In the world of cybersecurity, ethical hacking proactively identifies security vulnerabilities before malicious actors (i.e., unethical hackers) can exploit them. By simulating real-world attacks, organisations can strengthen defences, protect sensitive data, and maintain public trust. In the physical security world, ethical hacking can transform cybersecurity of security systems from a reactive struggle into a strategic safeguard. We asked our Expert Panel Roundtable: What is the role of ethical hacking as it relates to physical security?

Next-generation (Next-Gen) technologies are products, services, or infrastructures that represent a significant leap forward rather than a small, incremental update. In the physical security industry, NextGen products are those that enable disruptive change, breakthrough performance, and a fundamental change that renders previous products obsolete. We asked our Expert Panel Roundtable: What is the next generation of physical security solutions, and how will they change the industry?

Emphasising proactive rather than reactive security shifts the focus from dealing with crises and damage control to prevention. Advantages of a proactive approach include cost efficiency, better business continuity, and fewer crises that draw attention away from strategic improvements. Staying ahead of threats is a core mission of the security department, and technology has evolved to enable security professionals to deliver on that mission better than ever. We asked our Expert Panel Roundtable: How are security systems transitioning from reactive to proactive, and what is the benefit?

Multiple technology trends are transforming the physical access control market. There is a fundamental shift away from physical cards and keys toward digital identities — mobile credentials, digital wallets, biometrics, and cloud-native access platforms. These next generation access solutions are radically reshaping how buildings operate, protect staff, and perform functionally. At the same time, AI and analytics solutions are being layered onto these physical access control systems to support predictive threat detection and behavioural insights. Access data itself is becoming an asset for sustainability, space optimisation, and smart building initiatives. Risk, impact operations and experience The annual HID Global Security and Identity Trends Report highlights these and other issues The annual HID Global Security and Identity Trends Report highlights these and other issues. The survey cites improving user convenience as a priority for nearly half of organisations, while 41% are focused on simplifying administration, and 28% struggle with system integration. These are not theoretical challenges, they are day‑to‑day friction points that add cost, increase risk, impact operations and experience, and, of course, must be addressed. HID Global’s commercial focus HID Global’s commercial focus is to help organisations digitise their access control — with mobile identities, biometrics, and cloud platforms — and then to use the data to deliver more value. “We are turning access control from an operational cost into a software-driven asset that improves efficiency, supports Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals and even creates new revenue opportunities,” says Steven Commander, HID Global’s Head of Consultant Relations. The impact of digital transformation Digital transformation is the method of moving access control from hardware and physical credentials Digital transformation is in the process of moving access control from hardware and physical credentials to a software-driven, integrated experience. The transformation strengthens security while also improving user convenience — transforming the “pavement to the desk” journey. HID enables this shift through mobile credentials, biometrics, cloud-native platforms, and solutions that allow third-party applications to run on door hardware. “This helps customers turn access data into operational and commercial outcomes, while also improving the overall user experience,” says Commander.  Digital transformation in access control is not focused on chasing the latest trends. Rather, transformation is about turning software, data and integration into outcomes that matter to customers, says HID. “Security becomes stronger and more adaptive,” says Commander. “Operations become simpler and more cost‑effective. Experiences become seamless and consistent. Sustainability moves from ambition to action. And the financial case becomes clearer as efficiencies are banked and new value streams emerge.” The challenge of futureproofing with long lifecycles Given that physical security technologies will be in place for 15 to 20 years, it is important to plan for how systems can evolve over time. Considering how rapidly security threats, compliance standards, and user expectations change, 15 to 20 years is a long time. The decisions made at the beginning of a system’s lifecycle can either limit flexibility later (which will be costly) or enable long-term adaptability. Support for open standards such as Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP) is therefore important Choosing products and platforms that are open, interoperable, and designed for updates can enable future-proof projects. Support for open standards such as Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP) is therefore important.  