Perimeter protection and drone detection are gaining importance
The security industry is undergoing change: connected systems, artificial intelligence, digital access solutions, drone detection and robotics are transforming the protection of businesses and critical infrastructure. At the same time, resilience is moving further into focus – and with it the question of how organisations can remain operational even in complex threat scenarios.
Securing individual risk areas is increasingly no longer enough for companies and operators of critical infrastructure. Power outages, sabotage, cyberattacks or disruptions to communications can affect several areas at once and compound one another. Alongside prevention, the ability to maintain essential functions during a security incident and return to normal operations as quickly as possible is therefore becoming increasingly important.
As a result, security disciplines that have often been considered separately are converging. Video surveillance, access control, intrusion and hold-up alarm systems, perimeter protection and other sensors provide information that can be processed together in control rooms and management systems. Instead of assessing a large number of individual alerts, security teams gain a more comprehensive picture of the situation. Automated workflows help prioritise events and initiate predefined measures for different scenarios.
Artificial intelligence is part of this development, but it is not the sole focus. In video analytics in particular, it can support the detection and classification of people, vehicles and other objects. What remains crucial is that the results are reliable and integrated into the relevant security processes. At large sites, for example, automated preselection can reduce the number of images and alerts that staff actually need to review.
Access control is becoming more digital
Digitalisation is continuing in access control too. Mobile credentials on smartphones complement cards and transponders, while biometric methods are of particular interest in areas with heightened security requirements. In addition to face and fingerprint recognition, other characteristics can be used for unequivocal identification. At the same time, liveness detection is becoming more important to prevent spoofing attempts using images or artificially generated biometric characteristics, for example.
Another trend is the combination of multiple identity factors. Multi-factor methods, long established in IT, are increasingly being adopted for physical access control. A mobile credential can, for example, be combined with a biometric characteristic. At the same time, permissions must be capable of being assigned, changed or revoked at short notice. This is particularly relevant to large organisations with employees, service providers and changing external personnel.
However, digitalisation also increases the importance of cybersecurity. IP cameras, access readers and alarm systems are now often part of corporate networks. Secure communications, protected remote access and regular software updates are therefore also relevant to conventional security technology. For systems with long service lives in particular, the question is how their digital security can be maintained throughout the entire lifecycle.
Perimeter protection and drone detection
When protecting industrial sites and critical infrastructure, the perimeter remains the first line of defence. Alongside cameras and conventional fence sensors, radar, thermal imaging and lidar are used. Combining different sensing principles is intended to improve detection in darkness or adverse weather conditions while reducing false alarms.
There is also a threat that operates above the conventional perimeter. Small drones can fly over sensitive areas, capture images or carry payloads. Their early detection is therefore becoming a distinct element of site security. Radar, radio-frequency detection, optical and acoustic sensors each have different strengths and limitations. By combining several methods, an airborne object can not only be detected but ideally also classified and tracked. Unlike in military environments, however, civilian operators face tight legal constraints on active countermeasures.
Automation eases the burden on staff
The shortage of skilled workers remains another driver of technological development. Digital guard logs, automated alarm handling and software-assisted deployment planning are intended to relieve staff of routine and administrative tasks. At the same time, the range of applications for mobile robotics is growing. Ground robots can follow predefined patrol routes, transmit camera images or collect measurements. Drones enable monitoring of large and hard-to-access areas.
The aim is not so much to replace security personnel entirely. Rather, mobile systems extend their range of perception and action. They can carry out continuous checks and call in a member of staff when an anomaly is detected. Especially at large industrial sites or outside regular operating hours, such concepts can complement conventional patrol services.
More than 500 exhibitors at Security Essen will showcase concrete solutions to these challenges at Messe Essen from 22 to 25 September.
Plan your visit to the trade fair!
