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physical security

2023’s most in-demand physical security solutions revealed

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Access Control, Crisis Management and Training top the list of solutions the UK’s leading Security professionals are sourcing in 2023.

The findings have been revealed by the Total Security Summit and are based on delegate requirements this year’s first upcoming event in March.

Delegates registering to attend are asked which areas they needed to invest in during 2023 and beyond.

A significant 84% are looking to invest in Access Control, followed by Crisis Management and Training.

Just behind were Security Cameras and Facial Recognition technology.

Total Security Summit – Most In-Demand Products & Solutions (Top 10):

Access Control
Crisis Management
Training
Security Cameras
Facial Recognition
Alarm Systems
Business Continuity
CCTV
Crisis Communications
Visitor ID Systems

To find out more about the Total Security Summit, visit https://totalsecuritysummit.co.uk.

How the G4S Connected Officer is driving security transformation 

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Noah Price, G4S International Academy Director, outlines how its Connected Officer Programme is delivering service improvement, workforce engagement and the delivery of safer environments, by leveraging technology advancements, whilst maintaining personal interaction…

Today’s security consumers demand a proactive, data-driven, intelligent, and informed approach to operational delivery. Security providers must supply their customers with clear and transparent performance data in real time, to drive better decision making.

The G4S Connected Officer programme connects people through technology to improve security decisions and performance. It is already well embedded within some significant security operations but is also just as relevant for small and medium sized businesses.

A Connected Officer’s appearance will vary depending on the environment in which they work.  In some cases, wearable technology will be obvious to the public and for good reason, while in others, such as corporate receptions, it may be less apparent.

Benefits of the Connected Officer Programme   

The programme helps to drive officer engagement and motivation by using technology to provide   easy access to a network of colleagues and to learning and development materials.

It also provides customers with real time insight to drive better decision making. Using their handheld devices to record all activities, data is captured from officers and consolidated into easy to consume reporting, which customers can view at the click of a button. They can also review an archive of reported incidents to assess trends. 

The programme makes use of artificial intelligence to identify potential incidents before they occur. Unusual motion and activity is flagged in real time, allowing officers to proactively investigate incidents, armed with key information.

The presence of body-worn cameras has been proven to change the way the public interact with security – often quickly appeasing hostile and aggravated incidents, once people become aware that they are being recorded.

The environment benefits too. With paper reported to account for around 26% of total waste at landfill, the elimination of paper-based reporting provides significant sustainability benefits, with an associated reduction in storage and energy consumption.

To find out more about the G4S Connected Officer Programme see https://www.g4s.com/en-gb/what-we-do/security-solutions/connected-security/the-connected-officer-guide

Better budgeting and improved intelligence from cloud physical security

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Scott Gray, Head of Sales at Morphean, looks at how embracing cloud can represent a prudent financial move as well as vastly improving security and operations…

The days of standard CCTV systems are coming to an end, and for good reason. Today’s technological developments mean that modern network cameras can deliver so much more than their one-dimensional forebears which can offer only the most basic security provision. Digital transformation has brought with it the many merits of cloud connectivity, which further opens up a vast array of possibilities for connected devices, offering the highest levels of protection while unlocking many additional benefits for the modern business, based on collected data, analytics and AI.

Yet even when armed with full knowledge about its capabilities, some are reluctant to embrace cloud physical security, preferring instead to rely on dated, legacy methods to protect their premises and assets. This may be because taking the plunge seems too great a risk, and many are perhaps fearful of stepping away from a world they understand into one which seems uncertain. In reality, cloud physical security offers great promise while simultaneously removing many of the headaches related to more traditional setups; chief among them being cost implications and the justification of budgets.

Move from CapEx to OpEX – and secure IT budgets

Recent research shows that 51% of current IT budgets will be channelled towards cloud-based systems’ development and operations by 2025[1]. It is therefore time for those businesses that have not already embraced cloud to change how they think about security. The rapid growth of cloud presents an opportunity to make use of connected, integrated solutions for a wide range of business and security requirements. Demand for more flexible working processes is driving a continual shift towards cloud infrastructure, and as more applications are moved to cloud platforms, so being able to centrally monitor and control every aspect of operations, including security, will become a necessity.

