Volume 18

Volume 18 | May 23, 2025

This Weeks Featured Articles & Media

Kyle Smith | Night Watch
A would-be intruder is thwarted by a sophisticated remote video monitoring system that uses open standards to detect, analyze, and deter threats in real time. The article highlights how technologies like H.264, MP4, HTTPS, ONVIF, and WebRTC enable seamless integration between devices, allowing for rapid, automated security responses.

Mike Niola | The Human Edge: How AI is Reshaping the Security Consultant’s Role
AI is revolutionizing physical security by automating technical tasks like design and threat analysis, but the human consultant remains essential for interpreting context, culture, and emotion—factors AI can’t truly understand. The future belongs to professionals who blend AI’s efficiency with human empathy and judgment to create security systems that are both effective and respectful of the people they serve.

Tim Norris | Dear Brands: Nobody Cares About Your Booth Set-Up (And Other Hard Truths for Brand Marketers)
The article critiques the flood of shallow, self-congratulatory LinkedIn posts during event season and urges B2B marketers to replace generic updates with thoughtful, insight-driven content that speaks to their audience's real interests. The core message: participation isn’t strategy—substance and perspective are what truly drive engagement.

The Access Control Collective | PhySecJobs.com
Below you will find all of the latest jobs in the physical security industry.

Find them all below!

The figure moved with cautious intent, cloaked in shadow and a hoodie loose enough to make a silhouette difficult to trace. In his gloved hand... a framing hammer, held not like a tool, but a statement. He lurked just outside the storefront's threshold, unaware that every twitch of his shoulder was already a data point. Mounted discreetly high and to the right of the entrance, a dome camera, its iris adjusting like a mechanical eye, captured the light bouncing from the nearby streetlamp and began converting it into compressed H.264 packets, destined for the Linux -based chip embedded in the camera’s heart. The camera didn’t sleep. It hosted a third-party analytic; highly specialized software, custom- built to run on the camera’s open platform, detecting pixel changes between frames to detect movement.

This wasn’t your grandfather’s motion detection. The analytic evaluated not just motion, but motion that mattered; measuring pixel cluster size, proximity to the lens, and persistence across frames. The data crossed the algorithm’s confidence threshold. A motion event was classified. An encrypted MP4 clip shot off over HTTPS to the Cloud, where machine learning algorithms, trained on millions and millions of CCTV images, went to work. With 99% certainty, it flagged the subject as a person, black top, black bottom. The tag was logged for forensic search. But this was no false alarm from a raccoon or rainfall. The verified event was escalated automatically to the next stage.

A JSON -formatted alert sent from the Cloud to a Central Station triggered a secure RTSP stream over WebRTC at the monitoring center, where an operator leaned forward behind five glowing monitors. Onscreen: the suspect raised the hammer. The operator clicked a button onscreen. Outside the store, an adjacent IP loudspeaker roared to life at 100 decibels, synchronized with red and blue strobe lights. A commanding voice announced “THIS IS A MONITORED AREA! YOUR ACTIVITY IS BEING RECORDED! LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN NOTIFIED!” The audio blasted through the night. The suspect froze, the fight or flight response engaged, the latter being the best choice. No glass broken, no merchandise stolen, just one more entry in a growing chain of active deterrence. The operator barely blinked, already reviewing the next alarm.

This Remote Video Monitoring scenario is possible because of open standards, which allow different devices and systems to work together securely and efficiently, no matter the brand or budget. 

Open standards are critical in modern physical security, as they define much of what we do at work and in our personal lives. It’s how we can use our personal smartphones to manage our company security systems from anywhere at any time. We can also use them to react if a Monitoring Center Operator isn’t the one established to respond. Here’s a brief review of just a few of the standards used above:

H.264 Compression The camera used H.264 to compress video, which is the standard in security systems. It keeps video quality high while making file sizes smaller, so footage can be stored longer and streamed without lag. H.264 is used everywhere—on mobile apps, VMS platforms, and most modern surveillance gear.

MP4 (MPEG-4 Video Format) The video clip was saved in MP4 format, which works across nearly all devices and platforms. MP4 keeps the video, sound, and basic info together in one compact file. It’s ideal for saving events, sending clips to the cloud, or reviewing footage on phones, desktops, or VMS systems.

