Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Technologies & Solutions

Are You Utilizing Big Data in Your Building Security?

By Amanda Reed
digital

"Data Represented in an Interactive 3-D Form" by Idaho National Laboratory is marked with CC BY 2.0.

April 12, 2022

When it comes to big data, physical security is a little late to the game. Businesses have leveraged all sorts of data sources for purposes as diverse as marketing to consumers (like Google, Amazon, and Facebook), enhancing transportation efficiency (e.g., package tracking, flight scheduling, and autonomous vehicles), and improving healthcare delivery (for example, medical records management, AI-assisted pharmaceutical development, and patient health-risk scores). Even so, 63 percent of companies can’t gather insights from big data in a timely manner, and up to 73 percent of data goes unanalyzed.

Aggregating security-related data helps your company improve security and to gain other benefits, such as reducing costs and driving value. Yet the vast majority of the billions of access control transactions, video surveillance captures, sensor activations, and related security data remain uncollected, unstored, unaggregated, unanalyzed, or only partly analyzed.

Companies continue to grapple with how to best generate, harness and apply security data. In fact, organizations cite various concerns surrounding security-related data: lack of actionable insight from data (33 percent), failure to generate sufficient data (23 percent) and incompatible data sources (16 percent). Close to 35 percent, however, say they face no challenges using or acquiring relevant data.

The data that is being captured and analyzed delivers real value and hints at what is being left on the table beyond the obvious security use-cases. You can gain insights into hours, dates, locations of access by specific users or categories of users. That information allows you to identify use, traffic, and occupancy patterns both in real-time and historically, helping your company make decisions about space optimization and monetization. In a hospital, for example, security, facilities, and operations managers can use that data to better manage resources such as guard deployments, lighting and energy use, pharmaceutical availability, restaurant and gift-shop hours, and lab room scheduling.

In work environments, managers can use building data to more effectively make staffing decisions based on time, facility location, access privileges, occupancy requirements, PPE availability and other factors. Space utilization decisions have become critical elements of health, productivity, teamwork, and corporate culture as the coronavirus pandemic continues to drive a paradigm shift to hybrid work models. In fact, 39 percent of companies say that physical security breaches are among some of the toughest challenges companies face today.

As to what benefits appropriate data would provide for their businesses, 38 percent of companies say that analytics would improve their physical security policies and procedures. Smaller numbers think that analytics would provide value for other departments, such as process, supply chain, and HR (16 percent), help staff investigate suspicious behavior patterns (15 percent), or support policy compliance (14 percent).

While data can be collected through on-premises systems, it is far more powerful when it resides in the cloud. Storing information in the cloud is safer than storing it on-premise. Additionally, leveraging the cloud creates a lower total cost of ownership. Data from multiple systems can be pooled, analyzed and mined for insights. That data can be facility-specific, campus-specific, multiregional or enterprise-wide, with comparisons of those various sources of data providing key insights. 

KEYWORDS: cyber security physical security

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Amanda reed 250x250

As SDM Staff Editor, Amanda Reed was responsible for managing the news department in the digital edition and on the website. Amanda manages the SDM E-News and Today’s Systems Integrator e-newsletters and was the person behind SDM’s social media posts on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. She received bachelor’s degrees in communication/rhetoric and nonfiction writing from the University of Pittsburgh.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security magazine's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024 award...
    Cybersecurity
    By: Security Staff
  • cyber brain

    The intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable cybersecurity...
    Security Enterprise Services
    By: Pam Nigro
  • artificial intelligence AI graphic

    Assessing the pros and cons of AI for cybersecurity

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant implications...
    New Security Technology
    By: Charles Denyer
Manage My Account
  • Security eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Mobile App
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Security or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Sureview screen
    Sponsored bySureView Systems

    The Evolution of Automation in the Command Center

  • Crisis Response Team
    Sponsored byEverbridge

    Automate or Fall Behind – Crisis Response at the Speed of Risk

  • Perimeter security
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Why Property Security is the New Competitive Advantage

Popular Stories

Rendered computer with keyboard

16B Login Credentials Exposed in World’s Largest Data Breach

Verizon on phone screen

61M Records Listed for Sale Online, Allegedly Belong to Verizon

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Red spiderweb

From Retail to Insurance, Scattered Spider Changes Targets

blurry multicolored text on black screen

PowerSchool Education Technology Company Announces Data Breach

Events

August 7, 2025

Threats to the Energy Sector: Implications for Corporate and National Security

The energy sector has found itself in the crosshairs of virtually every bad actor on the global stage.

August 27, 2025

Risk Mitigation as a Competitive Edge

In today’s volatile environment, a robust risk management strategy isn’t just a requirement—it’s a foundation for organizational resilience. From cyber threats to climate disruptions, the ability to anticipate, withstand, and adapt to disruption is becoming a hallmark of industry leaders.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Related Articles

  • pixels

    How to Use Data, AI & the Cloud to Change Your Building Operations

    See More
  • sky line

    Listen to Your Smart Building

    See More
  • city skyline

    Making Your Buildings Work Smarter & Harder

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • security culture.webp

    Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

  • 150 things.jpg

    Physical Security: 150 Things You Should Know 2nd Edition

  • CPTED.jpg

    CPTED and Traditional Security Countermeasures: 150 Things You Should Know

See More Products
×

Sign-up to receive top management & result-driven techniques in the industry.

Join over 20,000+ industry leaders who receive our premium content.

SIGN UP TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing