Cybersecurity concerns are on the rise, according to report

Cybersecurity concerns are on the rise, while the industries are embracing hybrid cloud infrastructure and unified solutions, according to a new report from Genetec.

Genetec, a technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions, has shared the results of its 2022 State Physical Security report. 

Based on insights from more than 3,700 physical security leaders worldwide (including end users and systems integrators/installers/providers), the report looks at the security strategies organisations are putting in place to effectively navigate the realities of a changing landscape.

The future of security is hybrid: 54% of end user respondents indicated that their organisations target vision for security deployment is a blend of on-premises and cloud-based solutions. A hybrid approach enables organisations to optimise their existing on-premises investments while leveraging cloud options to save cost, increase security and efficiency, and enable remote access to systems and sensors.

Cybersecurity concerns are rising: The convergence of information technology (IT) and security is inspiring new approaches to implementing and managing a strong cyber security strategy. 64% of IT respondents and 54% of security respondents indicated that cybersecurity tools are a top focus this year.

Use of physical security for business operations: The survey showed that almost two thirds (63%) of all respondents and 7 in every 10 organisations with over 10,000 employees described physical security and related data as mission-critical. Over the last few years, physical security has become a strategic asset to cope with a variety of challenges that go beyond just mitigating risk and is now playing a much more significant role in organisations digital transformation.

Physical security gets unified: Most respondents (64%) reported that they run both video surveillance and access control in their physical security deployments. Of those, 77% indicated that their organisation had implemented either integration between video surveillance and access control systems from different vendors, or a unified video surveillance and access control solution from one manufacturer.

"Every organisation wants to get their hands on the latest technology. However, faced with budget constraints, talent shortages, and ever-changing priorities, security leaders are required to do more with less," says Pervez Siddiqui, Vice-President of Offerings and Transformation at Genetec. 

"A unified security platform gives organisations a path to modernise their ageing systems while leveraging their existing infrastructure," he says. 

"And they can do this without expensive and complex custom development."

Genetec Inc. surveyed physical security professionals from August 25 to September 21, 2022. Following a review of submissions, some 3,711 respondents were included in the sample for analysis. Survey samples were run across all regions including North America, Central America, Caribbean, South America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, East Asia, Southern Asia, South-Eastern Asia, Central Asia, Western Asia, Australia and New Zealand.