A few months ago, ISIO suggested in articles that security managers must ensure that there is a contingency in the budget to obtain equipment or skills training in case of an unknown threat that could arrive out of the blue. Any responsible managing or finance director must consider allocating funding and preparing for this emerging threat because it has life impacting or life and death possibilities.

Here, we detail six predictions that will concern most IT and senior management professionals in the coming year.

While many cybersecurity attacks and breaches happen at major enterprise organizations, the reality is cybercriminals don’t discriminate by size and the aftermath of an attack can devastate a small business.

While many workplaces have certain safety measures in place, many lack a cohesive system for alerting and managing situations.

Chief Security Officers (CSOs) are charged with protecting an organization’s assets and people. Like all corporate functions, the design of this department will vary greatly depending upon the organization. However, the process by which a program is designed, measured and evaluated has some consistent principles across different industries. This series explores how to make your physical security program more strategic, and how to secure funding for this objective.

Studies and surveys consistently show that cybersecurity and data protection is one of the top five concerns of internal auditors, who worry that their organizations lack the internal resources to deal with security risks. On January 1, 2020, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) became effective, requiring new data privacy measures at most US organizations. Yet it is estimated that less than 10 percent are fully prepared for compliance with CCPA. Unfortunately, in this case, ignorance is not bliss and may result in hefty fines.

Retailers today face a number of security challenges, including shoplifting, shrink and theft at the point of sale, protecting the premises after hours, slip and fall lawsuits and much more. Adding complexity to the security challenge is that retailers face these threats in a variety of locations within stores, each of which comes with its own unique requirements. Today’s flexible, intelligent surveillance cameras offer a variety of form factors and capabilities that allow them to address the range of security and operational challenges.

With such low barriers to entry, it’s no longer just the bad guys who need to be worried about IMSI catchers.

When California Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 327 on September 28, California became the first state to enact legislation expressly governing cybersecurity measures that must be employed by manufacturers of Internet-connected “smart” devices, collectively known as the Internet of Things (IoT). The law, to be codified at California Civil Code Sections 1798.91.04–06, became effective on January 1, 2020.

As technologies and laws continue to evolve, and more people move into urban centers, cities are looking for ways to become smarter – and safer. Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in an urban area. It is predicted that by 2030, our planet will have 41 mega-cities with more than 10 million inhabitants each. After all, a successful city attracts businesses, fosters innovation and provides incredible opportunities for its citizens. But how do we construct and manage cities so that everything, and everyone, flows smoothly today and in the future? How can we ensure that cities are resilient and continue to succeed as they grow?