Brad McMullen, President of 3xLOGIC, PACOM and Sonitrol discusses the role of technology in supporting the role of security guards and teams.

The evolution of security

Today you can’t open a newspaper or scroll through social media without coming across news of the latest technological advancements.

Whether it is AI, which is pushing the boundaries of what computers can achieve or drones and robotics, the world is evolving at an increasing pace.

Businesses of all sectors must change to adapt and embrace new technology, and security is no exception.

Security officers are integral to the safety of our spaces and events – and with emerging technologies such as AI, they’re about to become more informed, data-driven and efficient.

As Ginni Rometty, former CEO of IBM and current Co-Chair of OneTen put it: “Some people call this AI, but the reality is this technology will enhance us. So instead of artificial intelligence, I think we’ll augment our intelligence.”

Modern technology will evolve security services

Security teams have already shown that they can evolve to mirror changing needs, in response to changing threats, needs and tools.

This time is no different, except security personnel have a wealth of new technologies that they can utilize to deter, detect and report intruders and events.

Guarding is a fundamental part of the security landscape. According to Statista, there are over 850,000 security guards employed in the US alone.

They are expected to monitor buildings and other assets, protect and communicate with people, respond to emergencies and suspicious behavior, run patrols, collaborate with third parties and law enforcement, report on events and more.

It’s a challenging job with a wide range of activities that, often, a small security team needs to keep on top of.

So why not use technology to improve response times, situational awareness and team efficiency?

Focusing on human tasks

There have been significant recent advances in security technologies, notably with AI, deep learning, the advent of the cloud and the automation of key functions.

Despite fears of AI taking jobs, the truth is more nuanced.

Some jobs will be completely automated, yet the majority will be augmented. According to Nexford University, AI will replace a quarter of work tasks in the US, leading to a productivity boom.

The kind of tasks that AI will automate for security teams will make them better at the ‘human’ activities in their roles and free them to add value where it’s needed most.

AI incorporated in video surveillance systems will continuously scan for suspicious, unusual behaviors such as a vehicle arriving on a site outside of operating hours or a person walking close to a railway track in an unbalanced way.

Instead of spending all of their time monitoring video screens for these types of events, security officers can focus on other tasks that require human judgement while the AI does this for them, alerting them to any events that require their attention.

This improves efficiency, while also reducing fatigue and the likelihood of human error.

Given that modern-day security guarding requires more customer service activities such as greeting visitors and providing directions, having AI working in the background to detect events and objects of interest frees up officers to enhance the visitor experience (something that requires uniquely human interpersonal skills that AI is unlikely to ever master).

AI for greater security intelligence

AI can also provide deeper insights into what’s happening on the ground.

Using an integrated video management system (VMS), data from video cameras can be combined with other sensor data from the Internet of Things (IoT), perimeter and access control, drones, social media, customer service calls or messages, visitor logs and more.

This gives a control room a thorough overview of potential risks, unfolding threats and activities or people to be aware of.

For large, complex sites or busy events, this kind of situational awareness is invaluable.

In-the-moment guarding insights

Data and information can be delivered directly to ground teams, thanks to the commonplace use of smartphones and tablets, plus the rise of cloud computing.

With the right user permissions, anyone can view footage and insights when they need it, which is a significant advantage for security guards responding to an event.

A search for a missing child, for example, is made much simpler when the VMS tells guards on the ground the color clothes they are wearing and where they last walked past a camera.

Likewise, if responding to a report of suspicious behavior, guards can be better prepared if the VMS has detected a possible weapon on one of the people.

In the near future, security personnel could be managing a small tech center from their laptop or phone and using those insights to inform their next move.

They may also share these with other relevant parties such as law enforcement to aid an emergency response, making the security management of large events or cities a lot more collaborative and data driven.

Ground-level and bird’s eye views

Security personnel will have greater ‘eyes and ears’ on the ground thanks to advances in camera technology (which can detect objects and situations far quicker and further than human eyes can).

This, combined with drones that can provide a bird’s eye view of a site, and robots that can patrol continuously and in hazardous areas, is expanding the range of footage that a guard can access.

Body-worn video can assist with keeping control rooms up-to-speed with what their frontline counterparts are experiencing.

GPS tracking can also help monitor a ground team’s movements, ensuring they’re in the right place at the right time and boosting their safety when completing patrols.

Tighter access control

Access control is also becoming more advanced, with multiple credential options beyond a keycard that can be easily lost or stolen.

Biometric and smartphone credentials are becoming more commonplace, and some access control systems can detect and alert to tailgating when combined with a wider video surveillance solution.

Similarly, cameras can help guards check if someone walking through an access-controlled entry matches the credentials they’re using (preventing theft of a phone or keycard to gain unauthorized access).

Data-driven, proactive security

This excess of data can be consolidated and analyzed in a VMS in real-time to support responses and long-term for protective security planning.

By analyzing trends and patterns, security services will be able to predict potential breaches before they happen.

Certain areas or times of day may be detected as higher risk, for instance.

This can allow teams to deploy resources, such as guard placements and patrol routes, based on this insight, making their team more proactive and efficient.

Moving to a strategic role

The combination of automation taking on much of the footwork required of security teams plus having more data to analyze and make decisions with, ultimately shifts security’s role from a reactive function to more of a strategic one – especially improving collaboration with other business areas.

For example, video analytics such as people counting can be helpful for operations.

Heatmaps may be useful for marketing and sales.

Integrations with heating, ventilation and lighting may lead to greater energy efficiency and cost savings.

All of these benefits across the business will stem from security and the cameras, VMS, sensors and access control technology that they invest in.

To realize this, some new skills will be needed.

Security guards would do well to assess and develop their interpersonal skills (for the public and business stakeholders) and data analytics skills.

Just like every profession, intelligent machines and automation will be critical members of every security team in the future, but it’s unlikely that technology will replace guards on the ground.

Instead, they will become better, faster and stronger because of the tools at their disposal.

This article was originally published in the December edition of Security Journal Americas. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.