In Security August 2026

IN SECURITY THE MAGAZINE WITH THE INSIDE STORY ON SECURITY

ISSUE 81 - AUGUST 2026

BEYOND THE STADIUM Five event security lessons from the World Cup 8 Industry news The latest security news and developments

22 Smarter visitor access 30 Campus redefined Interoperability will Solo replaces legacy decide who wins access control

38 Address the gaps Physical penetration testing

IN SECURITY | AUGUST 2026 | 1

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Editor Chris Hewett editorial@mebmedia.co.uk Accounts Jay Kempisty accounts@mebmedia.co.uk

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Publisher Wayne Banks +44 (0)1622 201207 wayne.banks@mebmedia.co.uk Website and Circulation Manager Kevin Villa website@mebmedia.co.uk Design and Production Charles David production@mebmedia.co.uk In Security Magazine is published 6 times a year by MEB Media Publishing Ltd 13 Princes Street Maidstone Kent ME14 1UR United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1622 201207, info@mebmedia.co.uk www.mebmedia.co.uk Articles and art may not be reproduced or reprinted without the express written permission of the publisher.

Exclusion of Liability Although every effort will be made to ensure the accuracy of all materials published, the publisher takes no responsibility for errors or omissions.

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Contents 4 Cover story - Beyond the stadium Five event security lessons from the World Cup so far…

8 Product & Industry News The latest security news and developments 22 Smart visitor access Interoperability will decide who wins the next decade 26 Rethinking security models Why traditional security models are no longer fit

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30 Campus access redefined Solo replaces legacy access control for students 34 AI with accountability Mahir Hodžić discusses how artificial intelligence is reshaping security 38 Address the gaps Physical penetration testing: overcoming the false sense of security 42 Ahead of the crowd Delivering a safer visitor experience

IN SECURITY | AUGUST 2026 | 3

COVER STORY

Beyond the stadium Five event security lessons from the World Cup so far… by Lloyd Major, CEO, Halo Solutions

T

he World Cup is still in its early stages, but it has already offered a clear reminder for anyone responsible for major event safety: the real operational challenge doesn’t stop at the stadium perimeter.

Recent reports have highlighted concerns around ticket checks, drone activity, severe weather disruption, heat risk and transport pressure.

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Each one is different, but they all point to the same challenge: major tournaments have to be managed as one connected operation.

This World Cup spans three countries, 16 host cities, 48 teams and 104 matches, making it an unprecedented event for security.

At that scale, the venue is not just the stadium. It is the station, the shuttle queue, the walking route, the fan zone, the public square, the

training ground, the team hotel and the journey home. It’s everything that comes with going to watch the football. That wider footprint is where some of the most important lessons are already emerging.

Lesson one: security starts long before the seat Reports from England’s opening match in Dallas raised questions about ticket checks, turnstiles and

whether people without tickets were able to get inside the stadium. FIFA has said there was no indication of unauthorised entry, but the wider takeaway still stands. Access control is not just a gate issue. It is a live operational issue.

At a tournament of this size, entry points have to be connected to crowd flow, stewarding, CCTV, police support, perimeter management and live decision making. If one part of that chain becomes unclear, pressure can build quickly. It only takes one broken barrier gate or confused ticket holder to create a gap that people exploit.

The answer to that is not simply more barriers or more staff. It is better shared visibility. Control rooms need to know where queues are forming, which gates are under pressure, where checks are slowing down and who owns the next action.

A report from a steward should not sit separately from CCTV, police updates or gate data. It should form part of the same live picture.

Lesson two: drones are not just a stadium threat The threat of drones is now very real for live tournament operations and it’s one that has already reared its head at this World Cup, with reports stating that Mexican military forces brought down an unregistered drone

near South Korea’s training camp in Guadalajara.

That matters because it shows how quickly the security footprint expands. A drone incident may not begin above a packed stadium. It could appear near a training site, a fan zone, a team hotel, a media facility or, even worse, a transport route.

For organisers, that means drone response has to be coordinated across the whole event environment.

Detection, reporting, escalation and response cannot sit in one team’s inbox or one venue’s incident log.

The relevant people need to see the same information at the same time, whether they are in security, police, event control, venue management or team operations.

The technology used to detect drones is important, but it is only as strong as the incident management operation around it. Once a concern is identified, the organisation still needs to know who was alerted, what decision was made, what action followed and whether the risk was closed.

Lesson three: fan zones benefit from similar operational discipline as stadiums The weather has been front and centre at this World Cup, which we’ve seen not only with the hydration

breaks introduced throughout the game. But it’s not just the heat wreaking havoc. A fan park in Atlanta reportedly closed several hours early because of severe weather concerns linked to heavy rain, flash flooding and storm risk. That is exactly the kind of decision major event organisers have to make quickly and clearly.

Fan zones are often treated as the softer side of major tournaments.

In reality, they are major spectator environments in their own right.

They bring together large crowds, and that in turn brings alcohol.

Organisers therefore need temporary infrastructure to facilitate this, as well as stewarding teams and emergency services.

If a fan zone has to close early, either because of the weather, some type of fault or even if it’s just reached capacity, the operational challenge does not end with that decision. Organisers need to communicate with the public, redirect crowds, update transport partners, manage welfare risk, brief stewards, protect vulnerable attendees and record the rationale behind each decision. There is also the inevitable friction or disorder if a viewing screen fails, or people outside cannot get in because it’s full.

This requires the same standard of coordination expected inside

Lloyd Major

Barcelona build-to-rent provider Becorp IN SECURITY | AUGUST 2026 | 5

the stadium. A fan zone may not have a pitch, but it still has crowd risk, welfare risk, security risk and reputational risk. Even worse, who owns that risk can often be unclear.

Whose responsibility is it to move fans on from outside if they can’t get in? How was this pressure tested pre-event?

Lesson four: heat and welfare have to be managed in real time On the flip side of flash floods, extreme heat has been a recurring concern, in particular for people working at the World Cup, like stewards, in hot southern U.S. host cities. Reports have warned about the risks facing security staff and others working long shifts in high temperatures.

This is an important reminder that public safety includes staff welfare as well as spectator safety.

Any sign of a problem must be captured early. If messages are communicated across the radio or via WhatsApp and other separate contractor systems, the pattern may only become clear once the issue 6 | AUGUST 2026 | IN SECURITY

has escalated. A connected control room can spot those trends sooner and assign action before welfare pressure becomes a larger incident or legal claim.

Lesson five: transport is part of the event, not an afterthought Reports of transport disruption after a match at MetLife underline another familiar truth for fans: the event does not end at full-time.

A stadium can operate well internally and everything can run as planned. But if thousands of people are left waiting to get home after the match, the role of security and operations teams isn’t over.

Transport pressure can create crowding, frustration, welfare issues and security concerns. It also affects public confidence in the whole event.

That is why transport partners, local authorities, police, event control and venue teams need shared situational awareness. Shuttle queues, road closures, rail delays and crowd movement all need to feed into the same operational view as incidents inside the venue. The public

experiences the event as one journey.

Safety planning should reflect that.

Unified risk management A modern control room should be able to see what is happening at an event, understand what matters, task the right people and record not only what decisions were made, but what options were available and what happened next. That applies whether the issue is a drone, a blocked gate, a welfare concern, severe weather, a transport delay or a public report from a fan.

Major events need their own version of a black box: clear, time-stamped records that show what was known, who acted, when decisions were made, what options were available, the rationale for those decisions and how incidents were resolved. Because when the pressure rises, fragmented information slows everyone down.

Connected operations give teams the best chance to act early, protect people, ensure the right protocols are followed and log an accurate record of events for analysis afterwards.

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PRODUCT & INDUSTRY NEWS

Independent analyst firms rank Genetec as global leader in video management software Research shows continued market share gains for Genetec as both the VMS and VSaaS markets continue to expand worldwide.

Genetec Inc. (“Genetec”), the global leader in enterprise physical security software, today announced that independent analyst reports from Omdia and Novaira Insights have once again ranked the company as the global market leader in video management software. Both reports show that Genetec increased its market share in 2025, reinforcing its leadership position in this multi-billion-dollar market as organizations worldwide modernize their physical security operations.

Genetec grew 20% against the 13.3% growth in the video software and VSaaS market, according to the latest Omdia research. The second and third-place vendors did not keep pace, ending the year flat or down.

“Growth in this market is not evenly distributed,” said Paul Bremner, Practice Leader for Physical Security at Omdia. “Buyers are consolidating around vendors that can deliver cloud, on-premises, and hybrid from a single 8 | AUGUST 2026 | IN SECURITY

open platform, and those vendors are taking share from ones that cannot.”

Independently conducted research by Novaira Insights also ranked Genetec number one worldwide* in total video surveillance software and service agreements. The research also showed continued market share gains across regions, including the #1 spot in the Americas for the 15th consecutive year; the largest market share growth among the top 10 vendors in EMEA; and a strong top three showing in Asia Pacific*.