Traditionally, taking the decision to implement a new security system would involve a substantial financial outlay in the form of capital expenditure (CapEx). This places a significant drain on existing budgets, and funding may prove extremely difficult to secure during the ongoing financial crisis. Cloud physical security, however, is built around a monthly billing cycle with no large upfront costs. This allows businesses to make small monthly payments which can be regarded as operational expenditure (OpEx). And those responsible for finance and budget allocation are more likely to approve smaller incremental costs in return for a solution that represents the cutting edge of security.

Employ cutting-edge solutions that represent value-for-money

A move to the cloud will require a shift in mindset for those organisations that are more comfortable with the static costs associated with traditional systems. However, the pay-as-you-go cost model of cloud crucially allows businesses to make use of the latest technology and services as soon as they are available, often through simple software upgrades and remote updates. This removes the need for disruptive onsite maintenance or the overhauling of technology, and the associated cost implications, every time an upgrade is required. With cloud, changes made quickly as business strategies evolve result in a fluid system that adapts and responds to business growth, with security that is constant.

A modern security solution needs to be robust, intelligent and reactive. Adapting business, finance and technical operations to take advantage of cloud’s many benefits will mean that a company’s technology infrastructure becomes much more flexible and responsive as a result. The introduction of new capabilities such as remote monitoring of the security system mean that, via a powerful dashboard, the system can be monitored instantly by mobile device, bringing complete peace of mind to security personnel even when offsite. Those with administration rights can control which members of staff have access to the system, ensuring data protection policies are upheld.

Forecast accurate cloud expenditure with flexible billing

A significant benefit of the cloud billing model is its flexibility, enabling change without up-front cost or commitment. Instead of trying to estimate the use of resources based on what might be required in the year ahead, cloud allows the system to be scaled up or down at any time with businesses only paying for what they use. As activity can be closely tracked, cloud expenditure can be forecast more accurately. Cloud also makes it much simpler to identify business areas where other savings can be made. Intelligence from collected data in real time can be used to report back on staff movements, enabling rules to be set. Automated heating, for example, could be set to activate only in the most frequented areas, driving down running costs thanks to the insights that cloud makes possible.

In the past the installation of a security solution was a task that ended when the system was operational. Now, the deployment of a cloud solution marks the start of an ongoing partnership which is intended to help businesses make the most from their chosen system. Working closely with a provider will enable organisations to ensure that the solution meets their exact requirements. Use of AI and analytics even means that the system will become even more accurate over time as it aggregates and interprets data about the business’ security and operations, ultimately improving ROI.

As new services and tools are released, cloud enables businesses to access the very latest technologies and use them to their optimum potential. Cloud is revolutionising physical security with its cost system and simplified budgeting making cutting-edge physical security widely available to all. Those businesses that are willing to make the move to cloud will be those that continue to benefit from the many new capabilities that the digital transformation in security makes possible.

Discover more: https://www.morphean.com/

[1] https://itbrief.com.au/amp/story/public-cloud-computing-spend-to-overtake-traditional-it

BSIA: UK needs 62,000 new security officers to meet soaring demand

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The UK’s private security industry must recruit, train and license more than 62,000 new security officers over the next 12 months to keep up with the growing demand for their services and keep the public safe.

To meet demand the BSIA has today launched a major national initiative, ‘People, Property, Places: Professionally Protected’, to increase awareness of the crucial work that security officers carry out 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

It also highlights that a career in professional security offers a wide range of benefits and opportunities that are open to anyone, from any background, ethnicity, sexuality and age group.

Research conducted amongst BSIA members, who provide over 70 per cent of private security services in the UK, indicates that the UK’s private security sector needs to boost the number of licensed security officers by 62,000 to more than 450,000 over the next 12 months to meet growing demand and departures from the sector. The industry anticipates losing almost 20,000 officers from its workforce through factors including retirement and departures following Brexit and Covid-19.

Interest in engaging private security services has increased following the Government’s Protect Duty consultation, launched in the wake of the Manchester Arena terrorist bombing in 2017. When it comes into force as expected in 2023, this will create a legal requirement for organisations to provide proportionate security measures. BSIA members also cite rising criminality, the ongoing ‘substantial’ terror threat level and more incidents involving members of the public with mental-health issues as factors driving increased demand for their services.

Mike Reddington, Chief Executive, BSIA, said: “The private security industry faces unprecedented demand for highly trained, licensed security officers, with organisations and events recognising they need to purchase security services based on risk and professionalism rather than cost. Security is more than a high-vis vest and buyers are more willing to invest in quality now to achieve a safer, more secure environment.”

