Page 30 - Security Today, May/June 2020

GUARD SERVICES
Technologies
Driving Impact
Communications always evolving in people’s everyday lives
BTy John Petruzzi
echnology has always driven change, whether evolving communications in people’s everyday lives or offering new functionality across business applications. Yet, as we enter a new decade when innovation has never arrived faster, the implemen-
tation of technology has transcended industry and roles. New leaps have sparked trends around smartphones, connected devic- es, and artificial intelligence that have broken boundaries.
In particular, we see remarkable impact to businesses in the se- curity space in terms of how organizations are managing their se- curity officers and overall security programs at an enterprise level.
TRENDS SPARKING CHANGE
One of the most impactful trends the industry has begun, and will continue to see, is security officers equipped with technology to fur- ther leverage their capabilities. This goes beyond officers operating secure perimeter technology, but instead speaks to those tools that will support and push security officer capabilities to new levels.
When developing a security program, we are seeing organi- zations connecting manned security and technology at the hip. Enterprise security programs are integrating their visitor, access, video, and notification platforms to run alongside the security of- ficers, making the program efficient for the end-user and increas- ing the program’s security posture.
Another key trend is around the automation of certain or- ganizational processes and procedures that in turn enhance the
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capabilities of security personnel. Automation not only allows security personnel to better understand where to distribute infor- mation to the need-to-know people, but also when to take action and whether there are any follow-up steps to be taken.
As automation and communication improves, personnel can more quickly respond to threats, and organizations are becoming more cognizant of the different responsibilities of each role. A security officer, lobby ambassador, security operator or analyst are all vital parts of the program, but each role is vastly different.
As such, security programs are concentrating on attracting the right talent and experience to fit those roles, whether it be knowl- edge of counter-surveillance techniques or of physical security systems, the ability to multi-task in high-stress environments or to provide exemplary customer service.
Increasingly, organizations are seeing the value in social media monitoring in operations centers. Using Critical Event Intelligence platforms in conjunction with social media monitoring technology, businesses can remain informed about a potential threat, whether that is a disgruntled former employee or a natural disaster. In turn, having these programs integrated with physical security ensures that the monitoring teams and security personnel on-site are incor- porated and armed with the information on how best to respond.
INTERNAL BUSINESS DRIVERS
New trends are not the only impetus of change impacting the strategic management of enterprise-level security operations, so
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