Dear Reader
Greetings for 2020!
With the unrests and demonstrations that are taking place all over the country and the economic slowdown that’s impacting businesses, the risks to businesses are on the rise. So, as we begin the new year with mixed feelings I would like to touch upon the subject of cyber security, especially as it implies to physical security systems.
Today, organisations are taking risk mitigation measures on multiple fronts, with physical security being one of them. While this area was perhaps the most important segment of the total de-risk spectrum a few years ago, cyber security has steadily crept up to occupy the top position as a concern in the minds of the senior leaders of most private and state enterprises, including those governing and securing entire nations!
Very few organizations depend solely on one kind of security measure to secure their organization and protect their assets. Most businesses employ security systems that feature physical security protocols as well as cybersecurity protocols, and rightfully so, because, as physical security systems become network and IoT based, cybersecurity is playing a very important role in the whole security space.
Cybersecurity, in and of itself, is usually dictated by the type of services, amenities, and security needs that commercial space requires. For instance, a company that thrives on the use of IoT operated devices may have a different cybersecurity framework than that of a company which uses a handful of stand-alone surveillance systems. In fact, cybersecurity predictions for 2020 emphasise that IoT will continue to expand. Consumer connected devices include smart TVs, smart speakers, toys, wearables and smart appliances. Smart meters, commercial security systems and smart city technologies — such as those used to monitor traffic and weather conditions — are examples of industrial and enterprise IoT devices. There are about 7.8 billion humans on our planet, but to your surprise, by the year 2021 with an increasing graph of IoT devices, there may be around 20 billion IoT smart devices up and running with the increase in demand partly due to the roll out of 5G networks.
As we rapidly head down the road of IoT in an unstoppable way, homes and organisations that implement a host of security measures, such as the use of smart locks, RFID controlled access points, surveillance cameras, etc. might be leaving themselves more open than protected, if they fail to implement adequate cyber security measures. These devices are targets that cybercriminals and hackers love to exploit, and without the implementation of a robust cybersecurity policy, your physical measures will crumble from the inside out. You cannot afford to assume that the products and services that you buy have the required security built into them. One of the weakest links in the security chain is the user himself and if he does not adopt secure practices, chances are that his security will be breached sooner rather than later.
So, if you have not already taken adequate cyber security measures, you need to get on the job straight away. You need to regularly review and audit whatever measures you may already have in place, because these threats are dynamic and growing exponentially. Complacency can only lead to disaster of the worst possible kind and if you are complacent, one day you may discover that you are no longer in business and your very survival as an individual may also be at stake.
Till we meet next month,
Cheers, Stay Safe and Keep Others Safe.
G B Singh
Group Editor
Email: gbsingh@1stasset.org
Follow me on @EditorGB
Connect with me on Linkedin.com/in/gbsingh9
