10 trends shaping the security industry in 2021

In recent months, there’s been a surge in cybersecurity attacks as criminals seek to exploit the coronavirus pandemic, the vulnerabilities of a remote workforce, and more. As details continue to emerge from the massive SolarWinds hack and fallout, many organizations are assessing their cybersecurity capabilities. On Jan. 7, Hikvision released a report outlining 10 of the top security trends for 2021.

Intelligent video technology will aid COVID-19 response

As we’ve previously reported, companies are leveraging a vast suite of technologies ranging from thermal imaging and artificial intelligence (AI) to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. Hikvision explains that “intelligence video technology” has demonstrated “great potential to help companies keep their employees and customers safe while getting back to work.” Technologies to enable contactless verification (facial/palmprint recognition, NFC /QR codes) “are being heavily promoted,” according to the press release.

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A multidimensional approach to perception

As illustrated in the previous example, numerous technologies enable surveillance systems to capture a variety of data to better understand an environment. Organizations are also incorporating radar, multispectral capabilities, humidity sensors, and more to video systems, according to the report. These perception capabilities could be “fundamental” in transforming the security industry, according to Hikvision.

Increasing visibility

Inclement weather, low lighting, and other factors can limit the clarity of video imagery. To assist, organizations are opting for capabilities that enhance video quality around the clock and during low-visibility conditions (fog, snow, smog, etc.), including color and thermal imaging,  Hikvision said.

“Multidimensional perception capabilities will play a fundamental role in taking the video security industry to the next level, and we constantly see growing numbers of integrated security devices and systems with multiple sensors,” the release said.

5G-enabled security boosts

5G is expected to accelerate digital transformation across industries. In the security sector, Hikvision anticipates that 5G will lead to the widespread use of wireless cameras and “facilitate wide and fast deployment of AI applications in edge devices.”

Merging multiple security systems

The release details the myriad benefits of merging multiple security systems (video, fire prevention, emergency management, and access control) into a single platform. As one would imagine, a uniform security platform increases efficiency for security professionals and reduces the risk of missing potential risks.

“Convergence makes security solutions scale. Existing infrastructure will meet and manage future needs on the same central platform,” according to the release.

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Video security-enabled digital transformation

The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated digital transformation across industries including the adoption of automation and AI. In recent months, many organizations have leveraged AI-enabled cameras to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19. These capabilities could also play a role in reshaping the security sector.

“The digital transformation trend in many enterprises presents huge opportunities for security companies to expand their scope and play an important part in the future of an intelligent world,” the release stated.

Security solutions move to the cloud

Many organizations have tapped cloud and multicloud solutions to enable remote workforces in recent months. The acceleration of cloud-based security solutions ranks seventh on Hikvision’s trends list. These solutions, which merge security, storage, analytics, management, and more “are making deployment much easier” and saving organizations “a significant amount of time” and more, according to the release.

AI will be “everywhere” due to increased edge computing

Our sister site, ZDNet, recently posted a piece about edge computing hitting an “inflection point” in 2021. Hikvision anticipates that edge computing could revolutionize the security industry in the months ahead, stating that there’s a “good chance” that edge computing could put “AI everywhere.”

“With increased edge computing and optimized AI algorithms, it will become normal to see security cameras shoulder more intelligent tasks in the near future to help improve security in local communities and efficiency of data systems,” the release said.

Open AI ecosystems

Open AI application ecosystems rank ninth on Hikvision’s roundup of trends shaping the security industry. It’s “fairly common” for organizations to provide customers with an AI training platform in many industries, and this approach is “now emerging in the physical security field,” according to Hikvision.

“Customers have a deeper understanding about their own businesses, and it will be more efficient and effective for them with easy-to-use open-AI training platforms to develop their own algorithms based on their data and specific security and business needs,” the release said.

Cybersecurity and privacy concerns

With many employees logging on from their home networks, remote work presents a number of security concerns for organizations. At the same time, many organizations are deploying surveillance capabilities to monitor employees, leading to data privacy concerns. Interestingly, Microsoft recently filed a patent application to monitor employees and score video meetings. Hikvision foresees cybersecurity and data privacy concerns remaining central to the evolution of the security industry moving forward.

“Cybersecurity will continue to be a concern for the industry throughout every step of data processing, from generation, transmission, and storage, to data applications and finally deletion,” reads a portion of the release.

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