The convergence of threats calls for a holistic view of security
The growing convergence of physical and electronic threats and cyber-risks calls for an increasingly comprehensive approach to security, addressing all needs in the protection of lives and property. Paloma Velasco Merino, Executive Director of the Spanish Association of Security Companies (AES), and Anna Aisa Biarnés, Manager of the Catalan Association of Security Companies (ACAES), explain the new trends in this field.
Paloma Velasco, Executive Manager of AES, warns that comprehensive security is of the utmost importance in the sphere of action of our companies. "In fact, although the association was founded in 1981, when only so-called 'physical security' companies existed, our associates are constantly developing, given that they are engaged in the physical security and electronic surveillance industry". This area of activity is strongly influenced by the development of systems and, consequently, of the products and services they offer, so companies have increasingly shifted towards comprehensive security in these products and services".
Consequently, Velasco explains that "right now they are focusing on cybersecurity, data analytics or predictive forensics". And they are building these functionalities into all physical and electronic equipment, such as safes, fire protection systems or access control, among many others. "Thus, we can see the so-called 'convergence' between physical security and logical security, towards a comprehensive end-to-end security, always working towards the protection of lives and property".
Greater coordination
Anna Aisa Biarnés, Manager of ACAES, reminds us that comprehensive security "is mentioned for the first time in the Private Security Law, where it is included as one of the determining factors in the need to replace the previous law with the one currently in force". And she affirms that "bringing together what we used to know as various types of 'security' to form one single security system is essential in order to be able to face current risks".
According to this expert, "it is no longer possible to talk about electronic security, physical security, human security, cybersecurity, etc. independently, as if they were different areas that were not connected to each other". She adds that "the reality and needs of clients necessarily entail a holistic approach that determines the definition of the private security service to be provided to the client, and in which technology, electronics, human resources and logistics are coordinated". Thus, she concludes that "it is precisely this holistic approach that gives quality to the services".