Volume 43 | January 2, 2026
This Weekâs Featured Articles & Media
2025 Year in Review
In January 2025, we launched The Security Breakdown with a simple goal: create a comprehensive security intelligence hub that delivers deep technical analyses and expert opinions that cut through the noise.
Since then, weâve released 42 volumes, collected 100+ articles from the community, and covered topics ranging from AI to video surveillance to perimeter security to digital identity design and more. The result is a growing body of practical, experience-based perspectives from people who live and breathe security. Check out some highlights from 2025 below, along with links to all previous editions of The Security Breakdown.
As we head into 2026, we look forward to continuing to deliver relevant, drama-free and actionable security insights to your inbox each week. Whether you're a practitioner, manufacturer, integrator or ecosystem partner, weâre grateful youâre part of this community, and we look forward to your contributions in the year ahead.
Wishing you and your loved ones a happy new year!
The Access Control Collective | PhySecJobs.com
Visit PhySecJobs.com to see the latest jobs in the physical security industry.
2025 Highlights
Tony Dong breaks down how to spot âflaming dumpster fireâ investments in the security industry by focusing on fundamentals, not hype. Think cash flow, margins, filings and dilution risks. His takeaway is blunt: if the numbers donât work and management is waving red flags, walk away.
Read the full article in Volume 2, which also features insights from Brian Karas and Angie Barnes.
ID badges are more than a security credential. Lindsay Martin-Nez argues they are powerful tools for human connection, recognition and culture. From workplaces to schools, she makes the case that something as simple as a well-designed badge can help solve real challenges around engagement, belonging and community, all without sacrificing security.
Read the full article in Volume 8, which also features insights from Tony Dong, Angie Barnes, Brian Karas and Jeremy Fromm.
Ronen Isaac looks at how adding personality and AI to surveillance can turn passive cameras into active deterrents. What starts as a tongue-in-cheek experiment becomes a sharp insight: personalized, human-feeling interactions may stop unwanted behavior far more effectively than traditional motion alerts or alarms.
Read the full article in Volume 11, which also features insights from Angie Barnes.
Surveillance video is a complex symphony of technologiesâcodecs, networks, storage, and now AIâall working together to turn raw photons into actionable insights. Just as AV1 is undeniably a codec and WebRTC a streaming protocol, Brian Karas argues AI is no longer optional in video analyticsâit is the standard.
Read the full article in Volume 15, which also features insights from Angie Barnes.
Mike Niola calls for a cultural shift in the security industry, urging consultants to integrate security into architectural design from the start rather than treating it as an afterthought. By collaborating early and appreciating architectural intent, security professionals can enhance both aesthetics and system effectiveness while reducing project friction.
Read the full article in Volume 16, which also features insights from Ronen Isaac, Steve Van Till and Larry Gadea.
Proactive security, like not buying ice cream to avoid temptation, prevents issues before they happen. Angie Barnes looks at how tools like access control and AI monitoring help protect people and property smarter, not just reactively.
Read the full article in Volume 20, which also features insights from Tony Dong, Mike Niola, Taylor Topper and Kevin Spagone.
With the EU AI Act now classifying physical security as high-risk, any AI system making access or alert decisions must meet strict standards for transparency, human oversight, and accountability. Ivan Kravchenko looks at how this shifts the focus from AIâs capabilities to how itâs actually integrated into security systems.
Read the full article in Volume 26, which also features insights from Lindsay Martin-Nez and James Dice.
Jon Polly explores how the global security industry is shifting, with North America no longer being the sole leader as innovative companies from Europe and beyond enter the market. He examines the types of international manufacturers making this move and the potential impact on North American integrators and industry standards.
Read the full article in Volume 31, which also features insights from Mike Niola.
The first in his series of articles on practical ways AI is shaping security roles today, Josh Dempsey offers a guide to customer expectations and real-world tools that are transforming how the industry operates.
Read the full article in Volume 34, which also features insights from Tony Dong.
When industry peers trade conference rooms for a race course, something different happens. Kyle Gordonâs recap of AMAGâs participation in the GameOn! Half Marathon explores how shared experiencesânot just shared goalsâare helping build a stronger, healthier security community through genuine connection, wellness, and collaboration beyond the workplace.
Read the full article in Volume 36, which also features insights from Andrew Campagnola and Michael Stuer.
The age of siloed security is over. As AI-driven, hybrid and post-quantum threats redefine risk, security convergence (uniting identity, access, and operations under one adaptive framework) has become a strategic imperative. Teresa Wu considers how a unified, identity-based approach strengthens Zero Trust, simplifies user experience, and future-proofs protection across digital and physical environments.
Read the full article in Volume 38, which also features insights from Karsten Nölling and Phillip Heaton.
