5 Types of Security Technology: Security Tech of the future

AI is a hot topic in virtually every industry in 2024 and security is no different.

Security technology has evolved significantly in recent years as companies look to technology to reduce manpower, increase efficiency and detect a wider range of threats.

Security building technology can now include AI-enabled functionality built into CCTV surveillance, alarm systems, access controls, and automated recognition go far beyond traditional solutions.

Many businesses assume that any security systems they install will rely heavily on audible alarms and CCTV footage monitoring – but can introduce sophisticated detection systems and alerts that provide around-the-clock security from any remote location.

In this article, we examine five of the highest-demand security technologies currently on the market and clarify how and when these may be incorporated into our recommendations for responsive, reliable security controls.

Key Takeaways:

• Modern security tech uses functionality such as facial recognition, number plate detection and activity tracking to augment the responsiveness and efficiency of security systems used in countless business and public environments.
• Understanding the types of technologies available can assist with informed decision-making, where business owners recognise the added value these capabilities offer and how they can streamline monitoring or response times.
• Many types of security technology are seamlessly incorporated into commercial systems and used to improve access controls, incident tracking and the reliability of advanced security such as perimeter intrusion detection alarms.

Five Types of Advanced Security Tech to Consider for Your Business

While we’ll examine potential technologies to integrate into your security policy, it’s also worth pointing out that these only give a snapshot of the opportunities available to upscale your existing controls or provide wide-scope coverage.

Our security consultants are always available to provide further information and offer bespoke recommendations based on your risk profile.

5 Types of security technology that are revolutionising the industry

1. Automatic Facial Recognition Technology

Facial recognition doesn’t purely match people entering a site or business against a database of faces. Instead, it uses detailed mapping to flag when an individual appears to have characteristics similar to those of a prohibited, unauthorised, or banned person, such as jaw shape and facial structure.

In higher-risk settings such as airports, this technology provides the assurance that a person attempting to conceal their identity will still be recognised by AI-enabled CCTV surveillance, with immediate notifications sent to security responders.

This technology is also used in controlled-access spaces or areas of a building accessible only to individuals, normally colleagues and approved contractors, who have been granted permission to enter into a controlled zone.

Other cameras can match the identities of individuals, even when in a group or crowd, to those recorded in a criminal database – where the people may not necessarily be prohibited from entering but require greater surveillance as a crime preventative.

2. Activity and Behavioural Pattern Detection

This type of technology is fully adaptable and works based on your rules or parameters. AI can define the usual patterns and movements of people or vehicles within your business, construction site or compound, mapping the flow of foot or vehicular traffic and calculating average waiting times, among many other aspects.

Activity detection can, for instance, flag when a person has remained stationary for longer than the usual time, raise a notification when human movement is detected outside of opening hours, or prompt action from your security responders when suspicious behaviour is detected—such as a person moving against the flow of traffic or repeatedly returning to the same spot.

3. Zoned Area Surveillance

The best security systems don’t solely record an incident or provide evidence after the fact but act as a live, proactive deterrent, offering enhanced intelligence to help responders and security teams prevent crimes, intrusions and thefts from occurring.

Security systems with embedded tech can protect specific areas of greater risk or where valuable or confidential data or assets are stored.

That could mean recognising any person or vehicle entering a safeguarded zone, raising alarms when any activity that doesn’t fall within your usual routine is detected, or alerting responders when a person passes through a specific entry point or perimeter.

This tech is also used to track and detect objects, so it can raise the alarm if something is out of place—whether a vehicle is parked somewhere it shouldn’t be, an item or piece of equipment is missing from your inventory, or an unknown item has been detected.

4. Automated Loitering Tracking

Used throughout public spaces and areas frequently exposed to break-ins and antisocial behaviour, AI surveillance cameras can pick up any behaviour or patterns that appear to indicate loitering where there isn’t any obvious reason for this.

The sophistication of these systems means that if people are queuing, waiting for a collection, or attending an event, for example, loitering will be deemed natural and unsuspicious—but in other scenarios, it will prompt investigation to ensure that anybody loitering is dispersed.

A similar application applies in events and festivals, where signs of aggression or raised tempers can be identified before violence occurs, allowing security teams to de-escalate the matter swiftly.

5. Rapid Intelligent CCTV Searches

Our final security tech is the ability to use advanced searches to find specific events, vehicles, individuals, objects or occurrences throughout your AI CCTV databases and records at extremely fast speeds.

Rather than browsing through hours of recorded footage or trying to find if or when a person entered the site, intelligent security can cross-check all previously recorded data within seconds, ensuring you know exactly when previous events occurred.

This searching capability makes it far easier to track and prevent issues, monitor repeat visits or altercations, and share information with the emergency services where necessary.

Applications for Advanced Security Technology

There are endless circumstances and scenarios in which sophisticated security tech can improve and augment your security systems, whether you have a security control team and on-site responders, operate automated access controls, or need a way to protect your site out-of-hours or when in 24-hour usage.

Car parks are an example of a facility where vehicle number plate detection can verify whether a vehicle has paid, track the time spent in the facility, and monitor repeat issues.

Tech can also ensure that CCTV isn’t a passive aspect of your security controls but preempts and prevents issues from occurring or situations from developing.

AI can, for instance, track the number of people in a business, room, or floor at any given moment, monitor data and footfall patterns, customise alerts and alarms based on zoning and the hours of operation, and provide reliable security intelligence to keep your business, assets, visitors, and workforce safe.