Some professionals in the electronic physical security industry – especially those who started their careers more than a few years ago – may feel a similar unfamiliarity when they look at the most technologically advanced systems today. Everything is on the network, and computers and data now have as much to do with securing a facility as cameras and card readers. The physical location cannot be secure unless the network is – and vice versa – which is why this edition of SIA Technology Insights is devoted entirely to cybersecurity.

The first half of this issue is about the power of data, and this, frankly, was not intentional. It’s just that five of the SIA members whom we asked to write articles about coming trends and technologies independently proposed pieces on “big data.” Such is the nature of the industry now that data mining has become an important security tool, and software has multiplied the effectiveness of video surveillance cameras, access control equipment and other devices.

From integration to fire protection to video surveillance to audio surveillance and more, this edition analyzes some of the leading technologies in the security space. And for those of you who work in or with schools, maritime transportation/ports, or transit systems, there are articles that focus on security challenges in those verticals.