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) HTTPS encrypts video and alert data sent over the internet. It keeps your footage private and safe from tampering, which is especially important for cloud-based storage and remote viewing. Today, HTTPS is the default standard for secure video systems.

ONVIF (Open Network Video Interface Forum) ONVIF makes it possible for cameras, analytics, cloud systems, and loudspeakers from different brands to work together. It sets the rules for how devices find each other, send video, and share alerts. This lets you mix and match hardware without getting locked into one vendor.

WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) WebRTC is a technology that lets you stream live video over the internet with low delay and strong security. In this case, it allowed the monitoring center to instantly see what the camera was seeing in real time—no special software needed. It’s commonly used in remote security monitoring, video calls, and live surveillance feeds.

In a world where every second counts and threats don’t wait for system updates, open standards give security professionals the edge. They’re the invisible framework behind swift responses, smarter integrations, and safer outcomes. And while the suspect vanished into the night, what remained was a connected system doing exactly what it was designed to do—protect, deter, and adapt.

As artificial intelligence sweeps through nearly every industry, physical security is experiencing a transformation that’s both inevitable and profound. From security AI agents and intelligent video analytics to predictive threat modeling and AI- powered design tools, AI is enabling new levels of efficiency, insight, and responsiveness. But amid this surge of automation, one truth remains clear: AI won’t replace you, people who use AI will replace you, but human involvement will remain. In fact, the human layer will become more critical than ever.

The traditional role of the security consultant has always balanced technical expertise with human understanding, designing systems that not only protect, but also integrate seamlessly into the built environment. With AI now able to analyze massive datasets, suggest device placements, and even simulate threat scenarios in real-time, the technical "first draft" of a security design can increasingly be handled by AI tools. But that’s just the beginning, not the end, of the consultant’s value.

The Rise of AI-Powered Design

We are entering a phase where AI tools can rapidly generate initial layouts for camera coverage, identify potential blind spots, and recommend hardware configurations based on environmental context. These capabilities reduce time spent on rote design tasks and free consultants to focus on what machines can’t replicate – judgment, context, and empathy.

AI will soon become table stakes in design workflows. The firms and professionals who embrace these tools will outpace those who don’t, not because the tools are better, but because they allow people to be better. Security consultants who learn to collaborate with AI will find themselves designing faster, validating decisions with more data, and freeing themselves up to find ways of offering more compelling value to clients.

The Human Layer Becomes Critical

The more AI we inject into our processes, the more important the human element becomes. As AI gets more advanced and ubiquitous, writing every press release we read, conducting every employee onboarding we experience, and even generating every video content we are served, the human layer doesn’t become less important, but more important. That’s because security isn’t just a technical challenge, it’s a deeply human one. Security systems must protect people without alienating them, secure places without making them feel like fortresses, and balance deterrence with dignity. Physical security doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It touches users, communities, culture, and architecture; and those are things AI doesn’t understand, at least not meaningfully.

An AI model might suggest mounting a camera at the perfect statistical location for maximum coverage, but it won’t consider that the placement creates a feeling of surveillance in a space meant to foster openness. It won’t recognize that a school’s front desk staff prefers visibility over technology-heavy deterrents, or that a community center needs to strike a delicate balance between safety and trust.

That’s where the security consultant steps in, not just as a designer, but as a translator of human needs. Our role will shift from system specifier to systems thinker. We’ll be interpreters of cultural nuance, stewards of client values, and advocates for balance between what’s technically possible and what’s contextually appropriate.

Consider a hospital. An AI tool might identify all entry points and recommend cameras, card readers, and analytics rules, but only a human consultant can understand that certain patient areas require increased sensitivity around privacy. It takes emotional intelligence to know that too much visible surveillance near pediatric or behavioral health units can cause distress. A consultant’s ability to advocate for subtle, integrated solutions, like recessed cameras or access controls embedded into architectural finishes, is what preserves the human experience.

