TO PROTECT AND SERVE – TRACKING THE FUTURE OF SECURITY

Both cybersecurity and physical security face intensifying threats from bad actors exploiting new attack surfaces created by emerging technologies. Advances in artificial intelligence, ubiquitous connectivity and decentralized systems present promising opportunities but also inherent risks if not built securely from the start. Holistic security balanced with usability tops the agenda for individuals, companies and governments this decade.

In the cyber domain, criminals utilize AI for automation, speed and scale. Deepfakes weaponize disinformation. Quantum may one day decrypt secrets. Connected devices from factories to phones lack basic protections, empowering botnets. And decentralized platforms like web3 need novel defenses to ensure fraud doesn’t undermine real potential. Security teams must match adoption curves to embed resilience before deployment.

The good news is the talent gap is closing with skills-focused education and cloud-based tools democratizing defenses for smaller organizations. Progress in authentication, identity access management and microsegmentation thwart attackers. And frameworks like zero-trust network access better align to cloud- and mobile-first environments. Regulation like the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act pushes minimum viables.

Physical security also contends with more empowered threats. Drones enable spying from above and attacks across borders. AI aggravates risks around personal data and surveillance. Harms from deepfakes expand from reputational to functional – fooling facial recognition or impersonating someone. And while web3 shows promise to track real-world objects like luxury goods, ensuring integrity across supply chains remains crucial.

Thankfully, the same technologies exacerbate risks also mitigate them. AI spots anomalies ahead of disasters, crimes or terrorist incidents so first responders may act faster. Smart cities optimize sensors and shot-spotter networks with real-time monitoring. And ubiquitous cameras not only detect threats but identify persons of interest using facial recognition and gait analysis unimaginable just years ago.

Top cyber and physical security leaders emphasize user-centricity and embedding security into systems by design rather than bolting on after. Business demand for distributed technologies requiresprotocols that ensure integrity and resilience. Ultimately security success means enabling innovation and opportunity – not restricting progress in the name of defense.