Blog Date: 8/9/2013
Author: Lorna Chandler
As the future evolves, what must an effective security consultant be able to achieve? Admittedly, the answer must include an understanding of the world as it is and as it is emerging. What might the future present for issues involving security? There are several aspects to explore:
• How and where we live and work in terms of the physical space;
• the social norms and attitudes;
• technology in terms of communication and the associated protocols;
• and the ability to create physical barriers and the tools associated with their operation.
Forecasting each of these disciplines, the NextGen Security Consultant must understand the security vulnerabilities of the social media platforms, wireless communication tools, and cash transaction methodologies. There are few regulations associated with these technologies today, and this situation is unlikely to change since the regulation process is too slow to respond to emerging technologies with the speed required. As the work place blends, there seems to be greater divides between rich and poor and between various cultures. This may feel counter intuitive, but when there is rapid evolution, people are resistant to that change. People who feel threatened become more violent depending on the level of threat perceived and society has no control on that aspect of a person’s life. Add to that the ability to communicate through social media with like-minded others and the potential for an organized operation emerges quickly. Responders must have the tools to receive alerts and intelligence in a real-time environment, which means that video and other data will be transmitted to personally carried devices or other media, such as phones, tablets, GoogleGlass, etc.
Watching floor space arrangements, dynamic office space called ‘hoteling’ has almost disappeared, but densely populated open areas are currently expanding. This means that employees do not have ‘private space’ and this can become critical for those who are not socially comfortable, yet have the technical expertise to do the work. The dynamic of collaborative solutions is tending to melt the traditional separation between departments and increasing the use of online office meetings. This creates a challenge for identifying persons in a wall-less or virtual environment. How do you know who is authorized to be in a section of office space, connected silently to an online meeting, or listening in on a mobile device? With all of the public exposure, there is an increasing fuzziness in what constitutes privacy, business confidentiality, disclosures, and permission. The NexGen security consultant must be tuned into all of these aspects, constantly educate themselves and their clients, and provide the guidelines to integrators to allow them to be successful with installation and programming.