and accelerate recovery following cyberattacks. Recovering data challenge When cyberattacks occur, organizations often face a critical challenge: determining which recovery points are safe to restore. While security teams may quickly identify indicators of compromise (IOCs), recovery teams still need to validate backup data before recovery can begin, delaying recovery efforts when every minute of downtime matters. Google Threat Intelligence Google Threat Intelligence combines Mandiant frontline intelligence, VirusTotal’s crowdsourced intelligence, and Google threat insights gained from protecting billions of users. Integrating Commvault Threat Scan workstreams with Google Threat Intelligence helps customers analyze protected workloads for malware, while also helping organizations identify threats and pinpoint which recovery points are compromised. Commvault Threat Scan customers will also receive actionable threat context from Google Threat Intelligence for threats found in their environment to help with further research and remediation.  Introducing new scanning platforms As part of this release, Commvault is also introducing new scanning capabilities that collect file hashes inline during backup operations. File hashes, like individual fingerprints, provide a fast and easy way to quickly check recovery points against threat intelligence indicators so teams can identify clean files to be used for recovery.  Commvault’s inline inspection capability allows customers to start with rapid threat intelligence validation and selectively perform deeper malware, encryption, and forensic analysis when additional inspection is required. This layered approach helps organizations accelerate recovery decisions while maintaining confidence in the integrity of restored data.  These new threat insights and scanning capabilities strengthen Commvault’s Synthetic Recovery capability, which uses an AI-enabled process to automatically detect threats and surgically remove them during recovery while keeping the “good” data intact. Customers can then make the most complete recovery possible.   Authority comments “Businesses need confidence that the data they’re restoring is clean,” said Pranay Ahlawat, Chief Technology and AI Officer at Commvault. “By combining Threat Scan and inline scanning with Google Threat Intelligence, we’re helping customers validate recovery points faster and accelerate clean recovery when it matters most.”  “Organizations are looking for ways to strengthen cyber resilience while reducing complexity during incident response and recovery,” said Miton Adhikari, Head of Google Security OEM Partnerships. “Through our collaboration with Commvault, customers will be able to apply Google Threat Intelligence within recovery workflows to make faster, more informed recovery decisions and reduce recovery uncertainty.”  This announcement builds upon Commvault’s ongoing collaboration with Google Cloud, including expanded cyber resilience capabilities for Google Cloud environments via Clumio, and support for Google Cloud workloads.  Availability  The Google Threat Intelligence integration, inline scanning capabilities, and associated Threat Scan enhancements are expected to be available in the coming months.

Gallagher Security is proud to celebrate Corey Russell, Technical Solutions Specialist - The Americas, as a recipient of the 2026 Security Innovator Award from Security Business and SecurityInfoWatch.com - the industry's only recognition program based entirely on peer nominations. Recognition Corey's recognition centers on a problem most of the industry had simply learned to live with: the pain of migrating a site off a legacy access control system. When Gallagher's team set out to build QuickSwitch, a tool to make that migration simple and cost-effective, Corey asked the question that shaped the solution development: what happens to the data? About Corey Russell A self-taught programmer who started out writing basic Python scripts, Corey used that grounding to dig into how legacy ODBC-style databases store their data, then found a way to map it cleanly onto Gallagher's access control platform Command Centre. The result was a solution that extracts and converts data from a range of legacy systems, removing one of the biggest barriers End Users face when they want to switch. End user benefits via QuickSwitch "Way too often the data/software side of conversions is pushed off to "someone else”, said Jeff Ogborn, Gallagher Director of Complex Solutions, who nominated Russell for the award. “Corey’s contribution to this program removes yet one more obstacle for End Users and contributes to the streamlined approach that QuickSwitch offers." That End-User first instinct led Corey to build a window viewer that lets users pull connective data into standard CSV files, clean it up, correct errors, and add any missing configuration - all before it's imported into the new system. It's a small step that removes a large amount of manual, error-prone data entry from what used to be one of the most tedious parts of any system conversion. End Users migrating to Gallagher have taken notice. Feedback consistently points to significant time savings and relief at no longer having to manually rebuild databases from scratch during a system switch. Corey Russell's comment "It's an honor to be recognized as a 2026 Security Innovator, especially for work that grew out of trying to solve a very practical problem for our customers," Russell said of the recognition. "I'm grateful to Jeff for the nomination and for recognizing the work behind QuickSwitch. This project has really been about listening to the people doing these migrations, understanding where the process creates unnecessary friction, and finding ways to make that experience faster, easier, and more reliable." This year's Security Innovator honorees represent a diverse range of security industry experts spanning developers, consultants, field leaders, and executives across the security industry.

Ping Identity, a pioneer in securing digital identities for the world’s largest enterprises, announced that its patient identity verification and fraud protection capabilities for MyChart are listed in Epic Toolbox. Modernizing patient access Healthcare organizations are continuing to modernize patient access experiences while balancing security, privacy, and operational efficiency. Account creation and recovery in MyChart environments require organizations to support seamless patient experiences while incorporating identity verification, fraud detection, and adaptive risk response into digital workflows. MyChart details Ping Identity provides patient identity verification combined with real-time fraud and risk detection as a packaged solution for healthcare organizations using MyChart. Powered by dynamic orchestration, these capabilities bring identity verification, fraud and risk detection into MyChart-connected workflows, allowing organizations to automate and secure patient onboarding and account recovery while reducing friction for legitimate users. The solution includes three core capabilities for MyChart environments that help organizations address these needs: Identity Verification: Verify patients during account creation and recovery using government-issued ID, biometric matching, and liveness checks Threat and Risk Detection: Detect synthetic identities, account takeover attempts, and suspicious activity using real-time behavioral and environmental signals No-Code Orchestration and Dynamic Response: Guide patients through the appropriate account creation or recovery flow in real time, with the ability to allow, challenge, step up, or block interactions based on risk By enabling healthcare organizations to move beyond static authentication toward continuous, verified trust across patient interactions, the solution helps reduce fraud during account creation and recovery while improving patient access experiences and operational efficiency. The solution works with existing MyChart-connected healthcare systems, helping organizations strengthen security without replacing current infrastructure. Supporting privacy-preserving standards Ping Identity’s identity verification approach is designed to support privacy-preserving standards. It uses minimal data collection and policies that support rapid deletion of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) following identity verification. This supports healthcare organizations’ privacy and compliance objectives, including HIPAA-related requirements. “Healthcare organizations are being asked to do more with less while protecting increasingly sensitive data,” said Steve Gwizdala, VP Healthcare at Ping Identity. “Ping Identity helps secure patient account creation and recovery connected to MyChart, reducing risk and operational burden without adding friction for patients.”

In the modern world of intelligent security, AI cameras and processing units (often called "AI boxes" or "AI servers") are transforming surveillance. They can detect specific behaviors — like someone entering a restricted area, loitering, or a vehicle parking illegally — and send immediate alerts. This represents a significant leap from older systems that merely recorded video for later review. However, a common challenge arises when organizations use devices from multiple manufacturers. Each brand often comes with its own proprietary software, creating a fragmented ecosystem. Unified Video Management Software (VMS) platform Security personnel might need to switch between several different programs to monitor all their cameras. Furthermore, critical evidence — such as video clips triggered by an alarm — is typically stored locally on each device. If that device's storage fills up, new footage can overwrite the old, potentially erasing vital evidence before anyone has a chance to review it. Security personnel might need to switch between several different programs to monitor all their cameras This is where a Unified Video Management Software (VMS) platform becomes indispensable. Acting as a central nervous system, it integrates disparate devices into a cohesive operational framework. Solutions like SVMSPro exemplify this approach, seamlessly merging feeds from diverse AI hardware into a single, intuitive interface. Using SVMSPro as a case study, we can outline the core capabilities of a modern unified AI management platform: Simplified Multi-Brand Management Eliminate the complexity of managing multiple software applications. A unified platform provides a single dashboard to view, control, and manage all AI devices — regardless of manufacturer. This consolidation dramatically streamlines daily operations, reduces training overhead, and provides a holistic view of the entire security infrastructure. Unifying AI surveillance application. Centralized & Secure Evidence Storage Relying on the limited local storage of edge devices is a liability. Critical evidence from alarms is vulnerable to being overwritten and lost. SVMSPro solves this at the source. The moment any connected AI device detects an event — whether it’s intrusion, loitering, or object removal — SVMSPro receives the alert in real time and immediately triggers intelligent actions: Start high-quality alarm-triggered recording, Capture detailed snapshots, Activate PTZ tracking to track the subject automatically, And securely store everything on the centralized SVMSPro platform — not on fragmented front-end devices. This ensures evidence is permanently preserved and readily accessible. Users can swiftly search, review, and retrieve any alarm-related video or image via the web client or desktop application — anytime, anywhere. Illegal parking snapshot. Organized access & smart alerting Effective security is a team effort with tiered responsibilities. A unified platform enables precise, role-based access control. With SVMSPro, administrators can define user roles, create custom accounts, and assign specific video channels — even from different brands — to each operator. A guard may only access parking lot feeds, while a manager receives alerts for perimeter breaches.  This granular control enhances operational efficiency, safeguards data privacy, and ensures team focus. Furthermore, real-time alerts can be pushed to mobile apps, guaranteeing immediate notification for the relevant personnel. User management. Integrated data analysis By aggregating data across all connected devices, a unified platform unlocks powerful analytics. It transforms scattered data points into actionable intelligence, generating comprehensive reports on event trends — from peak intrusion times in retail to occupancy heatmaps in large facilities. For instance, by ingesting people-counting data from AI cameras, SVMSPro can produce detailed daily, weekly, monthly, and annual traffic flow reports, supporting informed business and operational decisions. People flow statistics. Conclusion: From fragmented data to cohesive insight A unified management platform is the critical backbone for any multi-brand AI security deployment. It transforms a collection of isolated smart devices into a synchronized, intelligent network. The practical applications are vast: Retail: Combines loss prevention with customer behavior analytics. Transportation Hubs: Manages vehicle flow and enhances passenger safety. Manufacturing: Monitors compliance in restricted hazardous areas. Smart Cities: Correlates events across districts to provide a unified operational picture for public safety. By centralizing control, securing evidence, and delivering intelligent, role-specific alerts, platforms like SVMSPro empower organizations to evolve from simply observing events to understanding and acting upon them with unprecedented speed and clarity.

In the ever-evolving struggle between cyber offense and defense, attackers have almost always moved first. In the emerging domain of artificial intelligence, this pattern appears to be repeating itself. Yet, global cybersecurity pioneers appear disconcertingly disengaged. Just over half even agree that AI-driven attacks are set to become dramatically more complex and widespread. Equally concerning is the widespread apathy regarding AI’s role in expanding an already sprawling corporate attack surface. This is no small oversight. A recent global Trend Micro study showed that 73 percent of organizations have already suffered cybersecurity incidents due to unknown or unmanaged assets. In an era where digital blind spots are both common and consequential, hesitation is a risk few can afford. Security has to shift from reactive protection to proactive risk exposure management. The opportunity and the risk of AI Threat actors are now using jailbroken versions of legitimate generative AI tools such as ChatGPT The potential for AI to transform enterprise operations is enormous, but so is the risk. The warnings have been loud and clear. As early as the first quarter of 2024, the UK’s National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) stated that AI would “almost certainly increase the volume and heighten the impact of cyber-attacks over the next two years.” Their prediction is proving accurate. Threat actors are now using jailbroken versions of legitimate generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, freely traded as services on the dark web, as well as malicious models like FraudGPT, built on open-source large language models (LLMs). These tools are no longer just about automating tasks; they are turbocharging the entire attack lifecycle. From more convincing phishing emails and precise target selection, to sophisticated malware creation and lateral movement within breached systems, AI is driving a step-change in threat actor capability. Integrating open-source models However, this is only one side of the coin. The other, often overlooked, is AI’s impact on the corporate attack surface. Even well-meaning employees can unintentionally expand organizational risk. The widespread use of AI-as-a-service tools like ChatGPT introduces significant shadow IT concerns, especially when sensitive business information is input without proper oversight. Data processing and storage practices for many of these services remain opaque, raising additional compliance concerns under regulations like the UK GDPR and the EU’s AI Act. For those organizations that choose to build or customize their own LLMs, the risks multiply. Integrating open-source models may expose businesses to vulnerabilities, misconfigurations and flawed dependencies. Each new tool and environment adds to the complexity of an attack surface already strained by remote work setups, sprawling cloud deployments, IoT ecosystems, and accelerating digital transformation programmes. Managing the expanding risk landscape Many have already shared security incidents where a lack of asset visibility was the root cause Many security pioneers do understand what is at stake. Nine in ten agree that effective attack surface management is tied directly to business risk. They cite a long list of potential consequences, disruptions to operations, reputational damage, declining competitiveness, strained supplier relationships, financial losses and reduced staff productivity. Many have already experienced security incidents where a lack of asset visibility was the root cause. Despite this recognition, however, the response remains largely inadequate. Fewer than half of global organizations use dedicated tools to monitor their attack surface proactively. On average, only a quarter of cybersecurity budgets are allocated to managing cyber risk exposure. Third-party risk management is similarly neglected: fewer than half of firms actively monitor their vendors for vulnerabilities. This inertia creates an obvious contradiction. Security pioneers understand the business implications of unmanaged risk, but they are not equipping themselves with the tools or processes to respond. That needs to change—and fast. How AI can help defenders take the lead There is good news: AI is not only a weapon for cybercriminals. It can also be a powerful ally for defenders, particularly in the field of Cyber Risk Exposure Management (CREM). The best tools in this category use AI to continuously scan an organization’s entire digital footprint. They can automatically detect vulnerabilities, spot misconfigurations, identify rogue or shadow assets, and provide prioritized remediation recommendations. CREM platforms apply contextual filtering to reduce false positives and elevate the most urgent threats Intelligent algorithms can also analyze network behavior to identify anomalies that could signal a breach in progress. Unlike traditional tools, which often drown analysts in noise, CREM platforms apply contextual filtering to reduce false positives and elevate the most urgent threats. For overburdened security teams, this enables a far more focused and effective response. However, the keyword here is “continuous.” The nature of today’s IT environments, especially in the cloud, is dynamic and fast-moving. Assets appear and disappear within minutes. Static, point-in-time assessments are no longer sufficient. Yet more than half of organizations still lack continuous scanning processes. This leaves them exposed to risks that might persist undetected for weeks or months. Overcoming barriers to adoption So what is holding organizations back? In many cases, it’s not the technology itself but the internal politics of investment. Security pioneers interested in CREM tools often prioritize real-time alerting, clear dashboards, and seamless integration with their existing environments. All of this is now achievable. The challenge lies in securing board-level support. Many security teams still work in silos, disconnected from the broader business Boards are often cautious when it comes to cybersecurity investment, particularly when immediate ROI is not clear. To gain their trust, security pioneers must learn to speak the language of business risk, not technical threat. They must frame cyber exposure in terms of reputational impact, regulatory liability, operational continuity, and investor confidence. There is also a cultural component. Many security teams still work in silos, disconnected from the broader business. This limits their influence and makes it harder to embed security as a strategic enabler. In the AI era, this divide must be bridged. Cybersecurity must become a board-level concern, and risk exposure must be treated as a fundamental operational issue. Time to act We are at a critical inflection point. The AI revolution is not on the horizon, it is already here. Threat actors are moving rapidly to exploit it, leveraging tools and techniques that were unthinkable just a few years ago. Meanwhile, organizations remain slow to respond. Too few are investing in the tools, processes, and people needed to manage their risk exposure effectively. AI can be used not only to attack but to defend. CREM tools powered by AI offer a powerful way to regain visibility, restore control, and build lasting resilience. They enable proactive rather than reactive security. And they help organizations align their cybersecurity strategy with their broader business objectives. Security teams have to elevate the conversation. They must advocate not just for new tools, but for a new mindset, one that treats cyber risk as an enterprise risk, and one that prioritizes continuous visibility as a prerequisite for resilience.

