The March issue of TD sister publication, Security Sales & Integration, features results of the first-ever Physical-Logical Security Assessment. The groundbreaking research brings to light the perceptions and realities of how integrators are adapting to IT convergence ― and especially how they are being impacted by cybersecurity factors. The project included nearly 150 respondents from a variety of company sizes and locations throughout the United States and Canada.
More than 30 questions were posed, most requesting ratings on a 1-10 scale. They covered a broad range of crucial considerations, including products, liability, insurance, contracts, training, the cloud and more. The results could be interpreted as generally positive in that they indicate recognition of short-comings and the willingness to address them. The study encouraged respondents to submit what they viewed to be specific leading physical security challenges relative to cybersecurity. Here is what they indicated, in no particular order. . .
- “Clients keep using the same passwords, their systems are not fully encrypted, and they don’t use physical keys to access core files.”
- “Inertia ― cybercrime has expanded exponentially the past five years, but 80% of businesses have taken no new initiatives. There is a belief that a firewall is all that is needed.”
- “We need to be sure the IT-based products we install are not vulnerable to hacking.”
- “Concerned manufacturers are including ‘backdoor’ access for products now supplied by only a few factories in Asia.”
- “A relative lack of familiarity with design/configuration/security best practices coupled with an installed base of devices that are not necessarily designed or maintained or patched to be resistant to modern threats.”
- “Not yet being capable of filling the role of cybersecurity expert for smaller customers, and not having the technical depth in cybersecurity to integrate seamlessly with enterprise level customers’ IT departments.”
- “Lack of talent in IT staff. Trained IT professionals are still difficult to hire and keep on staff due to their great demand.”
- “Inability to maintain trained staff commanding $130,000+ salaries as there is not enough business to justify it. Too many integrators think that can figure it out as they go along.”
- “Physical and logical security must be addressed contemporaneously; they are not independent variables.”
- “Security manufacturers, integrators and purchasers must all share the same imperative: Adopt a security-centric approach to network-connected systems of all kinds, from product design through installation and ongoing support/monitoring.”
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