Kasia Hanson, Global Senior Director, Security Ecosystem Development and Partnerships, Intel, highlights how AI will play a pivotal role in the security industry going forward.

As we embark on a new year advancing the physical security industry, digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity and software will play key roles.

For those willing to look beyond the complexity, there is an opportunity for integrators and the manufacturer community to embrace innovation and refresh the design of products maximizing new AI and cybersecurity capabilities.   

The transforming effects of AI are already making an impact.

Even if you haven’t deployed an AI model directly, your applications are likely to already have AI integrated within their functionality.

It is estimated that AI spending will eclipse $300 billion by 2026.

AI is THE catalyst for the industry to enhance operations, knowledge, business practices and refresh products to enable new capabilities and enhance productivity.

It is not a niche technology only restricted to generative AI services – machine learning, deep learning and generative AI are expected to be broadly deployed.

As AI models advance, the physical security community can progress as well.

Leveraging expertise with video-as-a-sensor combined with advanced analytics will create new business opportunities for AI to analyze and make use of massive quantities of data, enabling customers to make faster and better decisions in real-time, rather than just reacting to historical footage.

The adoption of new and sophisticated technology rarely is a smooth, obstacle-free process; securing AI services will be a critical focus in the near term.

Companies using AI at the edge are most vulnerable given how easily AI models can be attacked.

The use of open-source AI models to bootstrap AI may unwittingly open the door to malicious attacks.

Comprehensive security for AI can alleviate these concerns and provide robust, real-time awareness of threats before models are integrated into an organization’s systems.

The importance of understanding AI as a new attack vector that must be protected – just as with any other aspect of a company’s technology – and cannot be understated. 

The broad adoption of the internet of things (IoT) and the industrial IoT (IIoT) has created an interconnected ecosystem of physical and cyber systems using AI, blurring boundaries and intertwining physical security and cybersecurity.

This interconnected ecosystem impacts operational technology (OT) systems, such as physical access control and physical security systems and as a byproduct, physical security operators and teams.

Understanding the role physical security teams can play in bolstering the security of physical and access control environments will become a mainstay over the next 12 months. 

Customers will demand it as attacks increase, AI usage increases and regulations evolve for a newly intertwined AI/cybersecurity world.

Integrators

Integrators should leverage the large ecosystem of partners in the industry to help navigate and understand the impacts and potential opportunities.

It’s important to work with partners who have clear AI and cybersecurity development strategies that can help educate, service and support AI, cybersecurity and software.

At the same time, these partners will also need to provide new products and services that help integrators establish new offerings and skills to meet their customers’ needs.

Manufacturers

Integrating AI and new security features into these purpose-built products will help integrators to understand the additional layers of defense and capabilities and what they can offer current and potential customers.

This includes growing transparent supply chain assurance to ensure product sourcing and prevent tampering, counterfeiting, etc.

Software developers

Ensuring open and clear communication about the process for secure model and code development will be key; ultimately integrators who deploy solutions on their customers networks may be most affected by this aspect of product development.

The next year will bring tremendous opportunity and change for the industry.

Our mission is to support the industry as it navigates the changes AI inevitably creates and to understand, design and deploy AI solutions securely and ethically while ensuring impactful business outcomes.

About Kasia Hanson

Kasia Hanson leads Intel’s Global Security Ecosystem Development and Partnerships.

She is responsible for shaping the strategy, go-to-market and sales strategies within Intel’s security ecosystem for physical and cybersecurity globally.

She is a passionate and dynamic security leader with over 23 years of experience and actively contributes to industry advancement and diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Notably, she has served as the Past Chair of the Security Industry Association Women in Security Forum, is a member of the WISF Executive Committee and is a member of the SIA Cybersecurity Advisory Board and Endowment Committee.

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