Security software trends: Operational resiliency and privacy protection key in 2018

Last year, Genetec predicted that cybersecurity would be taken much more seriously as the Internet of Things (IoT) opened more doors for hacking and network take overs.

We also predicted that that there would be an increase in the adoption of Software as a Service (SaaS), expanding choice and convenience from new ownership models via hybrid (on-premises and Cloud) and Cloud-only models.

Cyber Accountability awareness

2017 was also a year of awareness about ‘Cyber Accountability’. Rising cyber-crime and the increasing threats saw organisations taking direct action to mitigate their risks. There was a greater demand for cybersecurity/cyber-incompetence malpractice insurance in the physical security space.

The physical security industry is continuing to grow at a rate that most other industries would envy. However, the “race to the bottom” and the rise of ultra-low-cost surveillance sensor equipment is negatively affecting the industry as a whole on several levels: Not only are profit margins being eroded, but these ultra-low-cost devices are being fielded and subsidised by state-owned organisations which raises troubling questions around privacy, data sovereignty and cyber security.

More focus on privacy protection

In 2018, we will see a lot more focus on privacy protection and compliance. People want to feel safe, but not watched. This is where privacy protection and encryption technology play a role in ensuring that security professionals have enough information to be able to do their job while protecting the privacy of the public.

In addition to privacy and data protection, there is a greater demand for organisations and institutions to not only make sense of an increasing array of data from sensors and connected devices, but to take meaningful and smart action on these data. Software that help organisations build and activate this type of operational resiliency and security intelligence will lead the way in 2018.

Genetec celebrated its 20^th anniversary and welcomed its 1,000^th employee in 2017. We are still proudly privately owned and will continue to grow and march to our own drummer while delivering our usual brisk pace of software innovation.