Gun safety isn’t a new issue in the U.S., of course — it’s a hot-button political issue, to say the least. Regardless, there is no debate that every organization wants to keep its community safe. So, like almost every other aspect of life that has undergone transformational change over the past decade, the main driver of change in the immediate term will be cutting-edge technology.

Genetec Inc. shared its top five predictions for the physical security industry in 2021.

Now more than ever, K-12 leaders are faced with the need to implement security solutions and strategies that adequately protect students, staff and visitors from potential threats. Growing incidents, such as school shootings, unauthorized visitors and disease transmission, can put occupants in harm’s way, making security a persistent need. Schools now have the opportunity to use and expand on existing building technologies to address evolving needs while providing greater protection and peace of mind.

For years, there has been optimistic talk that drones – the popular name for UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) – would become ubiquitous and used for security purposes. And now, it’s happening. The drone-industry is becoming an increasingly promising technology-intensive industry, one that will employ far more workers than it does today while enhancing the efficiency and security of a variety of businesses.

According to global risk consultancy Control Risks’ annual forecast of political and security risks to help businesses prepare for the challenges next year will bring, there are a handful of important ongoing threats into this year that all risk managers and security leaders should be aware of.

In the U.S., critical infrastructure consists of sixteen essential sectors that make daily life possible. National critical functions are the functions of government and the private sector so vital to the U.S. that their disruption, corruption, or dysfunction would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic security, national public health or safety. Here, we talk to Brian Harrell about the importance of protecting critical infrastructure, the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risks to critical infrastructure and more.