In the past, security and IT teams operated independently, but today collaboration is critical. Modern security systems rely on various devices and systems that are linked to internal and external networks. Without IT involvement, physical security can become a weak point for cybersecurity. Although these groups have made headway in partnering up to ensure the successful implementation of new solutions, often there’s still a disconnect. Differing skills, priorities, and unique ways of thinking have contributed to siloed ways of working. Unified security technologies Thankfully, solutions do exist to help improve coordination between teams and departments Other factors can also make collaboration more difficult. Budget limitations and staff turnover may result in a lack of specialized security training among operators, who don’t know which stakeholders to engage or when. Staff may be willing to collaborate, but do they know who should be alerted when there’s an event? If everyone is alerted to everything, those who don’t need that information will eventually start to tune out. Thankfully, solutions do exist to help improve coordination between teams and departments. Unified security technologies can enhance collaboration, streamline communication, and improve response times. This enables cross-functional teams to respond faster, make better decisions, and work together to enhance overall security. IT and physical security teams Physical security teams are experts at identifying and mitigating physical threats to the organization. IT teams know the ins and outs of keeping systems and networks secure. Both roles and skill sets are critical to securing the enterprise, but siloed operations create barriers to effective collaboration. Because IT and physical security teams have different mandates, meeting the needs of both can be tricky. In some organizations, different departments or specialties also have their own reporting structure and may have different ways of working. Silos may even exist within departments. Overcoming challenges to collaboration Addressing these challenges is the first step toward improving collaboration For example, floor security, dispatchers, investigators, and loss prevention specialists may be used to operating independently in their day-to-day routines. They may not always share data or involve each other in decision-making. Pioneers of these departments are used to being in charge of their domains and may resist initiatives that appear to threaten this independence.  Addressing these challenges is the first step toward improving collaboration. Organizations need effective tools to filter out the noise and ensure that the right people get the information that’s relevant to them every time. There are tools available to help teams collaborate effectively, stay accountable for completing tasks, and keep track of what’s been done while maintaining departmental goals and objectives. The right technology can help break down silos The first step to improve collaboration is to break down silos between your security systems. Choosing a unified security platform creates a solid foundation for cross-functional collaboration. It ensures that your physical security and IT teams are reading from the same database. Everyone can see potential risks across both digital systems and physical sites. Unified security solutions centralize monitoring, alarm management, and reporting in a single interface. This helps security teams manage incidents, run investigations, and oversee all security policies. Risks of real-time cybersecurity  Data from security systems can be useful to analyze and improve operations and customer experience Within the same platform, IT experts can have a comprehensive view of real-time cybersecurity risks. They can also implement a single data protection and privacy strategy across all locations. Built-in cybersecurity tools help to standardize encryptions, multi-factor authentications, user privileges, and more across the enterprise. In many organizations, colleagues from other departments also find great value in having access to this information. Data from security systems can be useful to analyze and improve operations, customer experience, facilities management, and more. There are many ways to collaborate using a unified security system. Depending on your goals and operating procedures, you have different ways to go about it. The starting point is always to simply get everyone on the same page. Leveraging technology for more effective collaboration A unified security software platform can not only manage your video surveillance, access control, automatic license plate recognition (ALPR), and other physical security systems, but also data from many other kinds of IoT devices and databases. The volume of data is immense, but thankfully these systems can offer ways to filter out the noise and keep operators focused on the most relevant data for their work. Being able to quickly gather, analyze, and share data with other team members can make or break an emergency response. In one case, an attack at a convention center was thwarted after a team member monitoring social media mentions of an event noticed threats published online. When security operators were alerted, they were able to use video analytics to identify the suspect at the event. Using a unified security platform, the operators were able to send the camera view to other team members near the suspect. In the end, they were able to stop the attack through multi-departmental collaboration. Right security platform  The right security platform can also help you drive more effective and proactive operational decision-making The right security platform can also help you drive more effective and proactive operational decision-making. When bringing datasets from disparate systems together, it's easier to discover relationships and make changes to business operations. For example, in a retail environment, combining access control, heat maps, and point of sale (POS) data can provide insights into customer activity. This kind of data may be used for things like loss prevention, but it can also be helpful to improve customer experience by improving traffic flow or directing staff toward the busiest areas of the store. The importance of automation One of the most important ways a unified security platform can optimize operations and encourage collaboration is to leverage automation to prioritize and triage alerts. This reduces false alarms and streamlines emergency responses. The reality today is that security operators aren’t always specialists. In K-12 school campuses, for example, the person monitoring the system is often an administrator or teacher. A non-specialist operator may be comfortable using the system in their day-to-day routine, but what about when the unexpected happens? If they don’t know what to do in an emergency, precious time may be wasted while they look up written instructions or call a colleague to help. Instead of keeping your SOPs in a paper binder, you can digitize them so that your security platform guides operators. They immediately have the steps to follow in an emergency. The system can even automatically alert internal or external stakeholders if certain conditions are met.  Pros of automation Automation may also reduce false alarms. Nuisance alerts are a real problem for many organizations because they pull resources away from important tasks. When there are many false alarms, operators can also become desensitized to them, which slows response in a real emergency. Nuisance alerts are a real issue for many corps because they pull help away from vital tasks There are several ways that a unified security platform reduces false alarms. When data from multiple systems is brought into the same platform, a door-forced-open event can be cross-referenced with footage from nearby cameras or motion sensors. The system is programmed to do this automatically and issue a priority alert if there’s both a door forced open and motion detected in a restricted zone. Or, when a door open alert happens, the system can direct operators to first check nearby cameras and then decide whether or not to send a security guard to investigate. Every organization is unique and automations will reflect that. Stadiums or public transit may want to automate notifications to stakeholders’ phones, change the message on a digital marquee, or broadcast a public announcement when there’s something to communicate. In a school context, perhaps there is a panic button under the front desk, which triggers a threat alert. When the button is pressed, all classroom doors are locked from the outside. Teachers can get a text message notification warning them about the threat, and local police are alerted instantly. Practical steps for building a collaborative security environment As exciting as it can be to explore the possibilities of new technologies, it’s important to have realistic expectations. Start with small steps and simplify as much as possible. Operators require time and training to adapt to new systems, and teams that have been working independently may need time to develop rapport and trust with each other. When adopting new technologies, a phased approach is often best to avoid overwhelming staff. If staff are resistant to change, focus on understanding their perspective: what are they trying to accomplish? What motivates them? What are they afraid of? Once you understand what’s driving their objections, you can come up with solutions to work through concerns. In today's rapidly evolving security landscape, fostering collaboration between physical security and IT teams is no longer a luxury—it's a necessity. By breaking down silos, leveraging integrated security technologies, and embracing data-driven decision-making, organizations can significantly enhance their operational efficiency and response capabilities.