In schools, AI sensors can accurately detect vaping or even analyze movement patterns to predict violence, but it cannot navigate the delicate political and cultural dynamics of a community wary of over-surveillance. A security consultant, on the other hand, can attend school board meetings, listen to parent concerns, and translate technical possibilities into palatable, purpose-driven recommendations.

Even in high-security environments like courthouses or data centers, the human consultant brings essential judgment. Should an employee breakroom have cameras? Should biometric readers be implemented in ways that are optional rather than mandatory? How does a design reflect an organization’s culture, values, and risk tolerance? These are not engineering problems, they are human ones.

Security by Design – An Old Concept with Renewed Focus

One of the most critical roles of a security consultant moving forward will be as a bridge between people and technology. AI will handle detection, automation, and optimization, but it can’t do human context. It doesn’t understand grief, pride, fear, or trust. Human consultants do.

Our role will evolve from technical expert to design strategist and cultural interpreter. We won’t just specify devices, we’ll translate stakeholder values into technical requirements. We’ll work alongside architects to ensure that security measures don’t undermine architectural intent. We’ll collaborate with clients to make sure the systems we design don’t just work but that they make people feel safe and even supported by the built environment.

In this new era, the most successful consultants won’t just be experts in technology, they’ll be experts in people. They’ll use AI to accelerate and optimize, but they’ll also push back when technology lacks tact. They’ll shape systems that respect privacy, reinforce dignity, and blend into the architectural vision of the spaces they’re entering, not because this was previously ignored, but because they’ll be freed up to address these aspects directly and with more focus than before.

At The Consulting Group, we’re already seeing this shift in action. AI tools help us iterate design options faster than ever, but it’s the conversation with the principal who wants students to feel empowered, or the architect who wants to preserve an open plaza, or the facility director who’s concerned about equity in access policies, it’s in these human moments where the best security designs will be shaped. These are concepts that have been preached before, but we have not always had the luxury of spending the amount of time and focus that they require while also addressing the technical challenges of designing complex environments with complex systems.

Designing security systems will increasingly look a lot more like designing user experiences. Consultants who understand behavior, emotion, and perception will have a distinct edge. As every piece of technology becomes “AI-powered,” it will be the consultant who asks, “How will this make people feel?” that will bring enhanced value to the table.

Embrace the Future, Enhance the Human

The future of physical security isn’t AI or human, it’s AI and human. The best consultants will be those who embrace AI not as a threat, but as a powerful partner. As machines take on the mechanical, we must lean into the meaningful. Our job isn’t just to protect but it’s to connect, interpret, and design with empathy. In an industry defined by risk, our greatest strength will be our humanity, and that’s something no AI tool can replicate, not yet at least. In the coming years, the edge won't belong to the smartest AI models. It will belong to the consultant who knows how to use it, and when to override it.

Let’s talk about the epidemic of nonsense clogging up LinkedIn feeds during event season. And yes, I admit as we all will that we have contributed to this epidemic at some point.

You know the posts:

• “Excited to attend [Insert Industry Event]!” with a blurry pic of a hotel carpet.

• “Here we go! Day 1!” with a booth team awkwardly pretending to high-five.

• A timelapse of a banner being zipped up followed by “Can’t wait to meet you all!”

Spoiler alert: no one cares. These posts are the corporate equivalent of someone live-tweeting their breakfast. And as a brand marketer, if you’re signing off on this stuff, you’re not just wasting a post—you’re wasting attention.

LinkedIn isn’t your internal Slack channel.

It’s not there to validate that you packed up the pop-up stand and made it to Vegas. It’s there to reach people who aren’t at the event but could be your next customer, partner, or recruit. And right now, we’re giving them beige wallpaper when they’re scrolling for bold ideas.

Participation Isn’t Strategy

Let’s break it down. Here are a few flavors of posts that need to be retired immediately—and what to do instead:

1. The “We’re Here!” Post

Fluff: “Team [X] just landed in San Francisco for [Y] Conference! Can’t wait to get started!”

Fix: “Why we’re here: The three biggest problems our customers face right now—and what we’re hoping to learn at [Event Name] to solve them.”

2. The Booth Glam Shot

Fluff: “Booth 517 is looking sharp! Come say hi!”