“The world’s most demanding organizations are choosing Genetec as they modernize their security,” said Christian Morin, Vice President of Product Engineering at Genetec Inc. “They need a system of record built to IT standards, one that runs at enterprise scale and does not lock them in. They are choosing a platform they can build their future on, and our continued share gains show it.” *excluding China

Mayflex achieves EcoVadis Gold Medal

Mayflex, the distributor of converged IP solutions, is proud to announce that it has been awarded its first EcoVadis Gold Medal, marking a major milestone in the company’s sustainability journey and placing Mayflex among the highest-performing organisations assessed globally by EcoVadis. EcoVadis Gold recognition is awarded to companies ranked within the top 5% of all organisations evaluated during the previous 12 months.

Mayflex has achieved an overall EcoVadis score of 86, a significant increase from its previous score of 69, representing a 25% improvement and elevating the business from Silver to Gold status. This achievement reflects the company’s continued commitment to environmental responsibility, ethical business practices, human rights, and sustainable supply chain management.

EcoVadis is one of the world’s most trusted business sustainability rating providers, assessing organisations against internationally recognised sustainability standards including the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the UN Global Compact and ISO 26000. The assessment measures performance across four key areas: Environment, Labour & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement.

Donna Swaby, ESG Manager commented “Achieving EcoVadis Gold is a fantastic accomplishment for Mayflex and reflects the dedication, collaboration and

commitment shown by colleagues right across the business.

Every sustainability initiative, every process improvement, and every contribution from our teams has helped us reach this milestone.

We have built upon the strong foundations established over several years and continued to strengthen our governance, policies, reporting and sustainability programmes. The publication of our first comprehensive Sustainability Report, together with the support and resources available through the Sonepar Group, have played an important role in demonstrating our progress and ambitions.

This achievement provides our customers, suppliers and stakeholders with independent verification of our commitment to operating as a responsible and sustainable business. While we are delighted to have achieved Gold status, we see this as another step in our ongoing journey and remain committed to continuous improvement.”

The Gold Medal strengthens Mayflex’s position as a trusted partner for customers increasingly looking to work with organisations that can demonstrate robust environmental, social and governance (ESG) credentials. As sustainability requirements continue to grow throughout supply chains, independent assessments such as EcoVadis provide valuable assurance that businesses are embedding responsible practices into their operations and decision-making processes.

This latest achievement builds upon a range of sustainability initiatives already implemented by Mayflex, including its ISO 14001 certified Environmental Management System, sustainability reporting, emissions monitoring, renewable energy initiatives, circular economy programmes, sustainable packaging improvements and responsible procurement practices.

Find out more about EcoVadis.

IN SECURITY | AUGUST 2026 | 9

Axis puts innovation in the driving seat with UK and Ireland roadshow Axis on the Road event series brings expert insight, live demonstrations and hands-on access to the latest technologies closer to customers and partners in three cities this autumn.

Axis Communications, a leader in network video, has announced Axis on the Road, a new event series visiting Glasgow, Dublin and Manchester in autumn 2026. The three events will showcase developments in network technology and explore how connected solutions can improve security, operational efficiency and business intelligence.

Designed for customers, partners and industry professionals, each event will combine expert-led sessions with live demonstrations and hands-on breakout sessions. Attendees will be able to experience Axis radar, thermal, audio and body-worn solutions and speak directly with the specialists behind the technology.

“A key aim of Axis on the Road is to bring our technology and people closer to our customers and partners,” says Simon Emmons, Sales Manager, UK & Ireland at Axis Communications. “It’s an opportunity to look at where the industry is heading, but also to get hands-on with the technology and have meaningful conversations about the challenges organisations are facing today.”

Axis on the Road: From strategy to hands-on technology The series begins at Barclays Hampden Stadium in Glasgow on 1 October, before travelling to Aviva 10 | AUGUST 2026 | IN SECURITY

Stadium in Dublin on 8 October and the National Football Museum in Manchester on 22 October.

Each event will open with expert-led sessions on the trends shaping the industry, including the 2026 technology roadmap, network audio and the growing role of business intelligence. Practical demonstrations will then show how these developments can be applied in real-world environments.

The programme will also examine how analytics and connected technologies can help organisations gain greater insight from their environments, extending the value of network technology beyond traditional security applications.

An opportunity to connect, explore and share ideas Alongside the presentations and demonstrations, attendees can meet the Axis team, connect with industry peers and exchange ideas over lunch and drinks.

The informal format gives attendees time to ask questions, explore the technology at their own pace and discuss how new developments could support their organisations. With three venues across the UK and Ireland, Axis on the Road makes it easier to discover the latest from Axis closer to home.

Registration is now open for Axis on the Road 2026: Glasgow: 1 October, Barclays Hampden Stadium Dublin: 8 October, Aviva Stadium Manchester: 22 October, National Football Museum

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March Networks launches 2026 mid-year release, advancing connected intelligence First March Networks product release since the VIVOTEK merger introduces new AI-powered search, cloud intelligence and connected security integrations, while defining the company’s new approach to modern security.

March Networks®, a global leader in video surveillance and business intelligence, today announced its 2026 mid-year product release, introducing expanded AI-powered search, new cloud video intelligence, broader VIVOTEK camera support and integration with C•CURE access control.

The release is the first since the April 2026 merger of VIVOTEK’s branded business with March Networks.

It marks the introduction of Connected Intelligence for Modern Security, the company’s strategic approach to connecting video, data and AI across every system and site.

AI-powered search, analytics and reporting help businesses find, validate and act on critical evidence and operational insights faster.

Extend Intelligence Everywhere Connected solutions make intelligence accessible across roles, sites, devices and operating environments, allowing customers to deploy and scale technology based on their security, operational and infrastructure needs.

The strategic approach is built on three pillars: Connect the Ecosystem Connect cameras, access control, third-party systems, devices, data sources and workflows to reduce fragmentation across customer environments.

Advancing AI-Powered Search, Cloud Intelligence and System Integration The 2026 mid-year release expands March Networks and VIVOTEK’s end-to-end portfolio across enterprise video management, business intelligence, AI-powered investigation, cloud services and third-party system integration.

• Get faster answers at no extra cost with Searchlight AI, now included for all Searchlight Cloud users.

• Spot trends and act sooner with AI-powered, on-demand analysis of business data tied to video.

• Find critical evidence faster with expanded face and license plate search across compatible devices.

• Expand camera choice and flexibility with broader VIVOTEK support across March Networks environments.

• Unlock business intelligence for direct-to-cloud video with the new VIVOTEK VORTEX and Searchlight Cloud integration.

• Investigate access events faster by connecting C•CURE access control with March Networks Command Enterprise Software.

Turn Sight into Insight

Learn more at www.marchnetworks.com.

Connected Intelligence for Modern Security Connected Intelligence for Modern Security defines how March Networks and VIVOTEK bring video, data and AI together to surface what matters across every system, sensor and site.

Connecting cameras, operational data, AI and workflows through one intelligence layer helps organizations uncover risks, patterns and opportunities that isolated systems often miss.

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Comelit-PAC Delivers Integrated Security Solution at Kings Road, Fulham

Comelit-PAC has partnered with Editquest Limited to deliver a comprehensive security solution at a private residential development on Kings Road, Fulham.

The development required a comprehensive approach, with the priority to provide residents and visitors with a safe, reliable and intuitive system. The installation brought together door entry, access control and CCTV into one integrated solution, designed and installed to meet the highest standards, including full compliance with Secured by Design.

Editquest worked with Comelit-PAC to deliver a total of 128 Icona monitors, offering residents stylish and user-friendly video entry communication. At the main entrances, six digital video door entry panels were installed. These were fully integrated to enable secure visitor and guest management throughout the building.

Says Kobee Hussain of Editquest: “Our role was to bring together all elements of the installation and ensure the system was designed and delivered to the specification required. Comelit-PAC’s technology enabled us to do exactly this, providing us with the flexibility to manage all elements as one integrated platform. From an installer perspective, the process was smooth and we knew we could rely on the product to perform both during installation and in long-term use.”

Access control was also a central requirement, covering 48 doors across the property. To achieve this, Editquest installed a mixture of 512 DCI enclosures and four-way enclosures with 512 DCI and 512 DC, ensuring a robust and flexible solution suited to the development’s scale.

To complement the door entry and access control, 46 CCTV cameras were installed. These provide extensive site coverage and reassurance for both residents and building management, all operating within the same Comelit-PAC ecosystem. The result is a single system designed, supplied and supported by one manufacturer, providing ease of management and peace of mind for the long term.