AI has the potential to enhance the usability of traditionally complex access control and physical security systems. The application of AI (artificial intelligence) within access control is still relatively new, but rapid advancements in generative AI are already transforming how security systems operate. acre security is driving the deployment of generative AI in access control through its acquisition of REKS earlier this year. REKS is a purpose-built generative AI solution designed specifically for acre’s access control platform. Unlike generic AI tools, REKS understands both system and security-specific terminology, allowing users to ask natural-language questions like, “Show me all access denied events at a specific location,” and receive instant results. AI workflows and AI agents “We're starting to see how AI workflows and AI agents, that leverage language models, can potentially be used in conjunction with access control to create new, automated processes around false alarm reduction, system configuration, report generation, data analysis, threat detection, and in-system customer support,” says Adam Groom, Director of Business Development, AI Development Team, acre security. “We expect AI-driven capabilities to evolve rapidly, but the full range of benefits will depend on continued development and real-world application,” he adds. Integrate AI-driven capabilities acre’s ability to integrate AI-driven capabilities across the company’s product portfolio positions The best way to think of REKS is as an acre access control expert you can talk to, says Groom. “As AI adoption grows in security, REKS will expand its capabilities, making access control more usable and more efficient.” Groom says acre’s ability to integrate AI-driven capabilities across the company’s product portfolio positions the company as a pioneer in next-generation physical security. “These features will add long-term value by enhancing usability and operational insights across various segments,” says Groom. “Work is already under way to incorporate REKS into acre access control, and we’ll evaluate other integration opportunities in the future.” REKS' AI capabilities According to acre, REKS simplifies daily operations, automating routine tasks, and delivering real-time, actionable intelligence. With REKS' AI capabilities, users can interact with the system to retrieve more detailed insights and actionable information from their acre access control system. “This eliminates the need for complex reports, navigating drop-down menus, or manually reviewing logs,” says Groom. “It significantly enhances efficiency and usability for security professionals.” Enhancing productivity and customer satisfaction Key concern is ensuring that system configuration, enactment, and servicing remain within their scope  For integrators, the key concern is ensuring that system configuration, implementation, and servicing remain within their scope of expertise. With REKS, that doesn’t change — but the process becomes significantly faster and more efficient. Instead of manually configuring every panel, input, and output — a traditionally time-consuming task — REKS enables integrators to use natural language commands to streamline setup and adjustments, says Groom. This eliminates tedious steps and dramatically improves operational efficiency, allowing integrators to deploy and fine-tune systems with greater speed and accuracy, ultimately enhancing both productivity and customer satisfaction, he adds. Cloud-enabled ecosystems “We are committed to helping organizations modernize their security infrastructure by transitioning from legacy systems to cloud-enabled ecosystems at their own pace — ensuring minimal disruption while maximizing value,” says Groom. “By integrating AI-driven capabilities, we enhance usability and deliver deeper operational insights across all segments.” “Security’s future isn’t about forcing change — it’s about empowering choice,” adds Groom. “Whether staying on-prem, migrating to the cloud, or adopting a hybrid model, we plan to provide a seamless, zero-disruption transition, prioritizing interoperability, automation, and security at every stage.” Generic AI tools AI must be purpose-built for security applications because security demands precision, reliability, and context-aware decision-making, which only focused AI offerings like REKS bring to the table, says Groom. In contrast, generic AI tools, like ChatGPT, are designed to perform a wide variety of tasks, like how humans can learn and do many different things. Instead, purpose-built AI is built to do just one specific function. “REKS adds specially designed artificial intelligence to our access control solutions to enhance both intelligence gathering and the user experience,” says Groom. New applications in access control The integration of generative AI into acre's access control platforms and their broader portfolio A new AI development team will lead AI initiatives at acre, driving the integration of generative AI into acre's access control platforms and their broader portfolio.  This team will seek to push boundaries in applying AI to new applications in access control, intrusion detection, and beyond, empowering security professionals to interact with their systems in a smarter, more intuitive way. But don’t worry, AI will not take the human element out of security entirely. AI human capabilities “The reality is that AI will improve upon human capabilities because it is a versatile tool that supports and strengthens security operations, not a replacement for human decision-making,” comments Groom. “It helps operators process large amounts of data quickly and detect patterns that might be missed otherwise.” Rather than removing the human element, AI allows security teams to work more efficiently by automating repetitive tasks and providing actionable data, enabling professionals to focus on critical responsibilities.

