Category: Trends and predictions 2023

Interface Systems, a leading managed service provider delivering business security, managed network, UCaaS, and business intelligence solutions to distributed enterprises, recently shared its predictions for technology trends that will impact Quick Serve Restaurants (QSRs) in 2023. “We are seeing labor shortages and commodity price increases as catalysts for restaurants to accelerate the adoption of an advanced array of new technology solutions spanning physical security and business intelligence,” said Brian Garavuso, CTO at Interface Systems. The year cameras start to replace alarm systems 2023 could be the year we start to see AI-based cameras replacing the traditional alarm panel. Why have a separate motion sensor and/ or glass break sensor when you can have an AI-based camera that can accurately detect and characterize people or vehicles while providing video verification to a monitoring center? AIbased interactive video monitoring can also eliminate false alarms while providing better intrusion detection with fewer resources deployed on the ground. The parking lot is the new dining room QSRs can’t seem to increase drive-thru capacity fast enough. What was a necessity during the pandemic, has only gained momentum as parking lots are increasingly being turned into massive transaction centers for restaurant chains. For 2023, drive-thru technology, supported by AI, will require more bandwidth to support outdoor apps and extend speed of service beyond a restaurant’s four walls. This will require increased investments in network infrastructure. Some businesses will utilize 5G, while many others will find that 4G LTE will fill the gap. QSRs will invest in a better drive-thru experience QSRs will capitalize on the advancements in AI and data analytics to start generating more insights from security camera video streams to improve the drive-thru experience. With video analytics, restaurants looking to start drive-thru services or those looking to optimize their existing drive-thru services will have access to real-time data and intelligence. Metrics such as speed of service, number of cars served, throughput, and menu items frequently ordered can be easily correlated with marketing campaigns, weather, time of day, and staffing plans to eliminate bottlenecks and deliver faster service. Some video analytics solutions are now capable of recognizing the license plates of repeat customers thereby opening up opportunities to personalize the drive-thru experience. Cloud-based physical security solutions will gain traction The rapid shift to cloud-based physical solutions is a boon for multi-location restaurant chains as the cloud provides a centralized system to control physical devices or sensors such as cameras, intrusion devices, and access control devices from any connected device or smartphone app. When restaurant managers are reassigned to a different location, they are no longer forced to unlearn everything they know about managing security because they are dealing with a completely new set of access codes and devices. Cloud-based security solutions also seamlessly integrate with popular identity management systems and this eliminates any security loophole while reducing IT team overhead in managing system access. 2023 will be the year when asset protection and IT teams will roll out broad-based technology solutions that will make other teams such as marketing, customer service, operations, and human resources critical stakeholders in digital transformation initiatives. Interface Systems is a leading managed services provider delivering business security, managed network, UCaaS, and business intelligence solutions to distributed enterprises. We improve security, streamline connectivity, optimize operations, and reduce IT costs, maximizing RoI for the nation’s top brands.  

Genetec Inc., a leading technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions, shared its top predictions for the physical security industry in 2023. Labor shortages drive demand for unified security solutions In the Genetec 2022 State of Physical Security Report, 50% of respondents said their physical security team experienced human resource challenges last year. For 2023, security leaders are re-evaluating their technology stack seeking solutions that help streamline tasks, automate processes, and enhance team efficiency. Unifying video surveillance, access control, automatic license plate recognition, communications technology, and other valuable functions can make an operator’s job easier and reduce costs and training. Built-in analytics or decision support features can further streamline operations. Modernizing access control will be a top priority The report also showed that 67% of organizations are planning to invest in access control system (ACS) modernization in 2023, putting it at the top of the physical security tech investment list. Modern ACS include built-in cyber defenses and health monitoring tools, and higher levels of automation. Upgrading to a modern, open ACS will help organizations eliminate the weak points of legacy systems and better defend against cybersecurity threats, as well as enable new capabilities like mobile credentials, biometrics, and cloud-connected controllers and services, to implement over time. Hybrid-cloud deployments will drive demand for cloud-connected appliances Hybrid-cloud deployments are gaining traction, with some organizations opting to conserve security devices and infrastructure investments that are not cloud-ready, and others having bandwidth limitations or the need to keep some data processing and storage on site. As businesses rationalize costs, concerns, and approach to cloud migration, we can expect an increase in demand for ready-to-deploy hybrid-cloud appliances. This infrastructure will support edge-computing workloads and make existing devices cloud-compatible, and help centralize access to systems and data across many sites. Improving cybersecurity continues to be a top concern Research by Genetec shows that 36% of IT and security professionals are looking to invest in cybersecurity-related tools to improve physical security in 2023. While a more holistic, automated approach to defending against threats will take precedence, so too will proactive security architecture planning and procurement. These measures may include: Replacing legacy equipment before succumbing to end-point failures to better mitigate risks. Using intelligent maintenance tracking tools and metrics to improve forecasting. Relying on external expertise to adapt security architecture planning as supply chain lags. Standardizing on solutions built with cybersecurity and privacy in mind to enhance resilience across the partner ecosystem. This take-charge mindset will help organizations better defend against cyberattacks and become an essential factor in preserving business resilience and continuity. Other notable trends Genetec anticipates impacting the industry in 2023 are the extraction of physical security data pushing digital transformation forward, growing collaboration and convergence of IT and physical security teams, and the continuation of remote work driving increased need for space utilization data. These predictions are informed by a Genetec report including insights from 3,700 security leaders worldwide, and the company’s visibility as the industry’s top provider of video management systems and fastest-growing and global #2 provider of access control systems (ACS), per global research analyst organization Omdia.  

