Page 42 - Security Today, November/December 2019

Security Foresights for the New Year Data is becoming more digital and systems are becoming more integrated
BIy Clayton Brown
t is hard to type in 2-0-2-0, but the re- ality is 2020 is finally here. Once upon a time, this was the year when cars could fly, human immune systems healed themselves and cops could
stop a crime dead in its tracks. While some of these things are still more of a dream than a reality, the last one is becoming more viable every day.
Today, we can safely say that data is be- coming more digital, systems are becoming more integrated and security is becoming more predictive. So, while we may not have flying cars, we have come a long way. And we are only going to get smarter and more innovative from here. Below are the top trends we might see in 2020, and beyond.
Six Trends for 2020
Zero-trust environments converge. Cyber- security is teaching us the enemy is most likely already inside your organization; however, physical security is just begin- ning our digital transformation and is steadily adopting this zero-trust mentality. The challenge: finding physical security tools that can secure your facility the same way IT secures your network. The good news is we do not have to pave a new path. Physical security can learn from mistakes witnessed in InfoSec, as well as adopt es- tablished best practices to ensure this digi- tal transformation is simple and secure.
Risk-adaptive technologies have start- ed to emerge in the physical security mar- ket. Access control is becoming aware of individual behavior and intelligent enough to make sure staff does not enter risky environments. Unification platforms are not just looking at camera feeds, but are integrating non-traditional information feeds, such as operational technology, net- work security and even social media posts. And analytics are becoming predictive rather than forensic. As technologies and methodologies converge, security postures will become more connected and proac- tive, making our overall society safer. Security directors – and citizens alike – can have peace of mind, even in the modern, low-trust environments of a dynamic enterprise.
Search for more meaning. Data without context is just noise. Data will continue to explode, requiring greater context and intelligence to understand, reflect and im- prove upon current- and -historical trends. This will be supported by increasing reli- ance on AI and neural networks to pre- dict behaviors, prevent security problems, and increase efficiencies and effectiveness of physical and cybersecurity teams for higher-level problem solving and purpose.
Rather than an AI revolution, we will see an AI evolution. In the US, AI has increased worker productivity while con- tributing to a growing number of new job and economic growth. Together, new tech- nologies, data, AI and robotics will work together to significantly improve our out-
put and lifestyle by supplementing where we are weak and complementing where we are strong.
Focus on governance. Permission is one thing, governance is another. Security has relied on static-access control to ensure staff can enter the correct facilities as need- ed. By giving someone a credential, you are giving them your trust. But how do you verify that trust is not being abused?
The answer is new to physical security, but an accepted one in IT: governance.
Governance and compliance will soon begin creeping into physical security be- cause of the impact of digital transforma- tion. Regulations for handling sensitive, Personally Identifiable Information (PII) data will come into focus, offering a sys-
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 | SECURITY TODAY
TRENDS 2020
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