Negligent security isnât just a legal termâitâs a rapidly growing source of lawsuits tying everyday security decisions to multimillion-dollar verdicts. In the first edition of his new series, Charles McGilvary Johnson breaks down what negligent security is, why it matters, and how the industry can be proactive.
Read the full article in Volume 41, which also features insights from Ivan Kravchenko, Jerry Burhans, Don Morron and Austan Palmer Preuett.
Find links to all 2025 volumes of The Security Breakdown below!
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Volume 1 | January 24, 2025 featuring Brian Karas
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Volume 2 | January 31, 2025 featuring Tony Dong, Brian Karas and Angie Barnes
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Volume 3 | February 7, 2025 featuring Angie Barnes and OndĆej VodĆansk
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Volume 4 | February 14, 2025 featuring Jon Polly, Brian Karas and Angie Barnes
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Volume 5 | February 21, 2025 featuring Tony Dong, John Morris, Angie Barnes and Jon Polly
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Volume 6 | February 28, 2025 featuring Jacob Hengel, Angie Barnes and Brian Karas
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Volume 7 | March 7, 2025 featuring Angie Barnes
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Volume 8 | March 14, 2025 featuring Tony Dong, Angie Barnes, Brian Karas, Lindsay Martin-Nez and Jeremy Fromm
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Volume 9 | March 21, 2025 featuring Angie Barnes, Josh Dempsey, Chris Wilson and Brian Karas
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Volume 10 | March 28, 2025 featuring Charles Johnson, Angie Barnes, Kyle Gordon and Brian Karas
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Volume 11 | April 4, 2025 featuring Angie Barnes and Ronen Isaac
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Volume 12 | April 11, 2025 featuring highlights from ISC West in Las Vegas and The Security Event in Birmingham
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Volume 13 | April 18, 2025 featuring Brian Karas and Angie Barnes
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Volume 14 | April 25, 2025 featuring Gareth Robinson
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Volume 15 | May 2, 2025 featuring Brian Karas and Angie Barnes
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Volume 16 | May 9, 2025 featuring Mike Niola, Ronen Isaac, Steve Van Till and Larry Gadea
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Volume 17 | May 16, 2025 featuring Kevin Baldwin
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Volume 18 | May 23, 2025 featuring Kyle Smith, Mike Niola and Tim Norris
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Volume 19 | May 30, 2025 featuring highlights from ACS 2025 in San Sebastian
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Volume 20 | June 6, 2025 featuring Tony Dong, Mike Niola, Taylor Topper, Kevin Spagone and Angie Barnes
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Volume 21 | June 13, 2025 featuring Ivan Kravchenko and Imron Hussain
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Volume 22 | June 20, 2025 featuring Mike Niola, Steve Shine, Kahl Betham, Esteban Pastor and Aastha Sharma
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Volume 23 | June 27, 2025 featuring Tony Dong, Angie Barnes, Brian Karas and Sarah Rodrigues
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Volume 24 | July 4, 2025 featuring PhySecJobs.com
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Volume 25 | July 11, 2025 featuring Nadav Orbach, Ryan Leithead, James Dice, Phil Kirschner and Tony Dong
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Volume 26 | July 18, 2025 featuring Lindsay Martin-Nez, Ivan Kravchenko and James Dice
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Volume 27 | July 25, 2025 featuring Tony Dong, Ivan Kravchenko and Mike Niola
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Volume 28 | August 1, 2025 featuring Kevin Spagone, Ivan Kravchenko, Jeff Groom and Jordan Tuchband
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Volume 29 | August 8, 2025 featuring Allan Chester
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Volume 30 | August 15, 2025 featuring Travis Willis, Tony Dong and Jon Polly
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Volume 31 | August 22, 2025 featuring Jon Polly and Mike Niola
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Volume 32 | August 29, 2025 featuring Jon Polly, Robbie Jefcoat, Kyle Gordon and Larry Gadea
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Volume 33 | September 5, 2025 featuring Ryan Schonfeld and Jon Polly
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Volume 34 | September 12, 2025 featuring Tony Dong and Josh Dempsey
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Volume 35 | September 19, 2025 featuring The Access Control Collectiveâs whitepaper with RealSense
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Volume 36 | October 31, 2025 featuring Kyle Gordon, Andrew Campagnola and Michael Stuer
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Volume 37 | November 7, 2025 featuring Rob Lydic
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Volume 38 | November 14, 2025 featuring Karsten Nölling, Teresa Wu and Phillip Heaton
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Volume 39 | November 21, 2025 featuring Julie Roehm and Allan Bleakley
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Volume 40 | December 5, 2025 featuring Danny Smith
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Volume 41 | December 12, 2025 featuring Ivan Kravchenko, Charles McGilvary Johnson, Jerry Burhans, Don Morron and Austan Palmer Preuett
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Volume 42 | December 19, 2025 featuring Jeff Nigriny and Salvatore (Sal) D'Agostino