Gareth Van Der Merwe, Business Development Manager, South East at Comelit-PAC concluded: “Our focus is always on delivering systems that combine technology, stylish design and reliability. The Kings Road, Fulham project shows how our solutions work seamlessly - from door entry to access and CCTV - while meeting Secured by Design requirements. By working closely with Editquest from initial design to work completion, we’ve created a future-proofed system that enables residents to feel secure in their homes, while enhancing their overall living experience.”

IN SECURITY | AUGUST 2026 | 13

Papermill Wharf consolidates life safety maintenance with Amthal Amthal Group Companies, as an approved Gent contractor, has secured a servicing contract to maintain key life safety systems at Papermill Wharf, a residential development in East London.

Located in London’s Docklands and seen as one of the most desirable addresses near Canary Wharf, Papermill Wharf is a purpose-built development with a waterside setting, featuring concierge services. To support resident safety and ongoing compliance, the building relies on several critical life safety systems, including a Gent fire alarm solution.

Amthal’s appointment followed a review of existing maintenance arrangements after concerns around the level of specialist support available. Papermill Wharf required a provider with the expertise and manufacturer approvals to maintain its Gent fire alarm system directly, while also delivering a coordinated approach across its wider life safety infrastructure.

The Board of Directors commented: “A priority was ensuring our life safety systems were maintained by contractors with the right manufacturer approvals and technical expertise. After finding that some providers relied on subcontractors to deliver this, having trained Gent engineers available directly from an appointed company became essential. Working with a single provider in Amthal has improved consistency across our 14 | AUGUST 2026 | IN SECURITY

maintenance programme, simplified administration and strengthened confidence in the reporting and support we receive.”

Amthal maintains the site’s fire alarm system directly through its own qualified engineers, while also coordinating the servicing of emergency lighting, smoke ventilation and dry riser systems. This provides Papermill Wharf with a single point of accountability for its life safety maintenance programme.

The contract also includes planned maintenance, testing and reporting across emergency lighting, smoke ventilation, dry riser systems and fire extinguishers, helping Papermill Wharf maintain compliance and oversight of its life safety servicing programme.

Alex Dearden, Team Leader – Internal Sales at Amthal Group Companies, concluded: “Prime residential developments such as Papermill Wharf rely on several life safety systems working together, each with its own inspection, testing and maintenance requirements.

Our role is to ensure these systems are serviced in line with current legislation and manufacturers’ recommendations through a planned maintenance programme, helping building managers maintain compliance while ensuring systems remain ready for use when needed.”

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Simplify every guest stay with PIN-powered hotel room and apartment access Leisure and business travellers increasingly want the stress-free convenience of a frictionless journey.

Flexible, secure PIN-powered hotel locking can help provide the flow they crave, door-to-door, combining round-the-clock keyless, queue-less access with powerful, cost- and time-efficient management for staff.

Providing guests with the convenience of roundthe-clock check-in and the safety of contactless arrival, then, is an increasing priority as the market evolves with the needs of a new generation of travellers.

TESA Hotel’s Check-In PIN solution offers hospitality businesses a system which is easy to implement and simplifies day‑to‑day operations for staff.

Boosting business, increasing guest satisfaction With the TESA Check-In PIN solution, guests enter their room when they choose, without keys, keycards, or queues at the reception desk. Prior to the stay, they receive an email with their PIN. They can then arrive friction-free and independently at their own pace: no keys or cards to carry, no apps to download. On checkout, they just pack their bags and head for home.

Every stage of their digital journey happens without hassle or hitch.

Property owners and managers enjoy significant benefits. TESA software automatically sends the guest PIN email. No reminders need to be set. The same code automatically expires on scheduled checkout – or managers can change the validity period with a few clicks in the software. For small hotels or B&Bs, Check-In PIN can be a game-changer, enabling 24/7 guest arrivals without additional staffing costs. For every business, it reduces the use of plastics and frees hotel staff from endless reception queues.

Late checkout is also offered with a couple of clicks in the TESA Hotel software.

Check-In PIN simplifies hotel operations, enabling faster service and delivering a smoother experience for 16 | AUGUST 2026 | IN SECURITY

both staff and guests.

A complete access management solution for the hospitality sector Check-In PIN is just one option within the TESA Hotel ecosystem, and part of a suite of connected digital solutions from the access experts at ASSA ABLOY. The TESA Hotel solution is custom-built to streamline access management for hotels, rental apartments, campsites, guesthouses, and hospitality businesses – of every size and type.

Compatible TESA locks with keypad are quick and wire-free to install at almost any door. For enhanced site security, every PIN may be cancelled instantly and all communication between system and locks is encrypted. The TESA hardware range includes a choice of robust battery-powered locks for doors and in-room devices, available in multiple finishes and designs. As well as PIN, hotel managers can offer guest access with RFID keycards or mobile keys on their smartphone – without changing their locks.

Staff manage the stay from user-friendly TESA Hotel software. With real-time, remote control over all doors, they can react instantly to any unexpected incident. If a keycard is lost, or a PIN compromised, it is quick to generate a new one within the software, simultaneously cancelling the missing one. There is no need to change locks or waste time and money with rekeying. With minimal training, any staff member will find TESA Hotel a breeze.

The Check‑In PIN solution also integrates seamlessly via API with PMS systems, self‑check‑in kiosks, and online booking platforms, enabling managers to streamline operations and manage bookings and access more efficiently.

Click here to learn more about Check-In PIN from TESA Hospitality.

The new SMARTair i-reader offers security managers PIN, card, mobile key, and 2FA access control in one device

In the modern world, a single layer of security is sometimes not enough. Premises with sensitive areas or higher-security rooms often benefit from an extra deterrent against unauthorized access. In many sectors, regulations require it. Implementing reliable digital two-factor authentication (2FA) – without adding delays or complexity at the door – is the most convenient, compliant solution. It keeps premises and their users safer from an evolving range of threats.

The SMARTair® i-reader Keypad was designed to meet this need for additional security, offering PIN, credential, or PIN+credential (2FA) access within a SMARTair digital access system. This new device extends the functionality of the SMARTair i-reader, already deployed successfully in diverse settings, and is compatible with SMARTair Wireless Online, Update on Card, and Openow system administration options.

Like the original model, the new i-reader Keypad can control and audit access almost anywhere. It accommodates a range of credentials, including cards, fobs, badges, and mobile keys. With the same device, facilities managers can also offer secure, cost-effective PIN entry.

A capacitive backlit keypad, customizable LED, and IP56 certification enhance usability outdoors and in low-light environments. Trusted, end-to-end encryption, robust engineering, and energy-efficient operation provide peace of mind for building managers and users.

When fitted at a parking barrier, an Openow® mobile credential is detected automatically (up to 5m) for driver safety and convenience. And because the device can operate even when offline, a power cut does not

compromise site security.

PIN, RFID, mobile, 2FA – or all the above?

The i-reader Keypad simplifies the flexible implementation of 2FA at key openings or areas. Easy switching between PIN, card, and 2FA enables security teams to toggle any opening between fast/easy and higher-security access protection, including remotely.

Devices can be programmed to switch between card/ PIN and 2FA at different times of day – boosting building security overnight when occupancy is lower, for example, and saving round-the-clock staff costs.

PINs may be issued remotely, further streamlining the management of contractors.

In multi-residential buildings, it adds PIN access to amenities like a gym or pool; protects staircases or filters elevator access; and enables block managers to quickly issue temporary time- and location-restricted access, including dedicated PINs for subcontractors or temporary users who are not assigned a permanent credential. In commercial, healthcare, or education premises, an i-reader Keypad can permit temporary entry by PIN for staff who have forgotten their credential, for example. It can also be deployed to manage and control access to specific floors within a building or to simplify 2FA implementation for sensitive doors in courthouses, hospital wards, data centers, and similarly sensitive settings.

To learn more about the new SMARTair i-reader Keypad, download a brochure or technical datasheet.

IN SECURITY | AUGUST 2026 | 17

Security Essen 2026 - Focus on connected security

Around 500 exhibitors from 40 countries will showcase the latest advances in AI, connected security, critical infrastructure protection and integrated physical and digital security solutions at Messe Essen from 22–25 September 2026.

The security industry is undergoing profound change.

Artificial intelligence is driving rapid innovation, while the protection of critical infrastructure is becoming increasingly important in response to growing cyber threats and geopolitical developments. At the same time, organisations are increasingly adopting a holistic approach that brings together physical and digital security.

Taking place from 22–25 September 2026, Security Essen will demonstrate how these developments are reshaping the sector and highlight the technologies that will define the future of security. Around 500 exhibitors from 40 countries will present the latest products, innovations and solutions, giving visitors a comprehensive overview of the market.

The exhibition will cover the full spectrum of modern security technologies, including access control, mechatronics, mechanical security systems, fire and intrusion protection, perimeter security, video surveillance, specialist services, protection vehicles, and civil protection solutions. A key trend across the industry is the increasing integration of these disciplines, with video surveillance, access control and intrusion detection now operating together on unified platforms. Artificial intelligence, cloud-based management and intelligent sensor technologies are also helping organisations identify risks faster and improve response times.