Futurex, a company in enterprise-class data security solutions, unveiled its top data security predictions for 2023 and beyond. The predictions investigate emerging trends in cryptography that lie at the heart of network protection innovations and developing issues as more devices and infrastructure connect to the web. “The demand for data security solutions is at an all-time high. Never before has the world seen the large-scale deployment of these solutions across enterprises,” said Adam Cason, Vice President, Global and Strategic Alliances at Futurex, “With the evolving data security landscape, there is a critical need for solution providers to produce breakthrough innovations that meet the cybersecurity needs of clients and allow them to focus on their key business. This requires an understanding of what has changed, followed by a review of how to respond to that change.” The top data security predictions for 2023 and beyond are: Cloud adoption to increase An organization seeking to migrate its workloads to the cloud has to find a cloud service provider that meets their cryptographic requirements and complies with data localization policy. However, not many cloud services have met these criteria. This partially explains India’s historical rate of cloud adoption, which sees larger organizations migrate slower and less often compared with smaller organizations like fintechs. This is starting to change, however. With organizations like Futurex establishing data centers in India and providing comprehensive cryptographic services through their cloud platforms, organizations of all sizes are being presented with better options for migrating to the cloud and staying compliant. Remote key loading (RKL): a sought-after use case Point of sale (POS) solutions, such as those used by merchants to process customer payments, are secured with encryption keys. However, these keys must be exchanged with centralized servers on a regular basis in order to protect against cyberattacks. As a result, remote key loading (RKL) is becoming popular among organizations that develop and deploy POS solutions. RKL is powered by general-purpose HSMs that encrypt and manage keys, meaning there is likely to be more demand for these solutions. Fintech market growth India is already a major hub for payment processing, but its financial technology (fintech) market is growing fast as well. There are currently thousands of fintechs operating in India, with around 100 having reached a valuation of $1 billion USD without being listed on Indian stock exchanges. As cloud solutions continue to gain traction within India, it will be easier for fintech startups to get their products to market in shorter time frames, and for established fintechs to expand their service offerings. General-purpose encryption demand Many payments and communications organizations in India are familiar with general-purpose cryptography, as it is often used to issue digital signatures to authenticate messages and data. Futurex sees a rising demand for other general-purpose cryptographic use cases as well. One example is in the field of the internet of things (IoT). IoT solutions around the world are on the rise, and so are cyberattacks against IoT devices. In response, organizations are deploying digital signing operations to authenticate IoT devices and prevent network attacks. Another example is tokenization, where sensitive data is substituted for randomized strings to make it unreadable in the event of a breach. This relates to a general trend toward better database security. Centralized cryptographic services groups for encryption and key management By 2023, more organizations will move towards centralized cryptographic services groups that handle all encryption and key-management needs. Currently, they split these functions across business units, geographies, or applications. A centralized cryptographic services group will lead to improved efficiency and enhanced agility, facilitating the deployment of cryptography in more areas of the organization. Complex infrastructure and compliant ways to secure data stored in the cloud Post-pandemic, most companies are moving on-premise services into public, private, or hybrid clouds. This shift, however, poses new data security challenges and requires enhancement and protection of processes around services that moved to the cloud, supported by a complex infrastructure and compliance best practices. For example, document management may get changed and improved via encryption. Information stored in the databases will need to be encrypted instead of just being stored in cloud buckets. There is a need for an extra layer of protection to meet new challenges in addition to the mechanisms cloud services offer. Hardening of encryption to stay one step ahead of threats Encryption is evolving. Globally, there are entities such as NIST (for general purposes) and PCI (for financial services), among others, that indicate the best way organizations need to handle information that contains sensitive data. These guidelines include a transaction, private document, invoice, or anything that involves money or information risk. With the growing information risk, the trend in encryption will be to harden as much as possible so that the hackers do not catch up with algorithms and find an easy way to decrypt what is encrypted. Encryption to become a must for all the markets Today, it is not enough to pass PCI or local government audits. With all new services moving to the cloud, encryption should move from an option to a must-have capability. The guidance applies to not only tier-1 enterprises but also every single business involved in handling information, money, data, or whatever needs to be protected. Futurex is trusted by central banks, fintech organizations, government bodies and enterprises for protecting sensitive information like identities and Personal Identifiable Information (PII) through processes like PIN security, card acquiring, issuance, tokenization, eKYC and encryption of confidential information. The company in its endeavor to safeguard sensitive information works with CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, among others to identify and interpret the most significant data security trends that are likely to unfold in the future and make impacts across sectors in the economy and the society at large. As Futurex has expanded its operations in the APAC region, it has had the unique opportunity to observe market conditions and emerging trends from the ground floor. In its effort to serve the needs of customers throughout South Asia, Futurex has partnered…

