Survey: 88 Percent of Companies are Experiencing Increase in Physical Security Threats

Survey: 88 Percent of Companies are Experiencing Increase in Physical Security Threats

As companies continue hybrid work in this third year of COVID-19, already high levels of physical threats are expected to continue to rise, significant health and safety protocol-related conflicts between management and employees are occurring, and workplace violence preparedness at businesses is primarily reactive and inconsistent. These are some of the findings unveiled today in the "2022 State of Protective Intelligence Report –– Heightened Threats, Business Continuity And Advancing Protective Intelligence: Perception Versus Reality In Corporate America," a new study commissioned by the Ontic Center for Protective Intelligence.

The study showcases the collective perspectives of chief security officers, chief legal officers, chief compliance officers, general counsels, physical security directors, corporate attorneys and physical security decision-makers at U.S. companies with over 5,000 employees to examine how they see physical security challenges and opportunities unfolding in 2022, and the potential impact on business continuity.

"The physical threat landscape has significantly changed and expanded, a majority of respondents agreed, which has created an exponential increase in data and pre-incident indicators that will only grow and be unmanageable in 2022," said Fred Burton, Executive Director of the Ontic Center for Protective Intelligence. "But when it comes to approaches to employee preparedness to address threats and workplace violence, just over half cited their company believes training employees so they are better prepared for potential workplace violence will create a culture of fear, wants to take a reactive strategy and does not see the ultimate risk to business continuity by inaction."

Burton continued: "Threats or harmful incidents are occurring so often, a majority agree, that employees are used to erratic and violent behavior and don't report these as warning signs until it's too late. This is why technology-based tools and consistent training are more critical than ever – thankfully we are seeing greater and greater adoption of digital intelligence."

"We are seeing a large-scale movement to transform physical security, accelerated by the pandemic, an increasing volume of threats and too many misses that jeopardize business stability," said Lukas Quanstrom, CEO of Ontic. "Almost universally, U.S. companies are actively consolidating their multiple threat intelligence, monitoring and alerting solutions into a unified system of record that enables holistic data analysis and reporting across the enterprise. This is good news for American businesses and their employees, but given the magnitude of the challenge, more needs to be done to consistently address risks to industries and shore up business continuity."

Key findings from the survey include:

88% agree, compared to the beginning of 2021, companies are experiencing a dramatic increase in physical threat activity.

85% agree the physical threat landscape has significantly changed and expanded, which has created an exponential increase in data and pre-incident indicators that will only grow and be unmanageable in 2022.

When asked what issues "keep them up at night" as they consider their company's 2022 physical security program, respondents cited increased physical threats and company backlash related to:

  • Rising extremism, social and political issues (32%)
  • Vaccination requirements (31%)

88% have reopened offices and are encountering significant conflicts between management and employees regarding health and safety protocols as well as work-from-home policies

In 2021 the lack of unified digital protective intelligence resulted in missed threats and physical harm to employees, customers and human assets for their company, 84% of respondents agreed, up from 71% in the prior year

Among 18 physical security challenges in 2022 outlined, most likely to be listed among legal and compliance leaders:

  • Physical security threats to C-suite and company leadership (44%)
  • Data protection and privacy (41%)

After employees were threatened or harmed by former employees or others while working remotely or at company facilities, respondents:

  • Notified HR, legal and security (43%)
  • Notified the local police and requested enhanced patrol coverages (40%)
  • Enhanced company security coverages for the employee both in the office and at their home (39%)
  • Enhanced intelligence collection around the threat (36%)

A total of 359 respondents completed the survey, which was conducted November 29 - December 21, 2021. These included chief security officers, chief legal officers, chief compliance officers, general counsels, physical security directors, corporate attorneys and physical security decision-makers at U.S. companies with over 5,000 employees in the automotive, banking and financial services, consumer goods, education, energy, government, healthcare, insurance, media and entertainment, pharmaceutical, retail, technology, telecommunications, travel and hospitality industries. Download the full 2022 report here.

Featured

  • Freedom of Choice

    In today's security landscape, we are witnessing a fundamental transformation in how organizations manage digital evidence. Law enforcement agencies, campus security teams, and large facility operators face increasingly complex challenges with expanding video data, tightening budget constraints and inflexible systems that limit innovation. Read Now

  • Accelerating a Pathway

    There is a new trend touting the transformational qualities of AI’s ability to deliver actionable data and predictive analysis that in many instances, seems to be a bit of an overpromise. The reality is that very few solutions in the cyber-physical security (CPS) space live up to this high expectation with the one exception being the new generation of Physical Identity and Access Management (PIAM) software – herein recategorized as PIAM+. Read Now

  • Protecting Your Zones

    It is game day. You can feel the crowd’s energy. In the parking lot. At the gate. In the stadium. On the concourse. Fans are eager to party. Food and merchandise vendors ready themselves for the rush. Read Now

  • Street Smarts

    The ongoing acceptance of AI and advanced data analytics has allowed surveillance camera technology to shift from being a tactical tool to a strategic business solution. Combining traditional surveillance technology with AI-based data-driven insights can streamline transportation systems, enhance traffic management, improve situational awareness, optimize resource allocation and streamline emergency response procedures. Read Now

  • Midtown Manhattan Shooting Kills 4, Including NYPD Officer

    Four people were killed, including a NYPD officer, in a midtown Manhattan shooting on Monday. That’s according to CNN. Read Now

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.