Business security, investments grow

In the last five years, 6 out of 10 companies have suffered at least one theft of materials or sabotage, others have had to deal with cyber attacks. 75% of companies therefore consider security a strategic priority. The data emerges from the Physical Security Statistics report, compiled by Scoop Market, which analysed events and data relating to companies in the last five years. With the result (the data was illustrated during the Richmond Italia Security director forum in Rimini) that "60% of companies have suffered at least one physical breach in the last five years".

"Faced with increasingly sophisticated threats ranging from the theft of materials to sabotage and the vulnerabilities introduced by the digitisation of plants," the report emphasises, "companies are being called upon to radically rethink their protection models. For this reason, physical security, which for years was considered a secondary issue compared to digital security, is now back at the centre of corporate strategies. Attention is no longer limited to the 'perimeter defence' of the production facility, but also looks at initiatives 'necessary to ensure the organisation's operational continuity, reputation and overall resilience'.

In this scenario, the watchwords are 'integration and complementarity', i.e. the area where video surveillance systems, access control, environmental sensors and physical barriers 'are no longer stand-alone elements, but part of an integrated ecosystem that must dialogue with the digital component'.all, with the aim of creating 'responsive and intelligent environments'. It is certainly no coincidence, the study points out, that 'in the last year alone, 40 per cent of organisations have increased the budget dedicated to protection technologies, while 75 per cent of companies now consider physical security a strategic priority'.

Hence the strategies deployed. In first place, and it is the priority choice, is access control: '50% of companies,' argues the study, 'invest in this technology to regulate and monitor entry to protected areas, an essential barrier to ensure the protection and governance of sensitive spaces'. In second place with 30% of the market is video surveillance, 'essential for the constant monitoring and recording of activities, both in the public and private spheres'. And then there is perimeter security, on which 20% of companies focus and which is considered indispensable for defending borders and facilities from unauthorised access and potential threats.

And then the alignment of all systems. For Claudio Honegger, sole director of Richmond Italia