Security applications for drones have evolved to provide benefits such as bird's-eye views of large areas, easy access to remote locations, and rapid deployment. However, to date, most drone applications have been outdoors. Not for long. Today, indoor drones are also finding unique opportunities for enhanced surveillance, security, and operational efficiency in indoor environments such as offices, warehouses, self-storage facilities, and malls. Indoor drones can navigate complex indoor spaces, providing real-time data and monitoring without the limitations of fixed cameras. New era of autonomous robotics A significant advantage of using drones indoors, as opposed to outdoors, is their ability to operate fully autonomously, circumventing U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations that restrict such autonomy in outdoor environments. A new era of autonomous robotics enables drones to work seamlessly for users without the need for specialized flight training. A single security manager can oversee multiple indoor drones simultaneously with simple map clicks or prompts. A new era of autonomous robotics enables drones to work seamlessly for users Indoor monitoring and inspection Indoor Robotics is a company seeking to revolutionize indoor monitoring and inspection through its Control Bridge platform guiding indoor drones. Since its founding in 2018, Indoor Robotics has evolved through years of market engagement and product development. After initially recognizing a demand for autonomous indoor monitoring, the company found that existing hardware fell short. “However, we understood the challenges of full autonomy and knew we would solve it using drones,” says Bar Biton, Marketing Manager of Indoor Robotics. Indoor Robotics has evolved through years of market engagement and product development Hardware challenges  Seven years later, with the hardware challenges addressed, the company is shifting focus to continually increasing value for security managers, especially with generative AI (artificial intelligence). In 2018, the problem was charging methods, which has been solved with ceiling docking stations and five patents. “Today it’s about making indoor environments safer and even saving lives by identifying blocked emergency exits, missing safety gear, leaks, fire hazards, and more,” says Biton. While indoor navigation presents challenges—such as the unreliability of GPS and the need for precision — Indoor Robotics has dedicated significant resources to achieve centimeter-level accuracy and ensure the utmost safety, maintaining a record of zero safety incidents to date, says Biton. Indoor navigation presents challenges—such as the unreliability of GPS and the need for precision Advanced AI-driven navigation systems Navigation challenges for indoor drones include maneuvering through confined spaces, avoiding obstacles, and maintaining stable flight in varied lighting conditions. To address these, Indoor Robotics employs advanced AI-driven navigation systems, real-time 3D mapping, and robust obstacle avoidance technologies. These solutions enable drones to adapt to dynamic environments, ensuring precise and safe navigation. Additionally, the Control Bridge platform provides real-time data and monitoring, allowing drones to adjust their routes and respond to changing conditions effectively, thus enhancing their operational reliability. Highly versatile indoor drones find applications across numerous vertical markets such as retail, logistics, healthcare, and corporate settings. Key use cases encompass security surveillance, where drones monitor premises continuously; maintenance checks, especially in hard-to-reach areas; safety inspections to comply with regulations and company policies; and emergency response to provide real-time data during incidents. In warehouses, drones efficiently inspect high shelves. Healthcare facilities and data centers use them to oversee restricted zones. Additionally, corporate offices employ drones to automate after-hours security, safety, and maintenance routines. Indoor Robotics employs advanced AI-driven navigation systems, real-time 3D mapping, and robust obstacle-avoidance technologies Alerts to the remote management team One Indoor Robotics client, a global tech company, deploys drones to enhance site surveillance and operational efficiency across six offices in three countries. The drones conduct regular security patrols after-hours, monitor facility activities, and ensure compliance with safety standards. This deployment has significantly improved the overall safety and security of their offices. The drones provide real-time alerts to the remote management team, enabling prompt responses to any anomalies, such as maintenance issues or unauthorized access. “The key advantage is the unified security standard provided by our Control Bridge operating system, allowing them to oversee all their sites from one centralized platform, ensuring consistent security management across all locations,” says Biton. When indoor drones co-exist with human workers, primary challenges include ensuring safety and preventing disruptions. Drones are equipped with advanced sensors and AI-driven obstacle avoidance systems to detect and navigate effectively around people. Strict operational protocols and designated flight paths are implemented to minimize interactions. Additionally, many drone operations are scheduled for after-hours to further reduce potential disruptions. “Safety is our top priority, and we invest significant resources to ensure it,” says Biton. “We are proud to report zero safety issues to date, reflecting our commitment to maintaining a secure environment for both drones and human workers.” Deploys drones to enhance site surveillance and operational efficiency across six offices in three countries Implementation of indoor drones Indoor drones are significantly more cost-effective and affordable when compared to traditional security methods like additional cameras, sensors, manpower, and even ground robots, says Biton. They cover larger areas and provide dynamic surveillance in less time, offering real-time data collection and enhanced flexibility. Unlike cameras or ground robots, drones eliminate blind spots and adapt to environmental changes autonomously. They also offer substantial indirect savings by optimizing maintenance routines, according to Indoor Robotics. For instance, a drone can instantly identify issues in hard-to-reach areas, allowing for immediate, targeted responses, instead of requiring an inspector first and then a technician, thus streamlining maintenance processes. “The biggest obstacle to greater implementation of indoor drones is education and awareness,” says Biton. “Many people are not yet exposed to the concept of autonomous indoor drones and may find it hard to believe they really work.” To overcome this, Indoor Robotics focuses on creating awareness and educating customers about the reliability and benefits of the technology. Demonstrations, case studies, and clear communication about the capabilities and safety of drones are key. By showcasing successful implementations and providing hands-on experiences, Indoor Robotics seeks to build trust and drive wider adoption of indoor drone technology in security applications. Control Bridge operating system Drones are designed with strict privacy controls and advanced AI to ensure they respect privacy norms A common misconception is that indoor drones are intrusive and pose significant privacy risks. However, drones are designed with strict privacy controls and advanced AI to ensure they respect privacy norms. They operate primarily during off-hours and are programmed to avoid sensitive areas, focusing solely on enhancing security and operational efficiency. The solution also includes rigorous data protection measures to safeguard any collected information, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations and addressing concerns effectively. Soon, automation will become integral to tasks across all facility types, from manufacturing and logistics to retail and office spaces. Using Indoor Robotics’ Control Bridge operating system, facility managers will deploy fleets of robots to identify issues, collect data, and gain insights to enhance operations, maintenance, and safety. Facilities will benefit from 24/7 AI-driven monitoring, eliminating the need for occasional surveys. Managers will receive immediate alerts for any anomalies, with preventive maintenance tasks seamlessly integrated into building management platforms, ensuring optimal performance and safety. New standards in the industry  The Indoor Robotics platform-agnostic approach provides flexibility and scalability. “As we continue to evolve, we support more and more platforms, enabling our clients to tailor their indoor monitoring solutions to their specific needs,” says Biton. “We believe that the future of security lies in intelligent, automated systems that can adapt to dynamic environments and provide real-time insights,” says Biton. Indoor Robotics seeks to be at the forefront of this transformation, setting new standards in the industry and paving the way for a safer, more efficient future.

