What are the latest developments for edge devices?

Physical security edge devices are becoming increasingly easy to use, install, and configure. Manufacturers are integrating intuitive interfaces and simplified setup procedures to streamline deployment processes, reducing complexity for end-users and system integrators alike. These advancements enable easier integration into existing security infrastructures while minimising downtime and operational disruptions. Edge devices are increasingly equipped with enhanced analytics capabilities. However, as cloud-ready edge devices become more ubiquitous, the synergy between edge and cloud analytics continues to evolve. Analytics performed on the edge will increasingly focus on time-sensitive event detection and immediate response. Analytics performed in the cloud will leverage advanced machine learning algorithms and historical data analysis to conduct forensic searches and identify patterns or trends. 

I think one of the most interesting developments in edge devices is happening in the critical infrastructure space. As the threat of cyberattacks grows in complexity and number, critical infrastructure sites like electrical grids, hospitals, and research centers need to rethink their device security models to account for prevention without impeding the flow of information. Some might be tempted to airgap their systems, but that would be a mistake. For one, air-gapped systems can still be compromised through infected hardware, but more importantly, they prevent real-time communications which in turn introduces risk to the people, places, and assets air-gapped systems aim to protect. New approaches to edge security, including hardware-based security mechanisms like data diodes, encryption techniques, and anomaly detection algorithms, are being developed to protect data and devices from cyber threats. But ultimately, organisations will need to adapt their risk mitigation models to meet the critical need for enhanced information flow to protect their networks and devices. 

Edge devices, such as AI-based security cameras, are getting increasingly powerful. For example, a newly announced camera line supports up to nine separate AI apps, giving customers and integrators incredible choice and flexibility in what the camera can do. Such cameras support AI onsite learning where users can train the camera in situ to recognise important objects they wish to detect and analyse. These powerful new cameras can even add AI functionality, such as object detection and capturing descriptive attributes, to three additional non-AI cameras, even those from other manufacturers, giving new life to these older devices. Doing this on the edge reduces server load both on-prem and in the cloud. The edge is also becoming more open and scalable. Using tools like Docker or Kubernetes that support container technologies enables quicker deployment of applications and an ability to scale so that edge devices can work together and share computing resources.

The acceleration in hardware advancements for machine learning and AI is continuing to produce data that is more accurate and information-rich. Our ability to analyse the actual video and other information at the edge enables a more efficient system setup that distributes the computing power over a larger number of edge devices. If we look back at the portfolios of major vendors just a few years ago, only the very high-end products had edge acceleration for AI. Today this is becoming a de facto requirement as demand grows for running more advanced algorithms on the edge. For system integrators and application providers, this growing pool of powerful edge devices provides additional flexibility in selecting hardware and deploying these intelligent solutions.