“Our members and their customers anticipate that the Government’s Protect Duty, introduced in the wake of the Manchester Arena attack, will become law sooner rather than later. Businesses such as event producers know they need to spend more on professional security officers trained in terror-threat awareness and emergency first aid in order to protect people better.

“As a sector we are moving quickly to attract more security officers into the industry, letting people know security can be a career of choice for team players who care about providing a professional service to protect people, property and places and who will commit to the training. Failure to achieve this could compromise public safety and some big events may not be able to happen as planned.”

“The stereotypical image of a security officer working in a low-paid, low-skilled job doesn’t match with those working in today’s modern profession. There’s a lot more to the job than wearing a hi-vis vest.”

The BSIA’s campaign page features information on security-industry careers, skills and training, security-officer profiles and links to live job opportunities from leading UK providers of security services.

Global public safety and security market to exceed $713bn

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Critically growing need for developing resilient cybersecurity strategies to obtain an impenetrable security net around all the digital and physical assets of organizations is boosting the revenue growth of public safety and security market.

Demonstrating an impressive CAGR of around 10.6% between 2021 and 2026, global public safety and security market is all set for a promising outlook over the next few years.

In a recently published report of Fairfield Market Research, the public safety and security market has been projected to take a leap from $361.2bn (2019) to $713.4bn by the end of 2026.

Increasing security breaches, and the consistently soaring threat of identity theft instances primarily drive the market growth. During the period of projection, 2021 – 2026, the public safety and security market revenue will nearly double, suggests the report.

Key Research Insights

  • ID fraud instances soared by a whopping 45% in the year 2020 as per the reports of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
  • Cloud-enabled security solutions continue to be the most sought-after
  • North America’s public safety and security solutions market is poised to exhibit a solid 10% CAGR through the end of 2026

Identity thefts, although have been the most commonplace cyberattack, there are several other types of cyberattacks as well, that are also proliferating at a rampant pace in terms of intensity, volume, and the level of sophistication.

The analysis of market based on the component shows dominance of public safety and security services over public safety and security solutions. The trend will prevail throughout the period of assessment and the report spots the maximum demand and revenue generation potential in managed services.

Demand for managed services has been higher and will clearly outweigh that of the professional services through the end of 2026. On the other hand, inclination toward cloud-enabled solutions is expected to rise high at an exponential rate in the next few years according to the report.

Key Report Highlights

  • The enterprise world faces several cybersecurity risks with the rampantly improving connectivity, and growing dependence on the digital-first work environment
  • Swelling demand and consumer base for proactive public safety and security solutions will contribute toward the market expansion to a large extent
  • With big data analytics capturing attention of a growing number of public safety organizations worldwide, prospects of public safety and security market continue to heighten
  • Governments remain a largely influential factor in shaping public safety and security market as they play a crucial role in prioritizing national security

The report dedicates one section to the detailed regional analysis of global public safety and security market, which suggests continued primacy of North America – majorly on the back of strong, favourable government commitments regarding national security. The region remains at the forefront of frontier technologies and has been poised to exhibit around 10% growth through 2026 end.

The report further indicates robust growth in attractiveness of Asia Pacific as the fastest growing market for public safety and security services and solutions. The region is anticipated to significantly benefit from the unprecedentedly thriving IT industry, and rampant digitalization. China, Japan, India, and Singapore will represent the key Asian markets, says the report.

Physical security market set for 8% growth

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The global physical security market is expected to reach a value of $243.6bn by the end of 2031, equivalent to a CAGR of 8.10% during the forecast period, from 2021 to 2031.

The forecast from Transparency Market Research says there has been a surge in the use of physical security for IoT technology. These factors are anticipated to drive the physical security market during the forecast period.

Players are increasing efforts to incorporate technological advancements in order to improve the quality of the products they offer. Hence, they are seen investing heavily in R&D projects. Moreover, companies are using the strategies of mergers, acquisitions, and collaborations in order to expand their businesses in newer regions, state analysts at TMR.

Physical Security Market: Key Findings

  • With rise in the instances of crimes across the globe, enterprises, organizations, institutions, or agencies from varied industry verticals are inclining toward the use of next-gen physical security solutions with ability to protect hardware, personnel, networks, software, and data from physical actions and stop the data loss and damages. This factor is expected to drive the demand opportunities and help in the growth of the physical securitys market share during the forecast period, note analysts of a TMR study.
  • In several government organizations and BSFI sectors globally, the adoption of physical security solutions is being rising in the recent years in order to provide high level of protection to facilities, people, and assets from real-world threats. Moreover, there has been a surge in the instances of security breaches across the globe, notes TMR’s sales analysis of physical securitys market. This aside, the demand for physical security solutions is anticipated to increase in the forthcoming years owing to the integration of industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud systems. Thus, technological advancements in the enterprise environment is propelling the global market.