Companies at GSX 2023 emphasized new ways that technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the cloud can address long-standing issues in the security market. Among the exhibitors at the event in Dallas were companies seeking creative ways to apply technology, lower costs, and make the world a safer place. Reflecting on the exhibition, here are some additional takeaways. Expanding AI at the edge  i-PRO is a company reflecting the continued expansion of edge AI capability in the security market. Today, more than half of the company’s lineup supports AI at the edge so the customer has a wide choice of form factors when seeking to leverage the feature set.  AI processing relay, extended warranty i-PRO is increasing their warranty period from 5 to 7 years, which could be a lifetime warranty in some cases I-PRO also has an “AI processing relay” device that accepts non-AI video streams and applies edge analytics. AI has progressed from a high-end technology to a feature available in a variety of cameras at different price points. i-PRO is also increasing its warranty period from 5 to 7 years, which could be a lifetime warranty in some cases depending on a customer’s refresh schedule and lifecycle management. Active Guard, MonitorCast The company’s video management system (Video Insight) is continuing to build new features including “Active Guard,” an integrated metadata sorter. Their access control platform, MonitorCast, is a Mercury-based solution that is tightly integrated with Video Insight. Their embedded recorders now have PoE built in.  “We can move at a faster pace to fill out our product line since leaving Panasonic,” says Adam Lowenstein, Director of Product Management. “We can focus our business on adapting to the market.” Emphasis on retail and other verticals  Shoplifting is a timely issue, and retail is a vertical market that got a lot of attention at GSX 2023. “We see a lot of retailers who are primarily interested in protecting employee safety, but also assets,” says Brandon Davito, Verkada’s SVP of Product and Operations. “Shrinkage is a CEO-level priority.”  “Retailers are getting more engaged with security posture, instead of letting perpetrators walk,” Davito adds. Intrusion detection Verkada has an intrusion product that will notify a central station if there is an alarm On the alarm side, Verkada has an intrusion product that will notify a central station if there is an alarm, and operators can review videos to confirm the alarm. Other capabilities seeking to discourage trespassers include sirens, strobes, and “talkdown” capabilities.  International expansion Verkada continues to expand internationally with 16 offices in all, including Sydney, Tokyo, and London. The core value proposition is to enable customers to manage their onsite infrastructure more simply, including new elements such as PTZ cameras, intercoms, and visitor management. Verkada emphasizes ease of use, including a mobile application to allow access to be managed across the user base. Forging partnerships “We are committed to the channel and industry, and we continue to build relationships and expand our reach,” says Davito. Among the industry relationships is a new partnership with Convergint, which was hinted at during the show and announced later the same day. They are also expanding their partnerships with Schlage, Allegion, and ASSA ABLOY.  Working with other verticals They offer new features for K -12 schools, and a new alarm platform is easier to deploy and manage Verkada has also found success across multiple other verticals, notably healthcare, where they integrate with an electronic medical records system. They offer new features for K-12 schools, and a new alarm platform is easier to deploy and manage. They are integrating wireless locks to secure interior doors in schools, looking to secure the perimeter, and installing guest management systems. Transitioning the Mid-Market to the Cloud  Salient is squarely focused on the “mid-market,” a large swath of systems somewhere between small businesses and enterprise-level systems. Pure cloud systems are not as attractive to this market, which has a built-out infrastructure of on-premise systems. Adding a camera to an existing system is easier and less expensive than tying it to the cloud. Benefits of cloud It’s a market that may not be ready for pure cloud, but there are benefits to be realized from adding a cloud element to existing systems. “We are continuing to augment our premise-based solutions with added cloud capabilities and flexibility,” says Sanjay Challa, Salient’s Chief Product Officer.  The feedback Salient hears from their customers is “I want to own my data.” The hybrid cloud approach offers the right mix of control, flexibility, and unit economics. Cloud add-on capabilities We want to provide the flexibility for customers to go full-cloud as it becomes more economically attractive" Cloud add-on capabilities include bringing more intelligence about system operation to the user via the cloud. Over time, Salient expects to sell more cloud-centric offerings based on feedback from integrators and customers. “We want to provide the flexibility for customers to go full-cloud as it becomes more economically attractive over time,” says Challa.  Vaidio AI technology Salient seeks to be a transition pioneer to help customers realize the path to the cloud. Their approach is “crawl, walk, run,” and helping customers make the transition at each stage. Salient has added AI to its product offering, incorporating Vaidio AI technology from IronYun into a powerful suite and broad array of on-premise analytics, which are gaining traction. The seamless approach makes it easy for customers to embrace AI analytics, although Salient remains broadly committed to open systems. Addressing ‘Soft’ Features for Integrators AMAG is in the process of enhancing its product line with the next generation of access control panels. However, “product” is just part of the new developments at AMAG. In addition to “hard” features (such as products), the company is looking to improve its “soft” features, too; that is, how they work with the integrator channel. Integrator channel Rebuilding a process to make your organization more efficient, is relatively easy; it just takes a lot of persistence" “We have the depth of our legacy customer base we can learn from, we just need to close the feedback loop quicker,” says Kyle Gordon, AMAG’s Executive Vice President of Global Sales, Marketing, and commercial Excellence, who acknowledges the value of reinstating face-to-face meetings after COVID. “We are laser-focused on nurturing our integrator channel,” he says.  “Developing new features takes time, but rebuilding a process to make your organization more efficient, that’s relatively easy; it just takes a lot of persistence,” says Gordon. More cohesive internal communication is another useful tool, he says.  Disrupting the cloud based on price  Wasabi is working to make cloud applications less expensive by offering a “disruptive” price on cloud storage, $6.99 per terabyte per month (80% less than hyperscalers). Contending “hyperscalers” like AWS are charging too much for cloud storage, Wasabi is using its own intellectual property and server equipment co-located in data centers around the world. Wasabi sells “hot cloud storage,” which refers to the fact that they only have one tier of storage and data is always accessible. In contrast, a company such as AWS might charge an “egress fee” for access to data stored in a “colder” tier.  Cloud storage “We saw that several video surveillance companies had not yet adopted cloud storage, and we saw an opportunity to make it easy to use,” said Drew Schlussel, Wasabi’s Senior Director of Product Marketing. “We just install a little bit of software that allows them to store data in the cloud and bring it back from the cloud.” Performance, protection (cybersecurity), and price Wasabi works with integrators, resellers, and distributors and also integrates with VMS companies Wasabi works with integrators, resellers, and distributors and also integrates with VMS companies such as Genetec and Milestone. Emphasizing performance, protection (cybersecurity), and price, their data centers are certified to SOC 2 and ISO 27001 standards.  Faster throughput for weapons detection Xtract One is a young company focusing on weapons detection in a time of accelerated concern about gun issues post-COVID. Founded in Canada and based on technology developed at McMaster University, Xtract One has found a niche in providing weapons detection at stadiums and arenas. These customers already have budgets, and it is easy to shift the money to a newer, faster technology. Madison Square Garden in New York City is among its customers.  Cost savings solution Xtract One can increase throughput to 30 to 50 people per entrance per minute (compared to 5 to 6 people per minute when using metal detectors). The solution doesn’t require anyone to empty their pockets and the system alarms on items beyond guns and knives. Using Xtract One allows customers to reduce the number of screening lanes and security staff, providing additional cost savings, all while getting fans through the screening process in half the time. Purpose-built sensors The system uses purpose-built sensors looking for specific characteristics, such as reflective and density properties In addition to stadiums and arenas, Xtract One, formerly Patriot One, is also getting “inbound” interest from schools, hospitals, manufacturers, and other verticals that makeup 50% of their business. “We’re on a rocket ride, mainly because the weapons issues are not going away,” says Peter Evans, CEO and Director at Xtract One. The system uses purpose-built sensors looking for specific characteristics, such as reflective and density properties, all correlated by an AI engine.  Providing early warning of violence ZeroEyes is another company focused on weapons detection. Their AI gun detection system works with video images to identify if someone is “brandishing” (carrying) a weapon. In other words, the system does not detect concealed weapons. Identifying someone carrying a weapon provides early warning of a possible violent act. Increased response with AI-enables images Images are identified by AI and sent to a monitoring center where a human confirms the image before contacting first responders. Knowing the location of a shooter enables staff to lock entry points, move people to safety, and direct first responders. The company was founded to leverage existing camera views to stop mass shootings and gun violence by reducing response times. 

Genetec Inc., the global pioneer in enterprise physical security software, announces that SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park have unified their physical security operations using Genetec™ Security Center. Home to the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, SoFi Stadium is the premier sports and entertainment destination located at Hollywood Park. The stadium has established itself as a world-class venue, hosting record-breaking concerts and global sporting events while consistently ranking among the top venues in the world. Global sporting events To support events of this scale, the organization standardized on Security Center to unify video surveillance, access control, automatic license plate recognition (ALPR), and other physical security systems in the 3.1 million-square-foot venue and across the 300-acre Hollywood Park development. Operators manage more than 3,000 cameras, 700 readers, and numerous other systems and sensors from three security control rooms, helping teams maintain situational awareness while streamlining day-to-day operations. "Genetec Security Center has improved our response time efficiency by giving us all the information we need in one platform. We’re able to understand what's happening and make decisions quickly," said Nick Bermensolo, Vice President of Security and Safety at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park. Physical security systems Since deploying Security Center, the SoFi Stadium IT team has a reliable, scalable, and cybersecure platform that runs on an isolated network and connects back to centralized servers. During big events, they support security operations by monitoring system performance from the Network Operations Center, ensuring everything is working as it should. The security team can easily handle daily tasks, while IT keeps systems running smoothly on the backend. "The Genetec team doesn’t just understand physical security systems, but IT systems too. With their help, we’ve been able to deploy a reliable and high-performing security platform at scale," said Paul Maldonado, Vice President of IT Infrastructure and Operations at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park. AI-based tools Looking ahead, both teams are focused on getting more value out of Security Center, exploring AI-based tools and more automation. They know they have a flexible, scalable platform that can support evolving cybersecurity and network requirements. "Genetec has really helped us establish a technology standard. Security Center is reliable and cybersecure, integrates well with our network, and reduces overhead for both IT and security. That’s the type of technology we want to continue implementing across our business," said Maldonado.

