May / June 2025

• How Long Until AI Takes Your Job?
• Make Your Metadata Cybersecure
• Body-Worn Cameras on the Rise
• Fast-Forward from 1,000 B.C.E. to Today


Cover Story

How Long Until AI Takes Your Job?

By Steve Reinharz

The security industry is facing a transformation unlike any in its history. Indeed, much of the modern world is in this position. From the industrial revolution to the rise of automation, labor-intensive roles have continuously evolved, and security is no exception. AI is now fundamentally altering how security is managed, shifting from human-reliant surveillance and guard services to intelligent, autonomous security solutions.


Features

Built for Today, Ready for Tomorrow

Selecting the right VMS is critical for any organization that depends on video surveillance to ensure safety, security and operational efficiency. While many organizations focus on immediate needs such as budget and deployment size, let us review some of the long-term considerations that can significantly impact a VMS's utility and flexibility.


Paving the Way to Smart Buildings

By Emma Falck

In today's rapidly evolving security landscape, the convergence of on-prem, edge and cloud technologies are critical. The physical security landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the rapid digitalization of buildings and the evolving needs of modern organizations. As the buildings sector pivots towards smart, AI and data-driven operations, the integration of both edge and cloud technology has become crucial.


The Cybersecurity Time Bomb

By Will Knehr

If you work in physical security, you have probably seen it: a camera, access control system, or intrusion detection device installed years ago, humming along without a single update. It is a common scenario that security professionals have come to accept as "normal." But here is the reality: this mindset is actively putting organizations at risk.


Deploying in a Hybrid, Cloud Environment

By Kris Houle

The way organizations manage access control is evolving. Traditional on-premises systems come with high IT and server requirements. At the same time, fully cloud-based solutions may not meet the needs of every facility.


Facing Facts for Facilities

By Craig Newell

Despite the proliferation of constantly evolving security solutions, there remains a troubling trend among many facility operators who often neglect the most important security assets within their organization. Keys and shared devices like radios, laptops and tablets are crucial to successful operations, yet many operators are managing them haphazardly through outdated storage systems like pegboards and notebooks.


Make Your Metadata Cybersecure

By Wayne Dorris

We all know that physical security devices capture a massive amount of information about the environment in which they’re deployed. When categorized and searched efficiently, that data transforms into actionable intelligence to better protect the organization. That is where metadata comes into play.


New Products

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • 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.

  • 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.”