In addition, systems built on open controller platforms — such as Mercury — enable organisations to switch software providers or expand functionality without replacing core door hardware. Architectural openness is key to system lifecycles and maximising the return on investment (ROI) from a chosen solution. Digital credentials and mobile access Flexibility and upgradeability should also be top of mind when it comes to endpoints like access control readers. While RFID cards are still commonplace, there is a clear trend toward digital credentials and mobile access. Readers that support both allow organisations to transition at their own pace, without committing to a full system overhaul. A long system lifecycle does not mean technology should remain static. Security, particularly cybersecurity, demands more frequent updates. Technologies that support firmware upgrades in the field extend the value of a deployment while helping organisations keep pace with emerging threats. In that sense, lifecycle thinking is not just about longevity — it’s about maintaining resilience and readiness over time. Applying biometrics and mobile identities Biometrics is becoming mainstream as a credential alternative, strengthening security without adding friction Biometrics is becoming mainstream as a credential alternative, strengthening security without adding friction. Many organisations are now deploying biometrics to support fast, seamless access journeys, with adoption already around 39% in access control according to HID’s recent research.  In addition, 80% of organisations surveyed expect to deploy mobile identities within the next five years. Full technology integration enables tap‑to‑access without opening an app; the user journey becomes faster, safer, and more convenient. “It is where the industry is headed and we are at the vanguard of this,” says Commander.    Ongoing challenge of cybersecurity At HID Global, cybersecurity is embedded into everything, from corporate processes and development practices to the solutions they bring to market. “Our approach ensures that customers can strengthen their overall security posture, not only by deploying secure products but by benefitting from HID’s commitment to the highest industry standards,” says Commander. HID holds multiple globally recognised certifications, including ISO 27001, ISO 14298, SOC Type 2 and CSA STAR, which demonstrate their robust information security and cloud security practices. In addition, HID’s SEOS® secure chipset is independently SEAL-certified, providing one of the most advanced levels of protection available on the market today. “Ultimately, this means organisations are not just purchasing isolated secure products; they are implementing solutions developed and delivered within a comprehensive, cybersecure framework,” says Commander. “When deployed according to best practices, HID solutions enable customers to achieve the highest levels of resilience against evolving physical and cyber threats.” Developing green and sustainable solutions A huge amount of waste is generated from the manufacture of plastic RFID access cards Digital credentials align with the sustainable solutions that everyone wants. A huge amount of waste is generated from the manufacture of plastic RFID access cards. Over 550 million access cards are sold annually. This creates 2,700 tons of plastic waste and 11,400 tons of carbon, based on a PVC card weighing 5 grams.  Therefore, digital credentials self-evidently reduce the reliance on plastic cards (helping reduce carbon emissions by up to 75% according to HID’s research), while leveraging access control system data supports energy optimisation by shutting down or reducing systems in unused spaces. Energy use and CO₂ emissions can be cut dramatically, showing how access systems can contribute to sustainability goals and green building certification. What is the latest in smart buildings? Smart buildings increasingly rely on mobile access control as the backbone for digital services. Real-time access data enables new services such as automated room bookings, HVAC control, lift/elevator calling, e-bike hiring, and so on. Smart buildings increasingly rely on mobile access control as the backbone for digital services The financial upside is clear; smart, digitally transformed buildings can deliver around 8% higher yields per square foot versus traditional office space. Operational savings accrue from reduced administration, the removal of card production and shipping, and lighter IT support. This creates a value cycle — better experiences drive adoption, adoption fuels monetisation, and monetisation funds further improvements. Achieving technology impact in the real world One standout project is One Bangkok – a $3.9 billion mixed used development in Thailand – which demonstrates the scale of what can be achieved when access control data is used for optimisation, particularly when it comes to monitoring facilities usage and occupier behaviours. By switching lights off or lowering the temperature in unused rooms, for example, the One Bangkok building demonstrates this potential with a 22% reduction in energy consumption, saving 17,000 MWh and 9,000 tons of CO₂ annually.  Sustainability is a key factor in contributing to how properties are valued. And sustainability extends far beyond digital credentials having a lower environmental impact than plastic cards.  Buildings with recognised sustainability certifications often command rental premiums of around 6%, and three‑quarters of security decision‑makers now consider environmental impact in their procurement assessments.