Genetec Inc., the global pioneer in enterprise physical security software, announces that Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport (RKS) has modernised its physical security operations using Genetec™ Security Center. The airport selected Genetec as part of its terminal modernization project to support future expansion, evolving Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requirements, and potential new carriers and flight routes. Located outside Rock Springs in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, the regional airport supports more than 11,000 annual flight operations and serves more than 50,000 passengers annually. The airport recently completed a $43 million commercial terminal modernisation project. As part of the upgrade, airport leaders wanted to replace aging video surveillance and access control systems with an open and flexible platform that would allow them to expand security infrastructure without being locked into proprietary systems. Terminal modernization project Working with systems integrator Incline Technology, the airport deployed Genetec Security Center to unify video surveillance, access control, and alarms in a single interface. According to Nic Hasler, Founder and President of Incline Technology, “Our vision from the start was to deliver a system for RKS that’s easy to operate and support, and ready for future expansion.” With Security Center, the RKS team now has full visibility across the airport terminal, weather station, fuel station, and Sweetwater Aviation facility. This allows them to improve visibility across the airport, respond faster to incidents, and streamline day-to-day security management from one platform. Security and airport operations “Genetec Security Center brings everything into one place, which helps us manage security and airport operations much more efficiently than before. We’re only scratching the surface of what the system can do. This is the foundation we needed to keep adding capabilities and enhancing our operations,” said Devon Brubaker, Airport Director at Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport. Airport staff is also using the Quick Search feature in Security Center to accelerate investigations and reduce the time spent reviewing footage after incidents. After a reported theft in the airport micro market, the team used Quick Search to review footage, identify when the inventory changed, and confirm within minutes that the item had been purchased but mislabelled. “We might be a small airport, but investing in Genetec Security Center allows us to operate like a much larger one. The platform helps us work more efficiently today and sets us up to say yes to new opportunities in the future,” said Brubaker.

Genetec Inc., the pioneer in enterprise physical security software, announces 40 Leadenhall has deployed Genetec™ Security Center and Genetec Mission Control™ to create a seamless modern experience for visitors and tenants. Located in the capital’s insurance district, 40 Leadenhall is one of the biggest City of London developments ever to receive planning permission. It spans over 900,000 square feet of commercial office, amenities, and retail space, serving up to 10,000 occupants. Original performance specification A unified security platform formed part of the original performance specification, with Genetec Security Center ultimately selected to give 40 Leadenhall the flexibility to integrate best of breed hardware and software, support informed decision making, and tailor the interface to a wide range of user needs and access privileges. “Genetec is proud to be safeguarding a growing portfolio of flagship buildings across the City of London - including some of its newest and largest developments,” said Viet Tang, Account Executive at Genetec Inc. “40 Leadenhall is a standout example of how forward thinking property owners are embracing unified, intelligent security to deliver safer, more efficient and more intuitive environments.” Standardising incident response The smart building solution incorporates over 200 cameras, more than 250 doors, and 2,600 data points, all managed through Genetec Security Center and hosted on Genetec Streamvault™ servers and archives. Genetec Mission Control™ further enhances operations by standardising incident response with advanced automation. By integrating with other building systems, it can automatically trigger workflows for events such as power loss, water leaks, or high winds thus enabling teams to respond proactively with timely notifications and targeted actions that help ensure occupant safety. Access control and visitor experience technologies from partners including HID Global, Mercury Communications, and STid help enable seamless navigation throughout the facility. Occupiers can use mobile wallet credentials for frictionless entry, while visitors receive QR code passes that remove the need for temporary plastic cards. Integrated cameras from Axis Communications enhance situational awareness across the site. Truly smart building Genetec workstations located throughout the building provide role based access for operators. Reception staff can enrol visitors, while control-room security teams can run reports, investigate events, and monitor live video on either dedicated workstations or tablets. “The Genetec security system is easy to use and enables us to deliver a world class service to our occupiers and guests, ensuring occupant wellbeing and building security,” says Stewart Maynard, Smart Systems Manager at 40 Leadenhall. “Collaboration between delivery, systems and service partner teams has helped make 40 Leadenhall a truly smart building.” Quickly identify devices By uploading interactive floor plans into Security Center, operators can quickly identify devices, investigate activity, or access live video with a single click, significantly reducing training times. The building’s digital experience is further enhanced through integration with the 40 Leadenhall app, powered by VTS Activate. Occupiers can issue virtual visitor passes, receive arrival notifications, and seamlessly access amenities including wellness spaces, cycle facilities and the Peloton studio. “We believe Genetec provides the ideal platform to support 40 Leadenhall’s future growth and technology goals,” concludes Maynard. “The investment in leading technology, supported by strong partnerships, positions 40 Leadenhall at the forefront of innovation.”

Willis Tower, an iconic symbol in Chicago for over 50 years, has undergone significant transformations to become a modern workplace and community hub that delivers the best experiences for its tenants, area residents and visitors. Originally known as Sears Tower, it was renamed Willis Tower after a change in ownership in 2009. Major renovations took place in 2017, culminating in a complete transformation in 2022.  Currnetly, Willis Tower offers a range of amenities from short-term workstations to traditional leases, as well as dining, retail, and entertainment spaces. The Skydeck on the 103rd floor, 1,353 feet above street level, provides breathtaking views of up to 50 miles across four states, attracting millions of visitors annually. Challenge As part of Willis Tower’s transformation, the structural separations between the office and Skydeck areas were eliminated, creating a more open and accessible space for visitors and tenants. Recognizing the need for a customized strategic security plan, Director of Security Keith Kambic, CPP, spearheaded efforts to find the right partners to ensure the safety and security of tenants, visitors, and employees. Kambic’s first step was to engage with the national security and technology consulting firm Guidepost Solutions. The next priority was to establish a strong partnership with a Chicago-based integration partner and to identify the best security solutions in the market. Kambic chose 4S Security as the integration partner because of their holistic approach to achieving optimal results. The partnership with 4S Security elevated the security measures at Willis Tower to new heights. “We are different than the average integrator,” said Leor Elfassy, Director of Business Development at 4S. “We have software developers on staff who write integrations, and as a matter of business principle for the last 30 years, we only work with software manufacturers that allow us to do so.” Solution The upgrade to Willis Tower involved retrofitting the access control system to a cloud-based solution and the new Video Management System (VMS), Salient CompleteView, was selected based on its ability to integrate seamlessly with the access control platform. “In the end the client wants a single pane of glass that they can work from and Salient’s CompleteView is well-designed to let integrators bring their vision to life,” continued Elfassy. Salient’s open architecture was an essential factor in the decision, along with product features like Dynamic Resolution Scaling (DRS), a powerful bandwidth management tool, and agnostic integration to analytic platforms for future system enhancements. Specific features like snapshot and CompleteView’s interactive mapping feature were also important selection factors. While all of these product capabilities are important, in the end it came down to the personal attention of Salient team members – from the President to the system engineer – and their efforts to go above and beyond in every way. Salient’s dedication to working cohesively with the Willis Tower and 4S teams created an effective partnership that propelled the project forward. Kambic said, “when we selected Salient, we did so not only for their product, but because we could tell that both of our companies were cut from the same cloth – great service, and great people.” Both Salient and 4S provided learning tools prior to implementation to ensure a seamless transition to the new VMS for the Willis Tower security team. 4S created customized training videos and pamphlets and held onsite training sessions, while Salient educated the security team through its YouTube training videos. Results The result of the partnership between 4S and Salient was a 40% reduction in bandwidth usage across the Willis Tower network. In addition, the integrated system provided immediate awareness of events such as forced-open doors, tailgating, and panic alarms. Ongoing top-notch local support from both Salient and 4S ensures smooth and timely software release updates and exploration of new technological capabilities, advancing video surveillance through CompleteView. Pleased with the results, the Willis Tower team attests to the success of the partnership, efficacy of Salient’s product, andoutstanding level of service from Salient both before and after the sale.