Reflecting these trends, exhibitors including Advancis, Milestone, ASSA ABLOY, dormakaba, Salto,

Telenot, Axis Communications, Dallmeier and Strops will demonstrate the latest innovations in integrated security, access control, video surveillance and perimeter protection alongside a wide range of other manufacturers, specialists and start-ups.

Julia Jacob, Project Manager for Security Essen, said the security industry is becoming more interconnected than ever before, with artificial intelligence, digital connectivity and innovative technologies combining to deliver comprehensive security solutions. The exhibition aims to bring together manufacturers, end users, planners and decision-makers driving this transformation.

Alongside the exhibition, Security Essen will host an extensive programme of conferences and specialist events designed to encourage knowledge sharing and networking across the industry. These include the Training and Further Education Day, Emergency Services Day, the DNS Digital Networking Security Conference, the European Drone Congress, Banks and Savings Banks Day, the KRITIS Spotlight event focusing on critical infrastructure protection, and the Security Experts Forum, where exhibitors will present practical case studies and the latest technologies.

For the first time, Security Essen will also run alongside EUDEX – Euro Defence Expo, creating new opportunities for collaboration between the civilian security and defence sectors. The co-located events will focus on areas including critical infrastructure protection, civil protection, crisis preparedness and resilient security strategies, offering visitors a broader perspective on today’s evolving security landscape.

Security Essen 2026 takes place at Messe Essen, Germany, from 22–25 September 2026.

IN SECURITY | AUGUST 2026 | 19

SoFi Stadium unifies security operations with Genetec Unified platform streamlines security operations across the 300-acre Hollywood Park campus while strengthening collaboration between IT and security teams Genetec Inc. (“Genetec”), the global leader in enterprise physical security software, today announced that SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park have unified their physical security operations using Genetec™ Security Center.

Home to the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, SoFi Stadium is the premier sports and entertainment destination located at Hollywood Park.

The stadium has established itself as a world-class venue, hosting record-breaking concerts and global sporting events while consistently ranking among the top venues in the world.

To support events of this scale, the organization standardized on Security Center to unify video surveillance, access control, automatic license plate recognition (ALPR), and other physical security systems in the 3.1 million-square-foot venue and across the 300-acre Hollywood Park development. Operators manage more than 3,000 cameras, 700 readers, and numerous other systems and sensors from three security control rooms, helping teams maintain situational awareness while streamlining day-to-day operations.

“Genetec Security Center has improved our response time efficiency by giving us all the information we need in one platform. We’re able to understand what’s happening and make decisions quickly,” said Nick 20 | AUGUST 2026 | IN SECURITY

Bermensolo, Vice President of Security and Safety at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park.

Since deploying Security Center, the SoFi Stadium IT team has a reliable, scalable, and cybersecure platform that runs on an isolated network and connects back to centralized servers. During big events, they support security operations by monitoring system performance from the Network Operations Center, ensuring everything is working as it should. The security team can easily handle daily tasks, while IT keeps systems running smoothly on the backend.

“The Genetec team doesn’t just understand physical security systems, but IT systems too. With their help, we’ve been able to deploy a reliable and high-performing security platform at scale,” said Paul Maldonado, Vice President of IT Infrastructure and Operations at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park.

Looking ahead, both teams are focused on getting more value out of Security Center, exploring AI-based tools and more automation. They know they have a flexible, scalable platform that can support evolving cybersecurity and network requirements.

“Genetec has really helped us establish a technology standard. Security Center is reliable and cybersecure, integrates well with our network, and reduces overhead for both IT and security. That’s the type of technology we want to continue implementing across our business,” said Maldonado.

The full story, including a short video, is available on the Genetec website.

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ACCESS CONTROL

Smarter access for every visitor Interoperability will decide who wins the next decade of access control by Pete Jones, Founder and Managing Director, Third Millennium

W

e are at one of those rare moments where the forces reshaping physical security are genuinely transformational in ways that will demand a fundamentally different approach from manufacturers, integrators and end-users alike.

The pressures are converging from multiple directions at once:

22 | AUGUST 2026 | IN SECURITY

threats that were theoretical a decade ago are now immediate; user expectations have been reset by consumer technology; the regulatory environment is tightening; and the long-standing boundaries between physical security, cybersecurity and IT are dissolving. Together, these shifts constitute a reckoning that the industry can no longer ignore.

The end of the perimeter: when cyber and physical security become one For much of its history, physical security operated in a world of its own — readers, cards, controllers and cables were largely disconnected from the IT infrastructure around them. That separation no longer exists and the consequences are significant.

The rise of zero-trust architectures

is pushing organisations to rethink how identities are authenticated and verified across both digital and physical environments simultaneously. Zero trust treats every access request as potentially hostile and requires continuous verification rather than one-time authentication. Applying that to physical access — where a credential presented at a door has historically been sufficient to grant entry — demands a more dynamic, softwaredriven approach to credentialing and a move away from legacy technologies never designed with today’s threat landscape in mind.

Layered on top of this is quantum computing. Quantum computers will eventually be capable of breaking many of the encryption methods that underpin current access control systems — and that prospect is already influencing procurement decisions today. Infrastructure deployed now will still be operational when quantum computing matures, so buying on the assumption that current cryptography will remain secure is a risk organisations cannot afford to take.

This is where open standards become critical. OSDP introduced secure channel communication between readers and controllers, but its underlying cryptographic foundations are ageing and there is now active work to evolve it towards quantum-resistant models. Whether a system can be updated to support post-quantum cryptography should be on every specification checklist.

is critical: as manufacturers, our design assumptions create blind spots. An ethical hacker, approaching a system without those assumptions, only needs to find one overlooked vulnerability to fundamentally change your understanding of your own product.

Discovering a vulnerability is only part of the process: what matters equally is how that information is handled. Responsible disclosure and working collaboratively with vendors to remediate issues are essential to maintaining trust across the supply chain.

Ethical hacking is not a one-off exercise. As new credential types, communication standards and encryption approaches emerge, there is always a fresh surface to test. It functions as a continuous feedback loop for innovation — treating vulnerabilities the way a good manufacturer treats product defects: as signals to be acted on, not liabilities to be managed quietly.

The credential in your pocket - and the intelligence behind the door Ask most people in the industry what single technology will have the greatest visible impact on physical security in the coming years, and the answer is mobile access — specifically, wallet-based credentials

embedded in Apple and Google platforms.

Earlier generations of mobile access, relying on proprietary applications, faced real adoption barriers: app downloads, version management and deployment overhead made them operationally complex. Wallet credentials are different in kind, not just degree.

Sitting alongside boarding passes, payment cards and digital driver licences, wallet credentials are fast, often accessible without unlocking a device and built into tools people already use continuously. Security is also materially enhanced: they leverage the device’s underlying security architecture, including secure elements, encryption and biometric authentication, and issuance and revocation can be managed remotely.

The data supports this direction.

HID’s 2026 State of Security and Identity Report found that security improvements now lead adoption decisions at 50%, with convenience at 34% — a notable shift reflecting growing recognition that mobile credentials deliver robust protection as well as ease of use. As the two major mobile ecosystems converge towards standardisation, adoption will accelerate significantly.

Running in parallel is the rise of

Probing for weakness: the case for ethical hacking One of the more underappreciated shifts in how the security industry must operate is the growing importance of adversarial testing — deliberately probing systems in a controlled way to find vulnerabilities before malicious actors do. Ethical hacking, long established in cybersecurity, is now essential for physical security as systems become increasingly software-driven and connected.

In access control, this means analysing communication protocols, examining how credentials are handled and stress-testing devices to identify weaknesses. The value of an independent, external perspective IN SECURITY | AUGUST 2026 | 23

artificial intelligence within smart buildings. Access control software will increasingly incorporate intelligent systems capable of monitoring usage patterns, detecting anomalies and predicting threats before they occur — a radical departure from systems that are, by design, reactive. AI also has the potential to deliver the industry’s long-held ambition: genuinely frictionless access, where a system infers not just that a person is present, but that they are authorised and intend to pass through.

That level of intelligence requires AI to draw on data from multiple sources simultaneously — access control, video surveillance, building management systems, IT networks and more. The real transformation is not AI in isolation, but AI combined with open, interoperable platforms that allow data to flow and be analysed at scale.

Regulation requires careful thought Any serious assessment of the decade ahead must engage with the regulatory dimension. As AI becomes more deeply embedded in security infrastructure, concerns around privacy, transparency and accountability are moving from compliance checklists to genuine purchase criteria.

