02 May Utilising physical security data

As technology advances, physical security systems are becoming increasingly important due to the rising threats, technological advancement, regulatory compliance, and the need for remote monitoring, says SPA member, Arif Almalik, Chief Digital Products Officer, Moro Hub.

The protection of personnel, hardware, so ware, networks and data from physical actions and events that could cause serious loss or damage to an organisation, is a vital part of an organisation’s security. And so companies deploy a wide range of tactics to protect them, including access cameras, video surveillance, burglar alarms, area alarms, and others. The data or information derived from these key components in the form of logs, video footage, sensor readings, and other forms of structured and unstructured data is called physical security system data. These physical security elements not only generate information on illicit attacks, but also help protect and prevent security delusions. According to Rational Stat’s analysis, the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) physical security market is expected to reach US$3billion by 2028,  growing at a CAGR of around 7% from 2022 to 2028. Another survey showed that two-thirds (69%) of enterprises described physical security and related data as ‘mission-critical’. Larger organisations are increasingly seeing value in the data gathered by their physical security systems with over 46% saying they use their security systems to “improve overall business efficiency, productivity and asset optimisation”.

There are several reasons why utilising physical security systems data can be beneficial such as:

■ Improved security: physical security data can help identify vulnerabilities in security systems which will help in preventing breaches and unauthorised access.

■ Incident investigation: physical security systems data can provide valuable information on how the incident happened, when it happened, and who was involved.

■ Compliance: physical security systems data can help ensure compliance within these physical security requirements and proper security measures are in place.

■ Risk management: by analysing the physical security systems data organisations can identify areas of risk and take proactive measures to mitigate those risks before they become security incidents

How to build use cases for physical security systems data

To build effective use cases for physical security systems data, organisations need to follow a structured approach that involves the following steps:

■ Identify key business objectives that the organisation wants to achieve.

■ Evaluate the data generated by physical security systems to determine what information is relevant to the business objectives.

■ Analyse the data once it has been identified. It is important to analyse and identify patterns, trends, and insights that can be leveraged to achieve business objectives.

■ Develop use cases that are based on the insights gained from the data analysed.

■ The next step is to implement the use cases and monitor their effectiveness.

An integrated physical security platform offers a range of benefits that can help organisations improve their security, increase efficiency and save money. With the ability to integrate multiple security systems into a single platform and utilise physical security systems data, organisations can have a comprehensive view of their security landscape, respond to incidents quickly, reduce risks, ensure compliance, and manage security operations more effectively.