Security Cameras: Bridging the Gap Between Physical Security and Cybersecurity

Traditionally, physical security has been about safeguarding the building and property while cybersecurity is about protecting data, systems, and networks. As more aspects of our daily experience become digitized, physical security and cybersecurity have become even more closely intertwined. A digital camera system can be a powerful tool for both physical security and cybersecurity now that all our data lives in the cloud. Here are some ways to build a complete security system that includes both physical cameras and cyber protection for your business.

Physical security vs. cybersecurity

Physical security is often regarded as the first line of defense for many in the protection of people, corporate assets, information, products and property from physical danger, theft and security breaches. It has become one of the final frontiers in the security realm that is ripe for disruption.

The challenge is to look at the legacy physical devices through a different lens that incorporates the advances in technology and combines it with the maturity of cyber and network security practices. Companies who do this will be able to see a return on investment (ROI) by reducing the time it takes to investigate security incidents and thus reducing the total cost of investigation. The ability to have intelligent devices that can share and correlate information with the security incident event manager in a single dashboard will reduce time to resolution and aid in incident investigation. The increasing penetration of IoT devices coupled with the deep learning capabilities of AI will produce a unified approach to security from the parking lot to the desktop.

Physical security has embraced APIs, and this is good for the security team. The days of writing SQL scripts to pull data are gone and so are the countless manual hours spent combing through documents as you attempt to triage an event to create a timeline. Now, APIs can pull data in minutes across all products to provide flexibility for both in-house teams and commercial off the shelf (COTS) products.

Security cameras are becoming increasingly prevalent in every industry with companies of all sizes, in all sectors, deploying cameras to achieve greater visibility and intelligence around their people, processes and technologies. Meanwhile, the pandemic has catapulted industry leaders to make investments in technology around automation and machine learning. 

The digital transformation of physical security

Imagine an intruder detection system that uses a variety of elements like facial recognition, AI scanning and advanced analytics to detect an unauthorized and potentially dangerous individual on campus. 

That system could alert the appropriate security teams, ping first responders, automatically lock fire doors, send out a companywide notice to everyone, and even update digital signage around campus. Not only would this mitigate the damage done by an attacker, but it would also restrict their access considerably. 

Similarly, imagine a corporate mobile app being used in conjunction with smart cameras to identify employees' cars, available parking spaces, and movement while integrated into the access control system. In addition, this app could be used to send notifications to all employees in the event of an emergency or breach.

We can help companies as they begin and enhance their enterprise security and end-to-end security system with devices and software that bridge the physical security tools with cybersecurity tools.

See, try, buy - Smart cameras and sensors for computer vision 

Watch this on-demand primer for how various industries and public sector organizations are leveraging sensors, smart cameras and machine learning to improve physical security in this 15-minute WWT Experts webinar: Kait Miller on Machine Learning and Computer Vision.

See our physical surveillance portfolio of products in the WWT Advanced Technology Center (ATC) where our clients test and compare technology before purchasing.

See, try and buy allows new and existing customers to experience and learn about these products. The labs in our Advanced Technology Center guide users in the most critical pieces of the solution, like in this Meraki Cameras and Sensors Lab.