The EU AI Act is setting out clear requirements for high-risk applications in security and surveillance. For access control, the implications are concrete. Data governance demands greater rigour: biometric data must be collected, processed and stored with strict privacy safeguards and organisations will need to demonstrate compliance rather than simply assert it.

Explainability is becoming a requirement: AI-driven decisions on access denial or behavioural anomalies must be auditable. And bias must be designed out, not retrofitted.

The scale of the attitudinal shift is striking. HID’s research found that 67% of end users now express concern about the ethical and privacy implications of biometrics, compared to 31% the previous year. Privacy has moved from a backstory to a headline and organisations that treat this as a compliance burden will find themselves at a disadvantage 24 | AUGUST 2026 | IN SECURITY

against those that treat it as a design principle.

Regulation, handled well, is a catalyst. Clear rules accelerate the adoption of open standards, establish a level playing field and create the conditions in which AI-enabled security can earn the trust it needs to fulfil its potential.

Interoperability enables future proofing Looking across these forces together — cyber-physical convergence, quantum-era cryptography, adversarial testing, mobile credentials, AI and tightening regulation — the common thread is clear. The organisations that navigate the next decade well will prioritise interoperability over lock-in, treat long-term resilience as a design requirement rather than a sales point and build the flexibility to adapt as technology evolves.

For manufacturers, that means investing in open standards,

Pete Jones

supporting phased migration paths that work in the real world of constrained budgets and subjecting systems to rigorous adversarial testing as a matter of course.

For integrators and end-users, it means asking harder questions at procurement — not just whether a system works today, but whether it is built to survive the threat landscape of the future.

Physical security has always been about protecting what matters.

The tools available to do that have never been more powerful or more complex. The reckoning the industry faces is not a crisis - it is an invitation to build something genuinely better.

About the Author Pete Jones is Founder and Managing Director of Third Millennium, a Welsh manufacturer of advanced access control solutions and part of HID, a global provider of trusted identities solutions.

SECURITY MANAGEMENT

Rethinking security models Why traditional security models are no longer fit for today’s threat landscape by Mike Evans, Director of Securitas Risk Intelligence Centre

O

ver the course of my career in security, risk and intelligence, I’ve worked with organisations that were, by any reasonable definition, well protected. They had experienced teams, clear procedures, effective technology and governance structures that made sense.

Many had also responded successfully to serious incidents in the past. There was no lack of competence, and yet disruption is becoming harder to anticipate.

The reason is increasingly clear: most security models are still built

26 | AUGUST 2026 | IN SECURITY

around incidents – but today’s threats are driven by conditions That distinction now matters.

Security was designed for incidents When I first started out in this industry, security was largely about incidents. Something happened – a crime, a protest, an intrusion, a safety incident, for example – and the organisation responded.

And if that response was fast, decisive and proportionate? Then the system was doing its job. And for a long time, this worked well. And in many contexts, it still does.

But the issue I’ve seen emerge over the past decade is that many of today’s threats begin to emerge, and last longer than the incidents themselves. Disruption is no longer defined by a single trigger.

Rather, it develops gradually, often below formal thresholds, and across multiple domains at once – particularly where there is responsibility for critical infrastructure and large operational sites.

Threats no longer stay in silos One of the most significant shifts

in the current threat and risk landscape is convergence. Threats no longer develop in isolation; they evolve across digital, physical and information domains simultaneously.

They move from online activity into real-world impact, from localised issues into coordinated, networked pressure and from lawful behaviour into disruptive action.

What begins as online mobilisation can evolve into open-source reconnaissance, third-party pressure or the targeting of individuals – before translating into physical disruption weeks or months later.

In isolation, each signal may appear manageable. Viewed collectively, they tell a different story.

These dynamics are particularly evident in the targeting of critical national infrastructure (CNI).

Attacks on energy, water and communications systems– as well as data centres and major transport hubs – increased steadily throughout 2025 and continues to do so, driven by a combination of geopolitical tensions, grievance-based ideologies, the criticality of interconnected systems, and opportunistic actors.

What makes this especially challenging is not simply the volume of threat activity, but how it develops.

Early-stage behaviours might include shifts in online narrative, the circulation of publicly available information about sites, or low-level reconnaissance activity. Only later does this translate into more visible disruption – whether through cyber-attacks, physical interference, or the growing use of commercially available drones against sensitive sites.

Each stage may sit below the threshold of a formal response.

But collectively, they reflect a deteriorating set of conditions that significantly increases the likelihood of disruption.

At the same time, the range of actors involved is widening. Activist networks, criminal facilitators and proxy actors are increasingly operating across the same space, often making use of accessible technologies and, in some cases, unwitting participants. The result is that attribution becomes more complex, intent harder to interpret, and escalation easier to miss.

Where organisations remain siloed – with cyber, physical security, HR, legal and risk functions operating independently – these patterns can be difficult to detect in time.

From response to early recognition In this environment, intelligence-led security is fast becoming a baseline requirement.

It shifts the central question from “How do we respond when an incident occurs?” to “How do we mitigate a threat before it becomes a risk?”

That shift reframes: • how information is gathered • how weak signals are interpreted • how decisions are made under uncertainty In many recent cases, indicators of disruption were visible well in advance – but only as fragmented activity across digital platforms, physical locations and human behaviour. Without the ability to connect those signals, organisations remain reactive.

An intelligence-led approach focuses on understanding how the wider environment is evolving, what that evolution means in context, and where pressure is likely to surface next. It does not replace response of course – but it reduces reliance on crisis and incident response by enabling earlier, effective intervention.

IN SECURITY | AUGUST 2026 | 27

Recognition over visibility In many cases, the indicators of disruption are not hidden – they are simply not interpreted in context. In CNI environments, for example, early warning signs can include increased drone activity near sensitive sites, changes in online sentiment linked to infrastructure projects, or the circulation of open-source material highlighting potential vulnerabilities.

None of these, in isolation, necessarily constitutes a security incident. But they are signals of environmental change. The challenge is that most security models are not designed to aggregate and interpret these signals over time. Instead, they rely on a clearly defined trigger to initiate action. And by the time that trigger appears, the disruption itself is often already the outcome of a longer process.

This is the difference between managing incidents and understanding conditions in practice – and it is where many organisations are now seeking to adapt.

What the current environment demands As 2026 progresses, it is becoming clear that these dynamics are not temporary spikes. They reflect a broader and more persistent shift in how risk develops.

This has particular implications for organisations with exposure to critical infrastructure, whether directly or through supply chains.

Threat actors are highly likely to continue targeting these environments using a mix of physical 28 | AUGUST 2026 | IN SECURITY

disruption, cyber activity, and hybrid threats including drone-enabled capabilities.

The consequences can be significant: operational outages, data exposure, increased regulatory and legal responsibility, and rising costs associated with securing both sites and personnel. Managing this risk is less about reacting to individual incidents, and more about understanding how exposure is evolving over time.

The organisations that are coping best tend to share three characteristics: Integration Convergence is more than just combining physical and cyber security concerns. Digital activity, human behaviour, protest dynamics, insider exposure and physical targeting increasingly form one single risk picture.

Intelligence-led as a capability and state of being Point-in-time risk assessments are outdated. The threat landscape is dynamic, and effective management depends on ongoing monitoring that tracks how behaviours, sentiment and intent evolve in real time.

Scenario-based thinking Rather than asking, “Have we managed this risk?”, organisations are asking, “How might this develop and how should our response adapt at each stage?”

This approach helps build what

many security professionals refer to as decision advantage: the ability to act earlier, more proportionately and with greater confidence, even in ambiguous situations.

People and technology remain essential None of this diminishes the importance of frontline capability.

Security officers, systems and infrastructure remain critical. But they cannot carry the burden of interpretation on their own.

Where organisations continue to struggle is not in the quality of their people or tools, but in how effectively information flows between them.

Frontline teams are often required to make high-stakes decisions with limited context, while valuable intelligence sits elsewhere in the organisation.

Those organisations adapting most effectively are improving visibility, ensuring that early warning, context and insight reach those making decisions on the ground, in a timely and actionable way.

Rethinking what effective security looks like The future of effective security will not be defined by faster responses, but by earlier recognition.

Organisations that continue to optimise purely for response risk finding themselves consistently behind the curve. The advantage no longer lies in reacting quickly – but in understanding early.

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EDUCATION SECURITY

Campus access redefined

P

Phone-based, cloud-hosted Solo replaces legacy access control for student accommodation

axton’s new Solo system is giving student accommodation providers a simpler way to manage access at scale. This case study looks at how JPR Fire, Security and Data used the phone-based, cloud-hosted security system to modernise access for around 500 students without the need for network infrastructure.

Homes for Students provide 235

30 | AUGUST 2026 | IN SECURITY

student accommodation properties across the UK and Ireland. JPR Fire, Security and Data provide the security system for the One London Road site in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Until recently, the accommodation was secured using a classic standalone access control solution requiring no network infrastructure.

