Some trends in the security marketplace continue for several years, while others come and go quickly and are soon forgotten. Scrutinising a trend’s expected lifespan can help predict its impact on the marketplace. Trends that evaporate seemingly overnight are not useful for the greater good, and they can also distract customers from more enduring subjects. Unfortunately, sometimes hype is just hype. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Which new security trend do you think will run its course and disappear?
How much time do you have? One of the first trends that will end is fear of the cloud. As most organisations realise the limitations of their on-premise solutions and storage, those requirements will be less rigid. I also think we will see the disappearance of point solution overload, as physical security leaders consider the impact of more screens on their operational efficiency and utilise hardware that they already own to enrich their security data. Doing more with less will be a consistent theme in 2023. This theme will also cultivate the biggest change, which is removing the “security speak” when communicating needs and actions to the business. We have already seen this taking place today. The best programmes are created when security leaders can consistently translate security needs from a business perspective. Security investments will not be made for pitches that do not include risk, impact, or business value.
When it comes to products and services, it is difficult to predict what will fall flat in the coming months. That said, I think we’re in for a mentality shift, as the industry continues to move away from the “buy first, ask questions later” mindset. Integrators and customers aren’t just buying the latest, greatest technology toys anymore. Instead, they are starting to make more thoughtful and intentional choices, determining how technology functions and focusing on how hardware and software work together. In the new year, we’ll continue to see more of this thoughtful and purposeful decision-making when it comes to the latest security trends, as users search for devices and systems that address both security and business needs while delivering on ROI.
As more businesses embrace digital transformation and automation, we’ll continue to see a move away from proprietary systems. Closed-architecture, proprietary systems create human and data silos and stifle growth opportunities. Open-architecture solutions allow organisations to get the most value from their technology investments by strengthening data sharing and collaboration. They allow the customer to use software and hardware from different providers, allowing them to choose solutions that best meet their needs. Longer-term, these systems are also more agile. Open systems allow organisations to reuse existing hardware and wiring and expand or downsize their physical security architecture as their needs evolve. As operations become increasingly interconnected, organisations are going to migrate from proprietary systems to open-architecture systems in order to have the flexibility and adaptability they need to meet their current and future goals.
Siloed systems in security will disappear as we move towards integration in security programmes. Leaders are realising that instead of keeping systems separate, they can work together to increase efficiencies overall. Security decision-makers will start to look for components that not only play well together but can also inform each other. The new expectation is that security components should integrate easily, regardless of the brand, and also work smoothly with non-security solutions. For example, in the retail environment, security cameras could be used on the store floors and as learning tools, offering operational views that drive process improvements, such as alerting managers when customers are waiting too long for checkout as well as monitoring for shoplifting. The insights gathered and shared among departments can increase organisational efficiencies, which will lead to more organisations moving towards an integrated approach rather than siloed systems.