Physical Security Market: Growth Boosters

  • Increase in the demand from a wide range of end-use industries is expected to create prominent business prospects for physical security manufacturers
  • Surge in the adoption of physical security for IoT technology is expected to boost the size of physical securitys market during the forecast period
  • Increase in the cases of security breaches in physical security systems globally is expected to boost the demand of physical securitys market

Physical Security Market: Regional Analysis

  • Increase in the adoption of physical security practices across varied industry verticals including the BFSI, retail, hospitality, and governments of nations from North America is driving the sales growth in the regional market, notes a TMR study that provides key insights on the united states physical securitys market share
  • The market is anticipated to gain sizable growth prospects in Asia Pacific during the forecast period owing to the increase in the number of smart cities and economic growth of emerging economies of the region

The most in-demand security services for 2022/23 revealed

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Access Control, Cameras and Incident Management  top the list of solutions the UK’s leading Security professionals are sourcing in 2022/23. The findings have been revealed by the Total Security Summit and are based on delegate requirements this month’s event. Delegates registering to attend were asked which areas they needed to invest in during 2022 and beyond. A significant 50% are looking to invest in Access Control, 38% for Cameras and 35% for Disaster Recovery. Just behind were Alarms Systems and Surveillance & Monitoring. The market for services has moved on considerably since 2021, when the most in-demand solutions were Business Continuity, Risk Assessment and Crisis Communications. Delegates at the Total Security Summit sourcing certain products & solutions (Top 10): Access Control Cameras Incident Management Alarms Systems Surveillance & Monitoring Business Continuity Card Readers Crisis Management Disaster Recovery ID Cards To find out more about the Total Security Summit, visit https://totalsecuritysummit.co.uk. The next event takes place on March 27th & 28th at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center, London Heathrow.

Boom predicted for perimeter security

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The Global Perimeter Security Market size has been estimated at $49.81 billion for 2021, $54.82 billion in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.32% to reach $89.82 billion by 2027.

A new analysis by boffins at ResearchAndMarkets has produced the following key takeaways:-

Drivers

  • Growing Adoption of Latest Techniques Such as Ip Based Video Surveillance Cameras for Remote Monitoring
  • Increasing Concern of Theft in Banks, Offices, and Warehouses
  • Rising Demand Across Verticals Such as Military Sites to Prevent and Detect Intrusion

Restraints

  • Lack of Technical Expertise, and the Need for Security Training and Awareness

Opportunities

  • Emergence of Ai, Facial Recognition, Computer Vision and Big Data Analytics in Perimeter Security Systems
  • Rising New Product Launches by Major Players

Challenges

  • Integration of Logical and Physical Components of Security Systems

The report also addresses the influence of COVID-19 and the cumulative impact of the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Physical and cyber threats targeted by new maritime security strategy

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A new five-year strategy has been launched by the UK government to enhance maritime technology, innovation and security and reduce environmental damage.

The Secretary of State for Transport has set out the guiding principles for the approach to managing threats and risks at home and around the world, including leveraging the UK’s seabed mapping community and tackling illegal fishing and polluting activities at sea.

The new strategy redefines maritime security as upholding laws, regulations and norms to deliver a free, fair and open maritime domain. With this new approach, the government rightly recognises any illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and environmental damage to our seas as a maritime security concern.

In addition, to enhance the UK’s maritime security knowledge, the government has established the UK Centre for Seabed Mapping (UK CSM), which seeks to enable the UK’s world-leading seabed mapping sector to collaborate to collect more and better data.

Seabed mapping provides the foundation dataset that underpins almost every sector in the maritime domain, including maritime trade, environmental and resource management, shipping operations and national security and infrastructure within the industry.

The UK CSM has also been registered as a UK government voluntary commitment to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

By working with the newly established UK CSM, administered by the UK Hydrographic Office, government will have better quantity, quality and availability of seabed mapping data, which as a key component of our infrastructure, underpins the UK’s maritime security, prosperity and environment objectives.

Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps said: “Mankind has better maps of the surface of the moon and Mars than of our own ocean. To ensure the UK’s maritime security is based on informed and evidence-based decisions, we must build our knowledge of this dynamic ocean frontier.

