Page 14 - Security Today, November/December 2019

“Cybersecurity will continue to be a challenge because the goalposts are always moving.”
coming year; increasing the market share of the top tier players.
Internet of Things Will Drive Platform-based Solutions
Internet pioneer Robert Metcalfe tells us the value of a network increases exponentially with the number of devices connected to it. Nowhere is that more evident than on the Internet.
Cisco estimates by 2020 the Internet as a platform will have 50 billion devices connected to it. In a separate analysis, Morgan Stanley estimates that number may reach as high as 75 billion next year. How will this play out in the surveillance arena?
We are already seeing deployments where there are more IoT security devices like surveillance cameras and other sensors resid- ing on large corporate networks than any other type of devices. This has necessitated a closer alliance between security vendors and their customers’ IT departments to manage the multitude of devices and balance bandwidth allocation for streaming video with other traffic in the pipeline.
The plethora of IoT devices on the market has also sparked a shift in security system development from proprietary, silo-ed solutions to ones based on an open platform. In the coming year we will be seeing even closer collaboration between security IoT manufacturers, software developers, analytics companies and other players. These are win-win partnerships not only serving to enrich the capabilities of a manufacturer’s products but also provide developers with a broader customer base.
This platform-based approach is also spurring product devel- opment of new IoT devices previously only found in the analog world. In the coming year, you will be seeing a burgeoning market for network-based speakers, network-based intercoms, intelligent audio systems and network-based access control devices as part of a company’s security portfolio. The shift to platform-based so- lutions is also opening up more opportunities for companies to offer hosted video and software services.
Cyber Security Will Continue to be
Both a Threat and an Opportunity
As IoT becomes more widespread, each new connection repre- sents a potential entry point for a cyberattack.
This begs the question: what is the IoT manufacturer’s re- sponsibility when it comes to protecting the customer? Certainly patching vulnerabilities after an attack is certainly an important step. But users and the entire supply chain need to work in con- cert to avert future attacks from occurring.
Cybersecurity will continue to be a challenge because the goal- posts are always moving. The minute you think you have secured a device, hackers will find dozens of new ways to break in. Because the IoT umbrella is so broad and constantly innovating, it is naïve to think that any single security standard will solve the problem.
In the coming year, we will be seeing greater collaboration be- tween companies to ensure new devices, patches and upgrades to one system do not introduce vulnerabilities in another. Manu- facturers will provide tools to automate upgrades and patches, and develop new procedures to ensure that customers implement
those changes throughout their ecosystem in a timely manner. We might see some companies rebuilding their code from the ground up, recognizing that making security an inherent part of the cod- ing process can drastically reduce the number of cyber issues.
2020 will also be a year where we will see the embedding of cy- bersecurity features at the chipset level gain traction in the industry. With every market sector facing a rise in cyberattacks in the year ahead, we will see user organizations and the entire prod- ucts-and-services supply chain step up cyber education and work
harder to instill a culture of cyber security in their communities.
Intelligent Features Will Gain More Traction in Surveillance Solutions
While deep learning and artificial intelligence are still in their early stages, the trajectory of evermore precise and reliable video and audio analytics will continue apace.
We will see a marked increase in software development com- panies entering the security arena; offering customized analytics to meet the specific needs of individual users.
This will lead to greater adoption of analytics and a rise in reliance on the business intelligence those applications provide. However, just like the over-optimistic enthusiasm for analytics a decade ago, it is still important to separate hype from what is re- ally deliverable.
Global Politics Will Have a
Major Impact on Our Industry
The security industry used to operate in a veritable bubble, rarely affected by affairs outside our own industry.
Today, you would be hard-pressed to open a newspaper or e- journal without finding stories or op-ed pieces discussing current events that could fundamentally change our industry. It could be global sanctions banning certain players from specific markets, tariffs imposed on crucial components and raw materials, con- troversial technology like facial recognition raising issues about privacy, or GDPR regulations governing how we must protect an individual’s data.
Global politics can have far-reaching implications for our industry, which in itself is global in nature. We are intrinsically connected to each other in so many ways. For instance, OEM ar- rangements might include a product you think is being supplied by a local vendor. But, in fact, it is really a rebranded product from another country that might be on a sanctioned list. Or the product might be using firmware or chipsets from technology providers impacted by trade bans or tariffs.
The Need for 20/20 Foresight
Predicting the future is always an interesting exercise. Looking back on the trends I projected last year at this time, I was right on target for some and a bit premature on others. Looking ahead, the one thing I can guarantee is that our technology and political worlds will continue changing faster than ever. To be successful in the year ahead, you will need to keep a watchful
eye on both the arc of technology innovations on the horizon and the breadth of geo-political events that may affect our industry.
Fredrik Nilsson is the vice president of the Amer- icas for Axis Communications Inc.
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | SECURITY TODAY
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