How The Pandemic Has Accelerated The Need To Converge Cyber And Physical Security Strategies - TechInvest Magazine Online

Here is why the convergence of digital and physical security strategies is necessary for businesses wanting to keep up with the changing security climate.

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The pandemic has forced businesses to change the way they conceive security. With more remote and hybrid working, businesses need more tools to keep up. Cybersecurity concerns have highlighted a need for businesses to reinforce their digital security, with ransomware attacks now happening every 10 seconds.

How has the pandemic changed the security climate?

The pandemic has influenced the security climate for businesses in the following ways:

• It has increased the need for identification: The contact tracing program has highlighted a need for visitors to provide their contact information should an outbreak occur in the office, and the business needs to notify them. Identification is also becoming increasingly necessary with the need for proof of vaccination.
• It has introduced more hybrid and remote work strategies: Businesses are continuing to move towards remote working to facilitate a better work-life balance for employees. However, cloud-based office applications and better identification and digital access methods are needed to make hybrid work possible.
• Online scams: The pandemic has caused an uptick in cyber schemes and scams, affecting businesses due to human error.

IT teams must work closely with management to help make hybrid and cloud-based work platforms possible. This means you must devote energy to sync your IT team with leadership.

What tools are available to converge cybersecurity and physical security?

By housing physical and digital security under one system, your system will be integrated to improve efficiency and streamline security processes. This section will list some tools that can incorporate these two security elements and even perform additional HR functions.

1. Access control

Access control can act as the foundation of your whole security system to incorporate all security elements onto one platform. Access control allows you to provide physical security for your office buildings and restrict external and internal access to unauthorized users.

Access control protects both physical and digital assets housed in your office buildings and does so without added inconvenience to your employees. Your employees can open doors without even reaching into their pockets. Depending on the frequency of your door lock readers, their mobile access card will be able to communicate with the reader via BlueTooth. Whether the phone is stored in a pocket or backpack, your employees can open doors.

Since access control holds all employee information and identification, it is a perfect system to integrate other security functions. You can also use access control to provide access to cloud-based work platforms to improve your network security.

2. Video cameras

A commercial security camera system is necessary for constructing an integrated physical and digital security system.

Like access control, the right commercial security camera system can protect both the physical and digital assets housed within your building.

Security cameras also deter criminals from attempting to commit a crime on your property. They act as a means to provide evidence to police should a crime occur on your property. You can integrate your video camera system with your access control system to provide video information alongside access logs on one interface.

By integrating both security technologies, you will quickly identify instances of misappropriated access on one platform. This creates a more user-friendly experience for your security staff.

3. Health and safety

In the wake of the pandemic, any approach to security must include technologies that provide health and safety protection for your staff. Some integrations you can use to adapt your security approach to face the demands posed by the pandemic are:

• Wellness checks: This involves employees filling out surveys of their symptoms daily on their mobile devices before accessing the building.
• Visitor management: Involves the registration of guests with wellness checks and entering their contact details should an outbreak occur so guests can be properly notified.

4. Cybersecurity to protect cloud-based technologies

Cloud-based access systems are becoming increasingly popular because they enable authorized priority users to open doors remotely using their mobile devices and view access logs remotely.

However functional this technology is, you must take precautions to ensure that the remote functions of a cloud-based access system are only accessible by your chosen priority authorized users.

You can protect your physical security system by using cybersecurity software to prevent unauthorized users from accessing entry logs and remote unlocking features. You can cover all integrations under your access system by installing this cybersecurity software.

5. Merging security and IT security teams

Creating a converged physical and digital security system involves merging your separate IT and physical security teams. This will enable both groups to improve communications and build a more assertive, converged physical and digital security approach. By combining teams, you will improve efficiency and identify any need to streamline your team.

Looking to the future

The pandemic has accelerated the need for converged physical and digital security strategies to improve focus on proper contact tracing and meet the new security need.

With more hybrid working, your security system needs to allow cloud-based programs and support these programs with physical and cybersecurity strategies. By merging security strategies, you can streamline your security processes and make it easier to protect your physical and digital assets.