“Our new maritime security strategy paves the way for both government and industry to provide the support needed to tackle new and emerging threats and further cement the UK’s position as a world leader in maritime security.”

Working with industry and academia, Secretaries of State from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Department for Transport (DfT), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) will focus on 5 strategic objectives:

  • Protecting our homeland: delivering the world’s most effective maritime security framework for our borders, ports and infrastructure.
  • Responding to threats: taking a whole system approach to bring world-leading capabilities and expertise to bear to respond to new, emerging threats.
  • Ensuring prosperity: ensuring the security of international shipping, the unimpeded transmission of goods, information and energy to support continued global development and our economic prosperity.
  • Championing values: championing global maritime security underpinned by freedom of navigation and the international order.
  • Supporting a secure, resilient ocean: tackling security threats and breaches of regulations that impact on a clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically-diverse maritime environment.

UK Chamber of Shipping CEO, Sarah Treseder said:  “A proactive maritime security strategy is essential to keeping trade routes and energy supplies secure, especially for an island nation. Today’s welcome commitments to improve collaboration, both with industry and governments across the world, will help deliver a more secure maritime environment and help provide confidence to the shipping community.

Tim Edmunds, co-Director of the SafeSeas Network and Professor of International Security at the University of Bristol said: “The new national strategy for maritime security (NSMS) comes at a critical time for the UK maritime sector. Maritime security is key to delivering the UK’s ambitions in foreign, security and defence policy, as well as for blue economic growth and environmental sustainability.

“SafeSeas and the University of Bristol were privileged to be part of this effort. We are delighted that our research was able to inform the strategy process. We look forward to engaging with UK maritime security actors and assisting with the strategy implementation process in future.”

Mark Simmonds, Director of Policy and External Affairs, British Ports Association said: “UK ports work closely with government and law enforcement to facilitate nearly half a billion tonnes of trade and tens of millions of passengers every year, whilst at the same time bearing down on threats to our collective safety and security. We look forward to strengthening that relationship as we help to deliver on these strategic objectives.

“The new Centre for Seabed Mapping is a huge step forward for the maritime sector. It will help everyone better understand the UK seabed and be the foundation for numerous benefits, including more informed management of the marine environment.”

Physical security market size to grow by $62.75bn

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The potential growth difference for the physical security market between 2021 and 2026 is $62.75 billion, as per the latest market analysis report by Technavio.

The market is anticipated to witness an accelerating growth momentum at a CAGR of 9.4%. The analysts at Technavio have categorised the global physical security market as a part of the global IT consulting and other services market within the global IT services market.

The report provides extensive information on the value chain analysis for the physical security market, which vendors can leverage to gain a competitive advantage during the forecast period.

Key Market Dynamics:
  • Increasing concerns about terrorism and crime to boost the market growth
    Modern cities are exposed to the threat of crimes and terrorism due to the rapid growth in population combined with socioeconomic factors such as joblessness among the youth. Terrorism and crime incidents are not limited to developing economies; the number of such incidents is also rising in developed economies. Hence, businesses, as well as commercial and residential complexes, are employing physical security solutions, which involve video surveillance, access control, and others.
  • High initial investments to emerge as a key threat
    The new entrants to the market require a large amount of initial investment for the basic IT infrastructure of physical security solutions. An initial IT infrastructure investment can cost up to tens of thousands of dollars, which is difficult for certain companies to bear. Therefore, there are fewer new entrants in the industry. Since there are a number of new physical security technologies that are coming up, there would be an increasing need for updated professional expertise. If professional expertise does not exist, organizations invest plenty of resources in training personnel.
Revenue-generating Segment Analysis

The hardware and software segment held the largest physical security market share in 2021. The segment will continue to account for the highest revenue throughout the forecast period. The growth of this segment can be attributed to the investments made by vendors in the market in hardware and software that are higher than that in services. An increase in loss resulting from customer theft, employee theft, poor inventory management, and inefficient operations has compelled retailers to invest in electronic article surveillance systems as part of a well-managed and well-executed loss prevention plan.

Regional Analysis

33% of the market’s growth will originate from Europe during the forecast period. Germany and UK are the key markets for physical security in Europe. Market growth in this region will be faster than the growth of the market in the North American, MEA, and South American regions. The rise in the crime rate in the country will facilitate the physical security market growth in Europe over the forecast period.