Hikvision has released its full-year 2025 and first-quarter 2026 financial results, demonstrating steady growth and enhanced operational quality. For the fiscal year 2025, the company reported a total revenue of RMB 92.51 billion (USD 12.95 billion ), representing a YoY increase of 0.01%. Net profit was RMB 14.20 billion (USD 1.99 billion), up 18.52% YoY. Underscoring its robust cash flow, the company announced an expected total cash dividend of RMB 10.54 billion (USD 1.48 billion) for 2025, representing a 74.25% payout ratio. The company maintained strong momentum entering 2026. In the first quarter, total revenue reached RMB 20.72 billion (USD 2.90 billion), up 11.78% YoY, while net profit grew by 36.42% YoY to RMB 2.78 billion (USD 0.39 billion). Notably, the gross profit margin in Q1 improved by 4.16 percentage points, reaching 49.09%. Fast-paced growth Building on two decades of industry leadership, Hikvision has solidified its AIoT footprint. This strategic evolution is yielding tangible results, evidenced by its steady 2025 growth and strong start to 2026. Throughout the past year, the company’s main business revenue from overseas markets rose to RMB 27.22 billion (USD 3.81 billion), accounting for 29.42% of total revenue. Emerging markets, in particular, delivered sustained, robust growth. Beyond its video offerings, Hikvision’s non-video categories, including access control, alarm systems, and commercial displays, experienced fast-paced growth and served as a strong engine for revenue. Additionally, the innovative business remained highly competitive, generating RMB 25.45 billion (USD 3.56 billion) in revenue and contributing 27.51% to the overall revenue. Efficiency in complex environments Hikvision actively advances AIoT technologies, with its Guanlan Large-Scale AI Models integrating vision, language, and multimodal capabilities into products, significantly improving accuracy and efficiency in complex environments. For instance, the application of Audio Large-Scale Models in equipment quality inspection increases the detection rate of defective components by 70%. Built upon its foundational capabilities, Hikvision has successfully deployed industry-specific models across various sectors, including intelligent manufacturing, logistics, and environmental protection. High-quality growth Technological innovation remains the driving force behind Hikvision's development. In 2025, the company invested RMB 11.75 billion (USD 1.65 billion) in R&D, representing 12.70% of its total revenue. Over the past six years, cumulative R&D investment has exceeded USD 8 billion, consistently dedicating over 10% of its annual revenue to R&D. This sustained investment has fortified the company’s intellectual property portfolio. By the end of 2025, Hikvision had accumulated 12,981 authorized patents globally, of which invention patents accounted for 57%. As Hikvision marks its 25th anniversary this year, the company remains driven by its founding commitment to the right things and staying on the right path. Moving forward, Hikvision will focus on high-quality growth, continuous innovation, and operational efficiency to deliver enduring value for its customers, partners, and stakeholders worldwide.