In alignment with the State of Mississippi’s mission of “Empowering Mississippi citizens to stay connected andengaged with their government,” Salient's CompleteView Video Management System (VMS) is being installedthroughout more than 150 state boards, commissions, and agencies in order to ensure safety for thousands ofconstituents who access state services daily. Challenge Determining the right path to success wasn’t a quick process. The elaborate undertaking of converting all State of Mississippi buildings from its legacy video system, which included analog cameras across a disparate video platform, to match their standard of excellence took a lot of planning. This involved researching and interviewing multiple manufacturers of IP cameras and video management systems. The plan was strategic, as it was important to State officials to find an open architecture solution that could utilize as much existing technology as possible, thereby preserving current taxpayer investment.  Solution After a thorough evaluation, the decision came down to three competitive VMSs, all based on total cost-of ownership, scalability requirements, software performance capabilities, along with support assessments. Salient’s CompleteView was ultimately determined the top choice. “In the selection process, three VMS manufacturers were deemed a reasonable fit. The choice of CompleteView over these competitors came down to one critical component, partnership. The culture at Salient embodies an unmatched support you don’t typically see in an industry leader. Their greatest value-add is that open line of communication between the RSM, technical support, and engineering. If I need something, I know I can pick up the phone and get immediate assistance” said Mike Cooper with MS Department of Public Safety. Once CompleteView was selected, another strategic decision was made to have personnel from The Statehandle the design and installation of CompleteView internally rather than engage outside consulting. This hasproved to be an effective option, allowing them to tailor each installation to suit individual property needs. The State works through the channel for procurement, then handles all programming and administration internally. This offers them the most flexibility while still achieving uniformity across each deployment as well as complete control of the process. Result The conversion to CompleteView is underway and will take approximately 3-5 years to complete. The State now benefits from a centralized platform that allows for greater administrative control, as well as a product that meets the State of Mississippi standard for NDAA compliance. According to Cooper, “we now have a platform that is easily managed and visibly organized in an efficient manner. We also appreciate having a system that’s permission based with tighter controls.” Finally, The State’s technical team is committed to keeping the system updated as Salient releases newer versions of its software each quarter. These upgrades ensure they are taking advantage of all security enhancements and feature improvements that CompleteView has to offer. The State has also planned integration of its access control system, Open Options, with CompleteView, tying video directly to specific door openings. This gives State personnel an enhanced view into their security operations, with quick and easy auditing of badge events through a single interface. Further initiatives will explore the addition of AI video analytics to add weapons detection, appearance search, and cross-camera tracking — all to help speed up investigations. Salient’s open platform makes these integrations possible. Staying present on these new releases and innovative integrations ensures an advanced level of protection from potential threats and works to achieve the ultimate end game – keeping community members safe.

The Community Builders (TCB) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to build and sustain strong communities where all people can thrive. They work with businesses, institutions, and public officials to revitalize neighborhoods in ways where all people can live in healthy homes with equitable access to resources and opportunities to pursue their dreams. Their partnership with Salient Systems exemplifies the use of video technology in vulnerable neighborhoods to help achieve these goals. Challenge TCB operates and manages 150 sites and properties across the country, employing over 600 staff members. These locations range from campus environments to individual buildings, each presenting unique security challenges to ensure overall resident safety. The primary focus for implementing a video management system is not only to ensure safety and security but also prevent property maintenance issues. Under Joe Giggey’s leadership as senior director of Information Technology, TCB established enterprise- level security standards. These standards enabled access to video remotely through smartphones, iPads, and laptops for a central team of sites in 30 cities. Additionally, seamless integration with existing cameras and access control systems was required, considering TCB’s extensive network of 30+ access control systems and about 6,800 different camera models. Affordability was another crucial factor, as is often the case for nonprofit organizations. Having an easy-to-administer VMS, reliable search and video export functionalities, scalability for future property acquisitions, and centralized management in a distributed environment were also significant requirements. Solution Salient’s CompleteView VMS met all the specified criteria, marking the beginning of the partnership between TCB and Salient in 2016. The deployment of CompleteView has grown to 85 site recording servers and over 2,300 camera licenses. Given the widespread nature of TCB’s properties, certified regionalized integrators have been selected to install CompleteView across TCB locations. These integrators have been trained and received certification from Salient Systems professional trainers on installation, executing upgrades, expanding systems, and customizing the deployment ensuring effective implementation and ongoing support. In addition, manufacturer support by Salient’s own System Engineering team has been utilized and according to TCB personnel, “has been phenomenal.” Results TCB staff help address complaints, educate residents on lease rules, and avoid evictions. Salient’s CompleteView has assisted in resolving disputes, and investigating incidents. In addition, the ability to verify details of incidents in progress helps pinpoint the location and gives first responders details about the situation they may face on arrival. Video footage provided by Salient’s VMS, CompleteView has proven invaluable in multiple instances and according to Giggey “The VMS paid for itself immediately, highlighting the effectiveness and value of this partnership.” The collaboration between TCB and Salient Systems has become an exemplar of how technology can be harnessed for the greater good, building trust and effecting positive changes in vulnerable neighborhoods. With ongoing support from Salient Systems, TCB is committed to making a lasting impact and ensuring strong communities where all people can thrive.

The cloud fundamentally changes how organizations acquire and use technology, offering a powerful mix of financial, operational, and strategic advantages that traditional on-premises infrastructure cannot match. Specific to physical security systems, there are additional advantages transforming how technologies and systems are delivered to customers. We asked our Expert Panel Roundtable: Which factors are driving the deployment of cloud-based systems in physical security?

Future-proofing your skillset is about embracing continuous learning and developing a versatile set of competencies that remain valuable regardless of technological shifts or industry changes. In the security marketplace, it is not about predicting the exact jobs of the future, but rather equipping yourself to adapt and thrive in the uncertain security landscape. But where to begin? The emerging technology shifts in the security industry provide clues, such as the growing importance of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI). We asked our Expert Panel Roundtable: How can physical security professionals “future-proof” their skillsets to prepare for emerging technologies?

Access control, video surveillance, and intrusion detection systems evolved largely independently in the physical security industry. Integrating those systems to the benefit of an enterprise's overall security has traditionally fallen on security integrators working in cooperation with manufacturers. However, today's market has also evolved to include companies that provide "unified platforms,” bringing together various disparate security systems and functions under a single, centralized management interface. We asked our Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the advantages of installing physical security systems as a unified platform?