Fix: “Here’s what people are asking at Booth 517 today—and what it tells us about where the market’s headed.” (Include insights, not just photos.)

3. The Vague Hype Reel

Fluff: “So many amazing conversations today!”

Fix: “One thing we heard again and again today: [Insert Problem]. Here’s how we’re tackling it, and what we learned from a prospect that made us think differently.”

See the difference? The first set of posts is about you. The second set is about your audience.

Real Insights Beat Real-Time Updates

It doesn’t have to be a dissertation. Just one insight. One moment. One comment that made your team stop and think.

• “A head of marketing told us, ‘I don’t need another platform—I need one that integrates with the chaos I already have.’ That hit hard. Here’s how we’re thinking about that.”

• “We watched five people walk past a competitor’s booth because they were overwhelmed by buzzwords. Here’s what that says about how we communicate in B2B.”

That’s the kind of post that sparks likes, DMs, and actual conversations—not just digital tumbleweeds.

Nobody Shares a Stock Booth Photo

If the goal is engagement, substance always wins. When’s the last time you reshared a post that said, “Day 1. Let’s go!” exactly? Yeah, didn’t think so.

Your event content should be a window into your thinking—not just your logistics. Every post is a chance to position your brand as smart, self-aware, and genuinely helpful. Wasting that chance on fluff is like paying $50,000 for a booth and handing out blank flyers.

Put a Point of View on It

If your brand is attending an event, there’s a reason. Lean into it. What’s your take on what’s not being talked about at the conference? What trend are you seeing that no one’s calling out yet? What’s the most overrated piece of advice floating around the venue?

Give people something to chew on. Otherwise, you’re just adding calories to a content diet already stuffed with filler.

Our Take

We’ve evolved past the era of “just ate toast” Twitter. It’s time for B2B brand marketers to evolve past “we’re here!” LinkedIn.

Make it insightful. Make it useful. Or maybe… just don’t post at all.

The official soft launch of PhySecJobs.com is here. PhySecJobs.com is a job board purpose-built for the physical security industry—and you’re the first to see it. This early release is exclusively for the Access Control Executive Brief community.

Here’s what’s live:

• Looking for a job? completely free to browse, search, and apply with no cost.

• Have a job you are looking to fill? Post open roles with simple, flexible options—single listings, packages, or unlimited.

• Applications are streamlined, including LinkedIn integration.

• Featured companies and up-to-date listings on the homepage.

If you are a member, please reach out for your free code to post your first job.

Below are the highlighted jobs and companies this week.

• Kastle is a leading provider of property technology solutions, protecting commercial real estate, multi-family residential, global enterprises, educational institutions, and critical government facilities. Every day, tens of thousands of businesses use Kastle’s state-of-the-art access control, video surveillance, visitor management, and identity management technology solutions to enable a smarter built environment.

  1. Project Manager, Implementations - apply here

  2. VP of Product Strategy, Multifamily - apply here

  3. Service Technician II (Access Control) - apply here

  4. Service Technician - apply here

  5. Project Coordinator - apply here

  6. Senior IT Solutions and Integration Engineer - apply here

  7. Manager, Project Manager, Install and Service - apply here

  8. Pre-Sales Security Systems Engineer - Access Control and CCTV - apply here

  9. Project Engineer - apply here

      

• BadgePass is a software development company that enables organizations to recognize and connect people. We are focused on creating best-in-class software solutions and having the best team members possible along for the ride. At BadgePass, we pride ourselves on fostering a culture of collaboration, creativity, and excellence. We believe that customers won’t love a company unless employees love it first, so we strive to create an environment that inspires our team members and allows them to translate their passion into incredible products and an unmatched customer experience.  

  1. Director of Channel Sales - apply here

      

• Wavelynx is a leading provider of next-generation access control solutions, offering innovative products such as readers, control panels, and mobile credentialing solutions. Our ethos centers around open standards, flexibility, and a commitment to creating best-in-class security products for integrators and end-users. With a growing product portfolio and a vibrant community of partners, Wavelynx is driving the future of access control technology.

  1. Project Manager - Hardware - apply here

  2. Marketing Manager - apply here

5513 Oak Place, Bethesda, MD 20817, United States

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