Hikvision has released its 2025 Environmental, Social and Governance Report, marking the eighth consecutive year of transparent sustainability reporting. Guided by its THRIVE sustainability philosophy, the report refined its double materiality assessment, identifying technological innovation, product safety and quality, and cybersecurity as double materiality topics, advancing its sustainable development goals in a systematic manner. Double materiality assessment Committed to “Tech for Good,” Hikvision fosters innovation to create positive values. In urban governance, it develops end-to-end monitoring systems to safeguard critical infrastructures, with more than 300 devices and 140 scenario-based solutions for traffic management. In nature conservation, Hikvision’s solutions, which were showcased at the 5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves, are now deployed across China’s first batch of national parks, and 50% of the country’s biosphere reserves. Beyond business operations, Hikvision remains dedicated to social good. Spanning 14 countries and regions, the STAR Program powers Pyrenees ecological observations and Himalayan glacier research, while the 2025 STAR Installer Partner Initiative unites a global network for vital technical support. Vulnerability remediation rate To strengthen digital trust, Hikvision has established a comprehensive cybersecurity framework to enhance management. These efforts, including a 100% vulnerability remediation rate in 2025, were recognized with the highest level of the Digital Trust Assurance Award from the British Standards Institution (BSI). In product quality management, Hikvision has built standardized digital processes to ensure reliability and strengthen its intellectual property portfolio, with 7,399 invention patent applications related to its core business and 1,553 newly granted patents in 2025. Compliant AI development By adopting global best practices, Hikvision effectively embeds compliance requirements in daily operations. In 2025, the company achieved ISO 37301 certification. Keeping pace with the latest technological trends, the company also published Hikvision’s Journey Practicing Responsible AI, outlining its firm commitment to compliant AI development. Data protection remains a paramount priority for Hikvision. Hikvision successfully cleared annual audits in 2025 for multiple international standards, including ISO/IEC 27701, ISO/IEC 38505, ISO/IEC 29151, and ISO 37301, and achieved 100% workforce coverage in personal data protection awareness. Carbon footprint accounting Hikvision drives climate action through a three-tier governance structure, supporting decarbonization across four pillars: low-carbon products, smart manufacturing, digital empowerment, and green operations. To further its impact, the company built the GPA platform to enhance green product management capabilities. By the end of 2025, 169 product models completed carbon footprint accounting. Notably, seven WonderHub smart displays obtained the TCO Certified Generation 10 certification, becoming the world’s first large-format displays to meet this standard. Latest ESG recognitions Upholding the Ten Principles of UN Global Compact, Hikvision continues to advance responsible governance and sustainable business practices, evidenced by its latest ESG recognitions - the EcoVadis Silver Medal and DMCC Global Enterprise ESG Leader Award. Looking ahead, Hikvision will remain committed to continuous improvement and long-term value creation, joining hands with stakeholders for a more resilient, sustainable world.

Imagine an orchestra where every musician plays from a different sheet of music; no matter how talented the individuals are, the result is chaos. The same applies to enterprise software ecosystems. In today’s digitally connected enterprise, operational silos are no longer just inefficient—they are a liability. According to MarketsandMarkets, the global access control market is expected to reach $15.80 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 8.3%. Simultaneously, organisations are investing heavily in HRMS, payroll automation, and IT infrastructure to streamline their workforce management. Core business platforms Yet, despite these investments, a critical gap persists: the lack of seamless integration between physical security systems and core business platforms. This disconnect creates compliance risks and operational blind spots. As organisations scale, achieving robust Access Control Integration is becoming a strategic priority rather than a mere technical upgrade. Why do fragmented systems make access control integration essential? Most organisations operate with multiple independent systems: HR systems manage employee lifecycle data. Payroll systems track attendance and compensation. IT systems control digital identity. Physical security systems regulate entry. Business continuity issue On paper, these platforms should work in sync; in reality, they rarely do. Traditional setups were not designed for interoperability. They rely on outdated architectures and limited APIs, making the integration complex and costly. The result is a fragmented ecosystem where employee onboarding requires manual data entry across different dashboards, and attendance data remains inconsistent. Ultimately, this lack of integration is a business continuity issue. What are the key challenges the organisations face? Data Silos and Redundancy - HR, payroll, and security often maintain entirely separate databases. This leads to a duplication of employee records and administrative overhead. When a new employee joins, HR updates their records, IT provisions digital access, and security teams manually configure physical access cards. Without proper Access Control Integration, these