The existing system was becoming difficult to manage,

with approximately 500 residents across 5 blocks, including the onsite gym. Registered students gain access by entering a valid access code or presenting their fob. The site managers were continuously replacing lost fobs, creating additional running costs for the system.

Mike Gater, Department Manager at JPR Fire, Security and Data,

approached the site after attending Paxton’s Tech Tour launch event Solo; a phone-based, cloud-hosted access control system. Mike saw the opportunity to upgrade the site to a more modern solution.

Solo is a smart, convenient, connected access control system.

With the simplicity of standalone and the power of a networked solution; Solo is designed to make access control a simple, cost-effective option where a smartphone is used to administer the system and gain access through the door.

The system consists of three key components: the Solo Controller, Solo DoorTag and Paxton Solo app.

An electronic door lock is also required, with the Solo Controller managing the connection between the door and the user’s smartphone.

This keeps the system simple, with minimal hardware required at the door.

With the free Paxton Solo app, the site management team can administer access to the premises from anywhere, via their smartphone. For the students, it means never having to remember an access code or to carry a fob, as they’d simply use their phone to gain access to their building.

When a smartphone with appropriate access permission is presented to a Solo controlled door, the phone communicates to the Solo controller using Bluetooth Low Energy frequency to instruct the door to open. With minimal Wi-Fi on site, the phone uses mobile data to confirm appropriate access permissions are available for that door. Where no network connectivity is available, the credential can be stored in the phone for 3-4 hours, to allow access even if the phone is

offline.

By running Solo alongside the existing standalone system for a period of time, students were migrated over to Solo in a phased approach. The access code for the legacy system was changed to prevent access via this means, once all residents were up and running with the Paxton Solo app.

Mike said: “As soon as we saw the Solo introduction, we knew it would be a great fit for our clients at One London Road. The premises

IN SECURITY | AUGUST 2026 | 31

has no network infrastructure, so a standalone system was always going to be a requirement. But with approximately 500 students on site, our clients would really benefit from more features of a centralised system.

“We know that Solo is very new, but as it’s a Paxton product, we had faith in it from day one. We know Paxton products are reliable, and if it’s needed, the Paxton team are there to support.”

As a Paxton Platinum Partner, JPR Fire, Security and Data have extensive experience with Paxton products, so felt very confident in proposing an innovative solution to meet the requirements of their valued and longstanding client.

Mike continued: “Aside from the benefit of Solo being cloud-based, with no network infrastructure requirements, the other real selling point for our customers was the price. The upfront cost of the Solo kit is very accessible. Even with the ongoing cost of the door subscription, our clients would see a cost saving compared to extending their previous standalone system, as they were constantly replacing lost fobs in 32 | AUGUST 2026 | IN SECURITY

significant numbers. They were immediately interested in the new system.”

With the introduction of the Solo system on site, One London Road was also able to secure access to the student’s Common rooms. Where previously access was available to anyone who had gained entry to the building, with Solo, only students in residence with appropriate access permissions can use the space, by presenting their phone to the Solo DoorTag. Tallulah-Mae Moran, General Manager at Homes for Students said: “Paxton’s Solo system has reduced the ongoing costs of replacing fobs and time spent doing this. The ability to see the date and time of who accessed which door is extremely useful for us and allows us to manage the site to a better standard and provides accurate information when investigating issues on site. It also allows us to set users up and manage this remotely rather than provide and collect physical fobs. It has been a worthwhile investment and will continue to be effective in years to come.”

JPR Fire, Security and Data are

keen to continue proposing Solo as a solution to all clients who are in search of a standalone system in the future.

The launch of Solo has seen Paxton put the new technology directly into the hands of installers.

The fully booked UK Tech Tour gave hundreds of security professionals the opportunity to see Solo in action and get hands-on with the system.

As part of the launch, Paxton is giving away 10,000 free one-door Solo starter kits, with many already claimed, installers should act fast to claim theirs.

For more information about Solo and the opportunity to get their hands on a free kit, security installers can attend a free 2-hour training session with Paxton. The hands-on sessions give installers the opportunity to get practical experience with Solo, understand how it can be used on different types of sites and discuss potential projects with Paxton’s training team.

Training sessions are available at Paxton’s HQ in Brighton and at convenient locations across the UK. Dates are available to book now on the Paxton website.

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AI with accountability Mahir Hodžić, security expert and Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Adria Security Summit, discusses how artificial intelligence is reshaping security

M

ahir Hodžić is a security expert with more than 20 years of experience across the public and private sectors. As the owner of Global Security, the publisher of the security trade magazine and online platform a&s Adria, as well as the international media platform a&s Middle East, he plays an active role in informing, educating, and connecting professionals throughout the security industry.

Hodžić chairs the Organizing

34 | AUGUST 2026 | IN SECURITY

Committee of the Adria Security Summit, Southeast Europe’s largest security industry event, as well as the Organizing Committee of the newly established Bulgarian Security Summit. Through the media, business, and conference platforms he leads, he has spent the past two decades following the sector’s development, connecting its key stakeholders, and helping bring important questions about the future of security to the forefront.

In this interview, he discusses the changes brought about by

artificial intelligence, the practical application of AI solutions, the risks of automated decision-making, the importance of education, and the development of new skills. He also considers how prepared companies and institutions across the region are to use emerging technologies responsibly, as well as the role of the summits in Zagreb and Sofia in further connecting and advancing the regional security industry.

How would you describe the current state of the security industry, and which developments are

having the greatest impact on how companies and institutions manage security today?

The security industry is extremely dynamic and evolving virtually every day. Technologies continue to advance, security threats are changing, user expectations are growing, and new regulatory requirements are being introduced.

As a result, everyone working in the sector must be prepared to learn continuously, keep pace with emerging trends, and improve their processes. Case studies and the exchange of experience gained through real-world projects are particularly valuable, as they show us what truly works in practice and what needs to change.

The convergence of physical and cybersecurity is particularly evident. It is no longer sufficient to protect facilities, networks, and data separately; risks must be managed through an integrated approach. Cybersecurity has become a key priority for institutions and companies because it is directly linked to business continuity, reputation, user trust, and the effective operation of critical processes.

AI is becoming increasingly integrated into security systems.

Where do you see its greatest practical value today?

I see AI’s greatest practical value

in its ability to rapidly transform vast amounts of data into actionable insights and alerts. In video surveillance, AI can identify unusual behavior, reduce false alarms, and support the early detection of incidents. In cybersecurity, it accelerates the detection of phishing, intrusion attempts, and anomalies in user behavior.

The automation of routine analysis is particularly important because it gives security professionals more time to assess risks and make informed decisions. AI should therefore not replace people, but enable them to respond faster and with greater precision. Its greatest value lies not only in more advanced technology, but also in enabling a shift from reacting after an incident has occurred to proactively identifying and preventing threats.

Alongside the opportunities it creates, AI also raises certain concerns. What are the greatest risks associated with its use in the security sector, and how can responsible governance, transparency, and human oversight of automated decisions be ensured?

The greatest risks include inaccurate or biased assessments, insufficient transparency regarding how a system reached its conclusion, threats to privacy, and the potential manipulation of both the data and the AI model itself. In the security

sector, a single misidentification or uncritical reliance on an automated recommendation can have serious consequences.

AI should therefore be used as a support tool, not as a substitute for responsible human decision-making.

Organizations must clearly define where AI is used, what data it operates on, and who is accountable for the outcome. Regular testing, decision logs, independent audits, data protection measures, and mechanisms that allow an authorized individual to stop or override an automated decision are all essential.

Particularly when decisions affect people’s rights, safety, or privacy, humans must retain the final say.

How prepared are companies and institutions in the region to use AI as a tool for improving business and security processes, rather than simply viewing it as another technology to purchase?

Readiness varies considerably.

Some companies in the region are already using AI successfully for data analysis, video surveillance, automation, and cybersecurity.

However, a significant number of organizations still approach it primarily as a technology to be purchased.

Legacy systems, fragmented data, and slower procurement and approval processes pose particular challenges for institutions. As a

IN SECURITY | AUGUST 2026 | 35

Mahir Hodžić

result, the introduction of AI solutions must be gradual and carefully planned.

AI cannot fix a poorly defined process; it can only repeat its flaws more quickly. The first step is therefore to identify a specific business or security problem, ensure access to high-quality data, assign clear responsibilities, and set measurable objectives. AI should then be tested within a limited process, with the results carefully monitored before its use is expanded.

The organizations best prepared to harness AI will be those that invest simultaneously in technology, employee training, and responsible change management.

What role do education and the development of new skills play in this process? Can AI accelerate professional training while also helping the industry address the shortage of qualified personnel?

Education is essential because technology is now evolving faster than formal education programs can keep pace with. One-time training is no longer sufficient for professionals; continuous development through hands-on training, incident simulations, case studies, and the exchange of experience is essential.

