INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Enterprise Security
The inevitable convergence of
physical and cybersecurity
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It may not be immediately
clear as to how, but
physical and cybersecurity
are converging and the
need for a combination
of cyber and physical
defences will soon
become a non-negotiable
addition to enterprise
security systems. Sven
Smit, Portfolio Director
at Specialised Exhibitions
Montgomery, tells us more.
W
hen you consider that today
we are able to remotely control
virtually all of our security
systems, from those that govern our data to
those that protect our physical businesses, it
should come as no surprise that hackers are
able to do so as well.
When you consider the types of people
we’re talking about here, there is always
the risk that a cybercriminal could pose a
serious threat to the physical safety of the
workplace. Using their way of thinking,
the possibilities are endless – imagine a
fire alarm with all exits locked and panicked
staff, or no fire alarm at all when it’s
really needed.
The exponential adoption of the Internet
of Things (IoT) – with more devices than
ever before operating through the cloud –
made it necessary for security experts to
consider the correlations between physical
and cybersecurity, including the shared risk
factors and the shared protective measures
that can be taken. It’s best to avoid being naïve or trusting
when it comes to security. When the talking
fridge was invented, who’d have thought
there’d be someone out there who’d want
to mess with it? But they do, or they will,
and the networked enablement of business
functions is forcing companies to see that
physical and cybersecurity must be treated
in a unified manner.
Most modern buildings, for example,
include video surveillance systems, access
controls, elevator systems and even
digitally controlled air-conditioning lines,
which can all be accessed and controlled
remotely and are thereby vulnerable to
security breaches. The good news is that businesses are
seeing how the convergence of physical
and cybersecurity is increasing operational
efficiencies, with many taking the necessary
steps to protect themselves and their
customers by using cybersecurity innovations
to protect their physical systems.
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INTELLIGENTCIO
As Africa’s leading security and fire trade
exhibition, Securex South Africa is mirroring
the industry’s advancement towards this
convergence, tackling this topic as well as
a myriad of other issues facing the security
industry both now and into the future.
Securex South Africa 2019 will take place in
May 2019 at Gallagher Convention Centre
in Johannesburg. n
Sven Smit, Portfolio Director at Specialised
Exhibitions Montgomery
www.intelligentcio.com