To date, traditional video applications have called on AI to reduce false alarms and allow the forensic search of video based on object attributes. However, AI centred on metadata has become commonplace. End users are now looking for reprocessed information such as vehicle type statistics in a given time period or customers’ gender and age by different hours – rather than metadata that merely aggregate vehicle, gender or age data. This is because users can gain greater insight and make better business decisions by accessing and managing their information directly. In other words, information becomes most valuable when the user has the opportunity to use this data in the most efficient and relevant way to them. This explains industry efforts to allow the efficient management of tremendous amounts of metadata collected by AI. Dashboards and reports which collect AI metadata and present these data as insights that invite the end user’s decision will grow in popularity. For its part, Hanwha Techwin is working to deliver valuable information to the end user through Wise BI (Business Intelligence) and present solutions customised to meet the needs of different sectors. As cloud-based services have become more common, the number of providers has grown. Users can now easily integrate devices and systems using a cloud service and don’t often need to purchase additional servers and network infrastructure. However, whether because of group security policy, network status or budget, many organisations prefer to stick with conventional on-premise solutions with dedicated servers and software. In 2023 we can expect growth in so-called ‘hybrid’ systems that combine on-premise technology and the cloud. Users may opt for a combination of on-premise and cloud solutions – the former delivering on-site control, with the cloud ensuring a reliable means of backing up critical data. To this end, Hanwha Techwin provides two solutions – Wisenet Wave VMS (on-premise) and Wave Sync (a cloud-based service). The latter allows thousands of on-premise systems to be remotely accessed, managed, and maintained. Edge-based AI technology has become popular among users for its ability to help detect and classify objects. It is now being enhanced with NPU (Neural Processing Unit) technology. This involves using an AI semiconductor which can learn independently and processes video, audio, text or images at the same time by imitating the way the human brain operates. In a video application, NPU enhances edge AI functions to include features such as behaviour analytics and abnormal behaviour detection. In addition, with NPU, it’s also possible for users to train AI algorithms directly, according to their own criteria. Hanwha Techwin will soon be releasing Wise Detector, which can be taught to classify those object types of most interest to the user, whether these are shopping carts or a certain type of vehicle, or an event, for example. Conventional physical security solutions such as video surveillance, access control or intrusion detection are being expanded through integration with IoT (Internet of Things) devices, AI, and the cloud. For example, an IoT-enabled sensor that detects smoke, temperature, humidity or motion can be integrated with an AI security system to deliver new insights following analysis in the cloud. Hanwha Techwin is also preparing to gradually expand its solutions by combining AI, the IoT, and the cloud with vision technology. Once, security solutions were focused on video monitoring by collecting video data and event alarm information and permitting the saving and searching of video. In future, various data will be collected by IoT sensors and cameras and analysed by AI at the edge, using past pattern analysis and comparison of a present situation to help predict future events as well as prevent incidents. Awareness of cybersecurity needs to be raised as new business models and solutions are extended through technological integration with AI, the cloud, and the IoT. Hanwha Techwin has focused on video surveillance for over 30 years and, as IP Video has started presenting prominent threats, has continually emphasised the significance of cybersecurity. For example, its specialised Security Computer Emergency Response Team (S-CERT), constantly undertakes security tests to ensure its solutions remain fully protected from new and emerging threats. In addition, Hanwha Techwin has acquired official certifications such as UL CAP, FIPS and TTA to manage its products’ security to the highest standards. Recently, ‘Zero Trust’ has emerged as a new trend in cybersecurity. Zero trust indicates that every single device and application that is linked on a network has gone through a qualification process under the assumption that there is no automatic right for ‘trust’ between those devices and applications. Hanwha Techwin plans to continue reviewing and upgrading solutions from the perspective of ‘Zero Trust,’ ensuring compliance with the Secure by Default scheme, for example. The importance of cybersecurity cannot be overstated, especially since work conducted by Hanwha Techwin across Europe shows that the responsible and ethical use of technology is a massive concern for end users. Research commissioned by Hanwha Techwin, due to be unveiled in early 2023, reveals just how important the responsible use of video technology is for end users and why they are looking for manufacturers who put responsible use, cybersecurity and ethical considerations at the heart of what they do. On this basis, 2023 looks like being an exciting year!