AI can significantly accelerate this process. It can tailor training to an individual’s level of knowledge, create realistic scenarios, support incident analysis, and make technical documentation more accessible.

36 | AUGUST 2026 | IN SECURITY

At the same time, by automating routine tasks, it allows experienced professionals to focus on more complex assessments and mentoring younger colleagues.

However, AI will not solve the workforce shortage on its own. It can help alleviate the problem and increase productivity, but it cannot replace human experience, critical thinking, and accountability.

The Adria Security Summit is coming to Zagreb this year, while Sofia will host the inaugural Bulgarian Security Summit. What will these two events bring to the regional security industry, and what role can they play in strengthening its connections and supporting its continued development?

For years, the Adria Security Summit has served as the central gathering place for Southeast Europe’s security industry. By bringing the event to Zagreb, we are continuing its regional mission and bringing together manufacturers, system integrators, distributors, institutions, end users, and professionals from different countries. As one of the region’s most important business and transportation hubs, Zagreb provides an excellent opportunity to connect European Union markets with the countries of Southeast Europe.

The Bulgarian Security Summit represents the next step in the development of this regional

ecosystem. Bulgaria has a welldeveloped market, highly capable specialist companies, and a strategically important geographical position. However, it has lacked a specialized international platform connecting all segments of the security industry. Together with our partner, the National Association of Industrial Security Companies (NAFTSO), we aim to give Bulgarian companies greater international visibility while making it easier for global and regional manufacturers to enter the Bulgarian market.

The value of these two events extends beyond showcasing new products. Their more important role lies in facilitating knowledge exchange, sharing experiences from real-world projects, and fostering dialogue. Through the conference program and B2B meetings, participants can discover new solutions, find business partners, and engage directly with decisionmakers—all in one place.

Today’s security threats do not stop at national borders, and the industry’s response cannot remain confined to individual markets.

Our goal is for both Summits to be places where participants do more than discuss trends—where they exchange practical experience, forge partnerships, and develop projects that can enhance security across the entire region.

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PHYSICAL SECURITY

Address the gaps Physical penetration testing: overcoming the false sense of security

W

hen businesses bring in new physical and technical security measures, they are often sold on their most cutting-edge features: how they strengthen protection against an identified threat, how they integrate with smartphones and remote worker devices, or how they can

38 | AUGUST 2026 | IN SECURITY

be monitored and managed from anywhere.

What’s harder to guarantee, however, is how effective these security measures will be if a break-in occurs. Too often, businesses are left to find this out the hard way, discovering only after a breach that their measures never supported a truly resilient security

strategy.

One of the best ways to overcome this is through simulated, real-world testing. Employed by specialist security consultancies and intelligence providers, trained professionals can carry out penetration tests to identify the weak spots in a business’s physical security strategy – verifying whether

the staff, technology and procedures in place are truly ready to withstand a real-world attack. Their insights enable clients to assess security holistically, ensuring every layer works together under one resilient strategy.

It is vital to ensure that any such tests are conducted on the basis that there is no pass or fail, rather they are designed to test security and learn from the results. This helps strengthen and enhance security by testing it before a threat actor does.

The intention should never be to use this form of testing for punitive measures as it can significantly damage trust within an organisation, as well as restrict the speed at which remedial actions can be adopted.

What the tools don’t tell you Physical and electronic security measures form part of the strategy.

Organisations often rely on a range of electronic and physical security measures, including alarm systems, physical locks, access control systems, contact sensors or passive infrared sensors, a zonal alarm system, and CCTV cameras.

Without assessing how well these

measures have been implemented, question marks often loom over their effectiveness. Can this lock be picked? Can that sensor be bypassed? Can the alarm system be disabled remotely, or onsite?

Advanced intruders can even target seemingly innocent devices for this type of breach, taking advantage of sites which may use the same network for their security systems as Internet of Things devices.

Printers or vending machines that automatically reorder stock, for example, may sit on the same IT infrastructure as critical systems like access control and CCTV. Having one weak point within the network can compromise everything, giving an intruder access to the entire security system.

Businesses are therefore left with a difficult reality to contend with. They can install the latest high-tech tools but remain unaware of where their weak points lie, or how to resolve them. Furthermore, the vulnerability often sits with the person behind the systems, and not necessarily the systems themselves.

This is why tests don’t just look at the security measures in place, but also

the people interacting with them.

Intruders do not need to bypass a lock if a member of staff is willing to politely hold the door open for them. A good security culture is vital to ensuring that security measures work as intended.

Address the gaps with penetration testing This is why ongoing physical penetration testing must become part of any organisation’s security strategy. Here, skilled professionals ethically attempt to gain ‘unauthorised’ access to a site using subterfuge, social engineering and non-damaging bypass methods – identifying physical and procedural vulnerabilities in the process. Most businesses recognise the value of cyber penetration testing but neglect physical penetration testing. Security convergence tells us that we need to think about the risks as a whole. A great firewall is of no use if a threat actor walks straight into your server room.

It is vital that physical penetration tests also follow a structured process to provide assurance to clients and collect the most pertinent

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data. After conducting pre-hostile reconnaissance and gathering opensource intelligence, the ‘operative’ follows a detailed exploitation plan.

This includes: • Employing tactics including social engineering, disguises and exploiting weaknesses in physical security systems • Testing access controls, surveillance systems and security personnel responses • Targeting any specific points or vulnerabilities identified by the client. For example, an informal route to a smoking area that may bypass the standard access control route Following a test, the professional evaluates any relevant policies, procedures, and response plans.

They share a detailed report, including the results of intelligence gathering and reconnaissance, the exploitation plan carried out, and a detailed chronological summary of key events.

Building a resilient, holistic security strategy While a single test can offer a thorough, real-world assessment of a site’s security resilience, it is only ever a snapshot. Threats are constantly evolving, so testing should never be treated as a one-off 40 | AUGUST 2026 | IN SECURITY

exercise; it should instead form part of an ongoing strategy to gain resilience over time.

Test results can also help shape priorities for other simulated activities, such as tabletop exercises.

Here, security consultancies develop realistic hypothetical scenarios to evaluate staff preparedness and response capabilities. They help officers think logically through their reactions in a safe environment, so they’re able to act decisively when it matters most.

These methods provide an important reminder of the complex interplay between technology, people and processes behind any solid security strategy. Physical penetration testing identifies where overreliance on physical security and modern access tools can fall short, highlights where staff may need further training, and where processes or technology require closer governance and auditing.

At a time when a single compromised device can threaten an entire security network, this holistic approach becomes even more essential. Leaving human factors to chance offers no safety net for the increasingly likely event of a remote breach. True resilience, therefore, stems only from continuous assessment, training and adaptation.

About Neil Shanks Neil Shanks is the Director of Corps Intel, where he leads a team of consultants and analysts delivering enterprise-level resilience strategies for clients across the UK. Having worked in a range of high-security environments and with an MSc in Security Management, Neil is an expert in risk mitigation and designing security solutions.

He specialises in regulation and security risk management, which enables him to work with Corps’ customers to design and develop security strategy whilst optimising operational performance in line with sector-specific regulations. He is also a Chartered Security Professional (CSyP).

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SURVEILLANCE

Ahead of the crowd Delivering a safer visitor experience with AI-powered video security by John Lutz Boorman, Head of Product and Marketing, Hanwha Vision Europe

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tadiums and arenas are no longer places that come to life only on an event day. Increasingly, they are becoming year-round hubs for concerts, conferences, hospitality, retail, and community activity. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is one such example of a venue generating additional revenue and audiences beyond football matches, with its 2025 commercial income rising from £255.2 million to £277.1 million, due to hosting four National Football League (NFL) franchises, high-

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profile boxing events, and a Beyoncé summer concert series.

Multi-purpose venues need proactive security Yet, as these venues grow more complex and multifaceted, so does the challenge of keeping visitors and staff safe throughout the year.

Security is no longer simply about responding to incidents. Instead, it has become a strategic function that enables stadium leadership to tailor security to different event types and risk levels, keep on top of health and

safety and maintenance, and add value to marketing, sales, operations, and more.

More pointedly, venue operators will soon have to comply with the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, better known as Martyn’s Law, which received Royal Assent in April 2025 and is expected to come into force in spring 2027. With less than a year before implementation is anticipated, organisations responsible for large publicly accessible venues are increasingly assessing how they can strengthen

preparedness while maintaining a positive visitor experience.

Named in memory of Martyn Hett, a victim of the Manchester Arena attack in 2017, the legislation introduces new responsibilities for venue operators to consider the risk of terrorism and put appropriate measures in place to help prevent, respond to, and reduce the impact of a terrorist attack if it occurs.

