21 February 2017 | Jamie Harris
Physical security and IT teams need to work more closely together, according to security firm HID Global.
The company, which provides access control and authentication services, has called for a physical security team to incorporate IT teams in proposal, design and implementation discussions as devices are increasingly being designed to connect and share information.
Chip Epps, vice-president of product marketing solutions at HID Global, said: "Collaboration isn't a one-way street. If the IT team hasn't included the physical security team into their cyber assessments and incident response processes, the business suffers.
"Every member of the physical security team should know what and where the critical technology resources are, and should have been deeply involved in the planning to protect those assets."
Epps and HID Global note that while security cameras are generally overseen by a physical security team, the Internet of Things (IoT) allows for cameras to be connected with other devices that would traditionally not be under the team's remit.
A statement from the organisation explained that although connecting cameras to other systems or networks allows for turning data into actionable information, an organisation would be more at risk from broader public exposure.
"It is important to get ahead of the inevitable convergence between IT and physical access as cybersecurity concerns escalate," said Epps. "The first step is establishing a communications channel, and developing the relationships and processes to make it work."
HID Global said that organisations must consider where each team ultimately reports into, understand the communication channels and gain an understanding of continuing cross-departmental projects when shaping a collaborative strategy between physical security and IT teams.