Witness, if you will, 50 years of security art and science collapsed into the post 9/11 decade. When the dot com era burst, many venture dollars were looking for a place to work. 9/11, sadly, happened and was followed by many changes, including the creation of DHS and the promises to “inspect every bag at airports,” which led to the venture capital and curious question: Inspect them with what? The need rose, the money poured in. Innovation followed.
More than 500 camera companies were exhibiting by 2006 at the ISC trade show. The realization of security’s necessity due to risk or regulation demanded new organizational structures and management styles. And the requirement for business-minded leaders at the security helm followed. Security grew up fast.