Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and supply chain security top the list of industry trends to watch in 2022, according to the Security Industry Association (SIA)’s Security Megatrends, which influence both short- and long-term change in the global security industry.
SIA’s 2022 Security Megatrends were selected based on fall 2021 survey data gathered from hundreds of top security industry business leaders.
Each year, SIA produces the Security Megatrends report, which chronicles the top forces at play in security, shaping executives’ business decisions and enacting far-reaching change in businesses across the industry.
The 2022 Security Megatrends are:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Cybersecurity
- Supply Chain Assurance
- Service Models and the Cloud
- Workforce Development
- Increased Interoperability
- Data Privacy
- Security as Proptech
- Expanded Intelligence Monitoring
- Health and Sustainability
For the second year in a row, the 2022 SIA Megatrends report identified AI as the predominant trend shaping the security industry, as companies have embraced the technology’s promise through advanced audio analytics, complex facial recognition, cutting-edge video surveillance scene processing, and robotics and drones. Also for the second year in a row, cybersecurity ranked in second place. Cybersecurity is a major market differentiator and a top concern for industry firms, with the constant threat of security solutions being targeted by ransomware or government or critical infrastructure security systems being impacted by nation-state hacks. Third on the list was supply chain assurance, with industry-wide concerns around logistics challenges and the ability to put full trust in the security of installed devices, software, and solutions.
Newer trends on the list signal a positive mindset shift within the security industry toward protecting people’s privacy and making the world healthier and more open, with increased interoperability ranking sixth, data privacy ranking seventh, and health and sustainability in the tenth spot.
WHAT IS THE SECURITY INDUSTRY? The security industry consists of those providing security services or selling and making goods for security purposes. The largest part of this industry is those licensed to provide security services and those managing those services. Additionally, the security industry includes groups that govern security agencies, services, and products.
WHAT IS THE NEED FOR SECURITY COMPANIES? Security services are crucial in keeping people safe in public spaces. Security personnel is in charge of ensuring that schools, office complexes, shopping malls, and more operations run smoothly and safely. While Security guards provide services that some compare to police officers, it is critical to distinguish between the two. In these vast, congested locations, both are vital to public well-being. Security guards are present to prevent crimes such as shoplifting, violence, or break-ins from occurring in the first place. Their primary job is not to respond to crime threats in the absence of law enforcement, but to dissuade them simply by being present. Criminals are less likely to attack a location with engaged, active security officers. However, if a crime is committed or an issue grows, they are trained to intercede until the police come. When you consider that the primary purpose of a security agency is to prevent problems from occurring in the first place, their job becomes evident. As resultantly, security guards are the nucleus of the security industry and hence have certain responsibilities and skills required to be developed. The duties that a security guard is required to fulfill are:- Visibility: Be Seen- Vigilant: Be ‘On The Lookout’ – Reflexes and Response: Be Quick – Monitoring and Maintaining Order: Be Responsible
WHAT TASKS DO SECURITY GUARDS FULFILL? Security guards typically do the following:- Patrol property- Enforce rules and regulations of an employer’s property- Monitor alarms and video-surveillance systems- Respond to emergencies- Deter criminal activity- Control building access by employees and visitors- Conduct security checks over a specified area – Write reports on what they observed while on duty
SECURITY IS MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER. WHY? The Wall Street Journal published an article in 2020 discussing the spike in commercial burglaries in New York amidst business closures due to Coronavirus Emergency Measures. New York Times published an article in September 2021, about the rise in the Murder rate in 2020. Ever since the state of emergency was declared by WHO regarding the COVID pandemic, safety has become the world’s number one priority. Unfortunately, countries like the United States saw a surge in 2 different issues: COVID cases and Violence. While the former issue can be resolved through rigorous medical research and vaccine production and distribution, the solution for the latter issue is dependent on various factors including the pandemic. Before getting into the effect of the pandemic on the crime rate, let’s understand why the current crime rate is calling for increased security services.
HOW IS THE CRIME RATE AFFECTING THE INDUSTRY? The two graphs show a surprising result. Since 2001, the actual crime rate in the United States has been decreasing yet the perception of the U.S. population believes that the crime rate is increasing every year. However, this is understandable. The article by FiveThirtyEight gives insight into the current challenge Americans are facing. The key points from the article are:- Humans are terrible at estimating the risk of crime, largely due to the rise in anxiety in the current population over lack of political uncertainty.- Crime is the U.S. population’s greatest misleading fear that exists because the understanding of the ‘crime rate’ itself is unclear. – People look beyond the stipulated data to make decisions about their safety and consequently overestimate crime in their neighborhood as a result of availability bias. Whether or not the actual crime is increasing, security services are becoming more and more essential to the U.S. population. The reasons for having security services go far beyond crime. 2Businesses are currently seeking security services for various purposes such as:- Ensuring customers and staff are following appropriate social distancing practices- Safeguard employees and customers in outdoor pickup areas. A report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the increasing employment of security guards since 2010. The unemployment rate for security guards has never been lower, with the unemployment rate reaching under 5 % by 2019. Consequently, the crime rate might be decreasing, but the need for security services is still very much essential.
View and/or download the official 2022 Security Megatrends report here.