Notably, for venues with attendees of over 800 people, physical protection such as video surveillance, vehicle access control, ground security, and more, must be considered and evaluated on a regular basis. AI-powered video solutions can help organisations meet their obligation under Martyn’s Law as part of a wider readiness strategy.

Shifting from traditional video surveillance Traditional video surveillance systems have always played a critical role in venue security, but their effectiveness has often relied on human operators monitoring dozens, or even hundreds, of video feeds simultaneously. In busy

environments, critical details can be missed, particularly when security teams are managing large crowds, multiple entry points, and fastmoving situations.

With AI-powered cameras and video management systems (VMS), operators no longer need to continuously monitor multiple video, chat, and sensor data streams.

Instead, AI does the monitoring, flagging any suspicious activity, unauthorised objects (people and vehicles), crowd congestion, and so on, for operators to respond to if needed. Operators are freed up to focus on other activities, while the system will quickly alert them to events that require intervention, helping them respond to events rapidly and prevent situations from escalating. Ground teams also benefit from contextual, AI-powered insights that can help them track and locate a person or vehicle of interest, such as clothing colour, direction of travel, and if they are potentially carrying a weapon.

Supporting Martyn’s Law By enabling security teams to assess and respond to situations

before they develop into something more serious, venues are better prepared for some of the objectives underpinning Martyn’s Law. The legislation places particular emphasis on preparedness, requiring organisations to consider how they would respond to incidents through measures such as evacuation, lockdown procedures, and effective communication. Situational awareness is fundamental to all four.

Modern-day cameras equip operators with high-definition footage of an event or object of interest.

Most cameras available on the market start at 1080p definition, with 4MP, 6MP, 8MP or 4K resolution options. Camera form factors have also improved, with dome, flat eye, bullet, fish eye, pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ), thermal, and multi-directional models providing venues with a range of options to fit any sized area and surveillance need.

Real-time intelligence for comprehensive oversight Real-time intelligence from video surveillance provides operators with a clearer understanding of what is happening across a venue and its

IN SECURITY | AUGUST 2026 | 43

surrounding environment. Vitally, AI-powered video analytics and AI object detection help operators to avoid missing events that need their attention and action.

During an emergency, security teams can monitor crowd movements, identify potential bottlenecks, move towards the last known location of a potential attacker, and direct the public away from dangerous areas. Information on an attacker’s location, physical appearance, and direction of travel, plus the location of any casualties or people hiding within the venue, can be shared with on-site personnel and emergency services, helping to coordinate a faster and more efficient response.

To further refine operator response times and efficiency, alerts can be set based on multiple analytics triggers, for example, if a person is detected crossing a line and then remains in a pre-defined area for a set number of seconds.

a child wearing a grey top. This improves the efficiency and speed of carrying out investigations.

Moreover, if a video analytics tool supports it, operators can use an AI-powered search feature that enables them to input a phrase or sentence of what they are looking for, with the system showing them all relevant results. This feature, known as semantic search, is a more natural way of searching akin to prompting a generative AI tool to come to a result.

Operators can also select a specific area of interest to view all footage related to that area, allowing them to quickly find motion within that area. They can see all motion within that section on all captured video footage, to see, for example, who left a suspicious package in a room.

Some video analytics systems can also pull footage of similar objects across multiple cameras, which can help track the direction of a vehicle or person of interest as they move across a busy and large event space.

Efficient post-event investigations For post-event investigations, operators can search footage quickly using the metadata stored within video. For example, they can pull up all footage of all people wearing a grey top, or, to filter this further,

Protection beyond the perimeter Modern venue security increasingly extends beyond the perimeter fence or turnstile. Many new stadium developments are embedded within wider entertainment districts, retail destinations, and mixed-use

John Lutz Boorman

communities. As a result, operators are responsible for understanding activity not only inside a venue but also across surrounding public spaces where large crowds gather before and after events.

AI-enabled video helps operators to monitor large areas efficiently, maintaining situational awareness across multiple locations and mixed-use premises (the arena, retail, transport links, storage and backroom areas, and so forth).

Operators gain a comprehensive understanding of potential risks and a stronger ability to respond before issues escalate.

Delivering additional value There are also value-added benefits to other departments, such as marketing, sales, maintenance, staffing, and cleaning. Understanding and predicting busy periods and crowd flow patterns, alerting to long queue lengths, identifying congestion points, and monitoring vehicle movements and parking spaces all help to improve the visitor experience and streamline event operations. This is particularly useful for multi-use venues where one day a football match may be hosted, the next day a corporate event, and the following day a concert, with different stadium areas being used each time.

Operators need visibility of how people move through their spaces and where resources are best deployed. AI-powered video analytics can provide that intelligence in real time.

Now is the time to prepare Venue leaders have a short window of opportunity to strengthen their security strategies ahead of Martyn’s Law coming into force. Investing in AI-powered video security shifts security into a proactive, valuegenerating function that meets the needs of today’s multi-use event spaces and helps to deliver the visitor experience that attendees have become accustomed to.

For more information please visit HanwhaVision.eu/.

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BUILDING A STRONGER DIGITAL WORLD

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DIRECTORY

The ASSA ABLOY Group is the global leader in access solutions. Our offering covers products and services related to openings, such as locks, doors, gates and entrance automation solutions. This also includes expertise in controlling identities with keys, cards, tags, mobile and biometric identity verification systems.

Innovating for a smarter, safer world by combining intelligent technology and human imagination, at Axis Communications we offer solutions based on sight, sound and analytics to improve security and optimize business performance. www.axis.com

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azena accelerates the next generation of smart security and safety solutions through joint innovation with customers and partners. Our goal is to be the leading open platform and marketplace for smart security and safety solutions. The platform we offer is based on a camera operating system that powers cameras from various manufacturers on the market.

Buildings today don’t only provide a safe, functional place for people to live and work. They can also cater for – and even respond to – their needs, while helping them work more efficiently and sustainably. At Bosch Building Technologies, we are at the forefront of these new developments. www.boschbuildingtechnologies.com

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Club Car boasts nearly 60 years of industry-leading innovation and design, initially focused on golf cars and then expanding to commercial utility vehicles and personal-use transportation. www.clubcar.com

With a full HD camera and an optically stabilized, 40x zoom lens from FUJINON, two high-performance components are integrated into one system. This innovation is the result of years of experience in digital cameras and a dedication to the highest optical quality. www.fujifilm.eu/fujinon

Hanwha Techwin Europe, formerly Samsung Techwin Europe, offers robust and reliable video surveillance products designed to meet the current and future needs of security professionals. Our cameras, video recorders and other devices are built to exacting standards which reflect the heritage of precision engineering associated with the Samsung brand.

HID powers the trusted identities of the world’s people, places and things.

We make it possible for people to transact safely, work productively, and travel freely. We are passionate about helping people use a verified, trusted identity to make it more convenient and safer for them to get to where they need to go and achieve what they want to do in everyday life.

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Maxxess Systems delivers innovative SaaS and security management software solutions that combine otherwise disparate physical security, communications, business intelligence and data integration capabilities onto one unified management platform. https://maxxess-systems.com

At Mayflex we lead the way in the distribution of Converged IP Solutions.

Bringing together ‘best-in-class’ Infrastructure, Networking and Electronic solutions. We’re a growing international force, enriched by the skills, expertise and unique personalities of our people. Globally owned but with a family and local feel. www.mayflex.com

Panasonic i-PRO Sensing Solutions Corporation of America a global leader in professional security solutions for surveillance and public safety, is launching their new name, i-PRO Americas Inc., and taking a unique approach to best navigate the evolving business environment and technology demands of the professional security industry.

With over 30 years of experience, we design and manufacture marketleading security solutions for a range of buildings. Around 25,000 buildings each year are secured globally with Paxton products. Our global Head Office is based in Brighton, we have colleagues in 12 countries and we export to over 60 countries worldwide. www.paxton-access.com

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As a trusted advisor and reliable partner, as a system integrator, service provider and a product vendor, Siemens offers energy-efficient, safe and secure buildings and infrastructure. With our people, our global footprint and our technical expertise, it's our passion helping you to create the perfect place – your perfect place.

From its inception in 2001, SALTO was created with one objective: to devise a world-class access control system that was simple to use and extremely efficient, giving users the ability to control all their access needs and secure all their doors without complex and expensive wiring. www.saltosystems.com

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Transforming teaching and learning with creative solutions to engage and inspire every student. Learning’s becoming more interactive. More immersive. More collaborative. At Sony we’re working with universities, colleges and schools to create richer, more rewarding educational experiences for today’s students and teaching staff.

Videx Security is a leading manufacturer and supplier of access control systems across the UK. We are experts in the door entry market. Videx and our team of estimators, technical support and designers are focused on making and providing high quality products and support to customers. www.videxuk.com

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Desigo – the state-of-the-art building automation system One system for all requirements of an intelligent building

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