Page 46 - Security Today, April 2019

Automation Can Close the Gap on Cyber Exposures
Security pros can protect their systems without being cybersecurity experts
BSy Tom Galvin
ee no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil: It is tempting for physical security professionals to take this passive approach to cybersecurity. End users can be blind to threats and vulnerabilities from their security system and other IoT devices. Many integrators and install-
ers don’t feel comfortable discussing the topic with their customers. While IT departments may have the responsibility for cyberse- curity, they often don’t have good visibility into the physical secu- rity system and other IoT assets. Even as security systems become increasingly interconnected and IT-oriented, physical security pros and IT often don’t want to hear from or talk to each other. Speaking
different languages, many just don’t know how to communicate. Physical security pros must take responsibility for cybersecurity now. By using automation technologies, installers can apply cyber
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practices without being cybersecurity experts. Monitoring for cyber and other system health issues sustains a secure and reliable system for end users and differentiates the service provided by the system installer.
Physical Security Cyber Vulnerabilities
Technologies connected to the physical realm are yielding incred- ible applications, from predicting maintenance problems in oil field equipment to recognizing the signature walk of employees for iden- tity management. Yet these applications create threats to organiza- tions and opportunities for criminals. Hackers can use unsecured IoT devices to infiltrate corporate networks, launch attacks on the public internet or disrupt the video surveillance system.
A growing list of elements provide attack surfaces that IT orga-
CYBERSECURITY
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