Major survey finds silos to be cause of uptick in security threats

Companies are experiencing a staggering increase in physical threats and incidents, and it’s become more apparent than ever that they need to unify their cyber and physical security teams to better protect their organizations. The proof is in some pretty eye-opening findings that recently came out: Constella Intelligence and ASIS conducted a joint survey of over 300 security professionals across nineteen significant global industries. Organizations surveyed range from 50 to 50,000+ employees within various roles and positions, with corporate security taking the lead. 

The results showcased that most organizations don’t monitor the web for emerging threats, are primarily reactive and only respond to threats as they arise. Although the survey came out with four key findings, the top two in particular sparked our interest and inspired us to dig in further. 

A deeper dive into the top findings

1. Physical security threats are increasing and are tied to the convergence of digital and physical risk.

Almost half of respondents said physical security threats and incidents at their company have shot up in the last year. Threats against physical locations and against coworkers are the top of the list, along with activism-related threats against business practices. 

They suggest that early detection is key, and we couldn’t agree more. Solutions like Visitor Management and Policy-Based Access Control let you welcome individuals with a zero-trust approach. Self-service visitor solutions like mobile check-in, facial recognition technology and intuitive kiosks take both the physical work and the guesswork off your plate. And next-gen identity access governance solutions let you decide which employee to give access to and when—down to the individual shift level. 

2.  Physical security and cybersecurity teams rarely operate within the same department, and in many cases they rarely interact at all. 

For the most part, physical security and cybersecurity still operate within separate departments—with a whopping 52% of respondents noting that their physical security teams don’t frequently interact with their cyber counterparts. The solution? More tightly integrated teams and unified intelligence programs. Finding ways to connect physical security, IT, OT and HR systems can help empower your workforce, welcome your visitors in a safer manner, and unlock new levels of business efficiencies. And if you ask us, identity-led security is going to continue to be at the heart of cyber-physical security convergence.   

“70% of this survey’s respondents stated that their company would be better equipped to avoid a crisis if both cyber and physical security teams could proactively monitor potential threats in a single, unified platform. Great news, you can, right now, today with AlertEnterprise” Mark Weatherford, CSO and SVP Regulated Industries at AlertEnterprise. 

But before you reach for your toolbox, know that manually converging isn’t the answer either. These systems weren’t created to work together, and many dangerous loopholes can ensue when we try to singlehandedly create one united security front. That’s why technology specifically designed for cyber and physical security convergence is instrumental in this process. Reach out to us to learn more about how our solutions can be the shield and the glue across your entire enterprise. 

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David Cassady

Chief Strategy Officer

David Cassady has been selling and leading teams in Silicon Valley for more than 30 years. During that time, he’s led a mix of established software players and startups. Cassady has also been involved with five IPOs — and at least as many acquisitions. 

As Chief Strategy Officer, David leverages his extensive experience helping software businesses drive growth through deep and impactful partnerships with the world’s most successful SaaS providers like ServiceNow, Microsoft and SAP. 

Mark Weatherford

Chief Security Officer
Senior Vice President, Regulated Industries

Mark Weatherford brings years of high-level cyber-physical expertise to AlertEnterprise, and as Chief Security Officer (CSO), he guides the strategy of data management and protection by advising cyber-physical security policies and procedures within the company. Weatherford also works in liaison with businesses and executive professionals in the cyber and physical security industries to further accelerate security convergence adoption.

Mark has held numerous high-level cyber-centric positions, including Vice President and Chief Security Officer at the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the Department of Homeland Security’s first Deputy Under Secretary for Cybersecurity under the Obama administration, California’s first Chief Security Officer, and the first CISO for the state of Colorado.

Harsh Chauhan

Chief Technology Officer

As Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of AlertEnterprise, Harsh Chauhan is responsible for the company’s engineering technology innovation and solution delivery. A 20-year technology veteran and leader, Chauhan is focused on the growth of the company’s 3D Governance Risk Compliance (GRC) hyperscale cloud platform.

He also continues to develop integrated solutions with leading technology partners like SAP, SAP NS2, and ServiceNow. Before AlertEnterprise, Mr. Chauhan held multiple CTO positions, as well as Product Owner and Head of Development at SAP GRC 10.0, delivering targeted solutions to high-profile SAP clients.

Ruby Deol

Chief Operations Officer

Ruby Deol oversees all business units at AlertEnterprise. With more than 20 years of experience in global sales and support services, Deol nurtures existing client relationships with a customer-first approach. As AlertEnterprise continues to grow in industry recognition and stature, Deol is charged with developing and implementing methods to meet organization goals and facilitate the company’s ongoing transformation.

Kaval Kaur

CFO and Co-Founder

As Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Co-Founder of AlertEnterprise, Kaval Kaur leads all finance and administrative back-office operations. Kaur is a member of the national professional organization American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the California State CPA Society.

Prior to joining AlertEnterprise, she was the CFO and Co-Founder of Virsa Systems, a position she held until its acquisition by SAP.

Kaur is a philanthropist at heart, embracing the diversity of the San Francisco Bay area by assisting with and promoting special cultural events. She recently sponsored 2,000 public schools in rural India to advance computer literacy skills for children and is a foster mother to a 10 year old.

Jasvir Gill

Founder and CEO

Leading the charge of digital transformation and security convergence is Jasvir Gill, Founder and CEO of AlertEnterprise, Inc. An accomplished engineer by trade, Gill is driving the long-overdue digital transformation of the physical security industry.

Prior to launching AlertEnterprise, Gill was the founder and CEO of Virsa Systems, where he grew the company into a global leader of application security software. An early pioneer in establishing governance, risk and compliance as a software market segment, he drove exponential growth at Virsa, facilitating its acquisition by SAP in 2006.

In his free time, Jasvir helps drive social and economic empowerment in the community. He’s also a trustee at the American India Foundation.