Physical Security in the Gulf: Innovative Tech Solutions
Gulf physical office and business security is typically high-class and aligned with fast response from police and emergency services to deliver public safety and order.
However, technology is always on the move, providing an opportunity to improve security further, as street crime, white-collar fraud and other threats remain a risk to all business areas and premises. Expanding and evolving smart, secure security technology makes life safer for businesses, workers, citizens and tourists, improving the Gulf’s already strong reputation.
Boosting Physical Security With Smart Clouds and Technology
Physical security is no longer just about cameras, locked doors and fencing. Smart security systems can identify individuals, vehicles, the movement of groups of people and track them from area to area. Using cloud platforms and AI analytics, plus emerging technologies, physical security is evolving into a real-time smart system that supports security staff with faster insights and better information.
No longer are security teams sitting in front of a multi-screen bank of monitors. Instead, they can view one screen, even a tablet on the go, with the AI showing any unusual or suspicious activity. This real-time coverage approach with remote access and intelligent threat detection means more shoes on the ground, able to deal with the typical queries from workers or visitors.
These innovations offer scalable, proactive solutions that go far beyond traditional door locks and cameras. Even if you have a legacy security system in place, a modest upgrade from static cameras to 360-degree CCTV camera models improves the security perspective and makes it harder for those looking to cause trouble to identify an easy access point.
Built-in analytics, either in the cloud or on-premises, for high-security organisations, can provide alerts to any situation. And by linking multiple devices, sensors and systems together, the analytics tools can provide advanced tracking and intelligence, identifying where trouble may start and where it will likely end, allowing security teams to intercept before trouble arises or prevent an escape.
Providing Smart Building Safety and Security
Mix in fire, smoke, vaping, leak and other sensors, and modern public or office buildings are protected from not just criminal activity, but the typical problems that all buildings face across their operational life.
Connected through Internet of Things (IoT) systems, they work as a single entity, helping guide workers or staff to a safe exit and helping responders limit the damage, the downtime to the building and reducing closures, even helping reduce insurance bills.
Clouds can connect across multi-site locations to help unify the organisation’s security footprint, making it easier to operate, manage and hire for the team. Through centralised control, security operators can spend more time on the move, engaging with occupants or guests, and providing reassurance during the quiet times, but be ready to leap into action with accurate information about any event or issue.
For large spaces like construction sites, hospitals or colleges and industrial facilities, drones can be added to the mix to provide high-speed scanning and response to any trigger events. With tracking capabilities, they can locate suspicious individuals and provide high-quality evidence and information. And, over time, the AI systems become smarter, reducing false positive alerts, learning about weaknesses in a premises security, and providing detailed analytics for management to further improve security, optimising staffing, patrol routes and coverage.
Artificial intelligence improves situational awareness analysing video feeds and sensor data in real time. AI-powered surveillance can detect anomalies, such as unauthorised access, loitering, or suspicious behavior, faster than humans. These systems reduce false alarms and improve response times, allowing security personnel to focus on genuine threats.
Security leaders can also meet their compliance and privacy obligations through AI systems that can follow rules to prevent virtual stalking and oppressive coverage and provide evidence as needed to police and justice departments.
According to a recent industry survey, 92% of IT and physical security professionals are convinced that cloud-based systems represent the future for the physical security field. Their ability to scale as operations expand, to improve performance as AI gets smarter and to interact with other applications as part of a collective system all add value and make it easier to upgrade and evolve as security needs change.
But, security is nothing without staff on the ground, able to respond to what the smart technology is telling them. Hiring good-quality security teams that can work with the technology is a key part to maintaining good order across the Gulf. Especially as bad actors increasingly use technology as part of their criminal efforts.