disconnected steps drastically increase the probability of human error. Lack of Real-Time Synchronisation - In a dynamic workforce, delays in data synchronisation create serious risks. Consider employee exits: HR marks the employee as inactive, and payroll processes their final settlement. However, without Access Control Integration, the security system might still allow them physical entry into the building. This lag exposes organisations to insider threats and severe compliance violations. Limited Compatibility with Legacy Systems - Many organisations still rely on legacy solutions that only support basic credentials like RFID or PINs. They lack modern capabilities and use proprietary communication protocols. These limitations severely block effective integration with modern HRMS or cloud-based IT systems. Complex and Costly Processes - Custom workarounds to connect older systems often require middleware development, heavy vendor coordination, and continuous maintenance. For SMBs and SOHO environments, forcing Access Control Integration this way is neither scalable nor cost-effective. Compliance and Audit Blind Spots - Disconnected systems make it incredibly difficult to generate unified reports. Without Access Control Integration, reconciling attendance with payroll or cross-referencing access logs with employee roles is a manual nightmare. This difficulty in generating accurate audit trails increases the risk of regulatory penalties. Bottom-line consequences Why is access control integration a strategic business priority? Organisations that fail to address these issues face tangible, bottom-line consequences: Operational inefficiency: Manual processes slow down routine decision-making. Security vulnerabilities: Delayed access updates increase overall risk exposure. Poor employee experience: Unnecessary friction occurs during onboarding and daily operations. Inaccurate payroll processing: Misaligned attendance data quickly leads to employee disputes. Limited scalability: Siloed systems simply cannot adapt to business growth. In a highly competitive environment, poor Access Control Integration directly impacts an organisation's productivity and profitability. API-driven ecosystems How to achieve seamless integration? The market is moving rapidly toward API-driven ecosystems where physical security is tightly connected to business applications. Instead of functioning as standalone silos, modern setups act as a central intelligence layer connecting HR, Payroll, and IT infrastructure. To bridge the gap effectively, organisations should adopt a structured approach prioritising these elements: Open API Architecture: Choose solutions that support standard communication protocols to allow seamless integration with third-party software like video surveillance or BMS. Unified Data Management: Align HR systems as the master source of truth to ensure automatic synchronisation across all platforms. Real-Time Logging: Modern systems can log up to 500,000 events, enabling accurate attendance tracking and seamless payroll syncing. Automated Lifecycle Management: Automate employee onboarding, role changes, and off boarding to ensure real-time updates through deep Access Control Integration. Multi-Dimensional Policies: Leverage user, location, and time parameters to align physical entry restrictions directly with HR-defined schedules. The future: aligning security with business intelligence Decision-making capabilities Access Control Integration is no longer optional—it is a clear business differentiator. Organisations that successfully unify their physical security, HR, payroll, and IT systems gain real-time operational visibility, an enhanced security posture, and faster decision-making capabilities. This shift enables smarter, data-driven organisations. As businesses scale and compliance requirements tighten, the structural inefficiencies of disconnected systems become a burden they can no longer afford. For those looking to future-proof their operations, the roadmap is clear: move away from fragmented systems and adopt a unified strategy. Achieving this level requires platforms engineered specifically for modern connectivity. Solutions built on open architecture and web-based frameworks—such as Matrix access control solutions—bridge this exact gap seamlessly. By providing robust Access Control Integration right out of the box, they empower enterprises to align physical security directly with core business intelligence while maintaining flexibility and ease of deployment.

Cequence Security, the pioneer in application, API, and Agentic AI protection, announces the general availability of Agent Personas in Cequence AI Gateway. Agent Personas give enterprises granular, infrastructure-level control over what AI agents are permitted to do — down to the specific tool call — closing the critical privilege gap that identity alone cannot address. As organisations deploy AI agents to connect to enterprise applications via the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a dangerous assumption has taken hold: that authenticating who an agent is amounts to controlling what it can do. It does not. Virtual MCP endpoint Agents inherit the privileges of their users and, unlike humans, have no judgement about when not to use available access. Agent Personas solves this by using a plain-English job description to define a scoped virtual MCP endpoint for each agent role. For example, a customer service AI agent gets CRM read-only access, not the ability to modify records. A coding agent can read GitHub issues and create Jira tickets but cannot merge pull requests. A CI/CD automation agent gets access to specific pipeline tools and a single notification channel, and nothing else. Single attributable credential The release also introduces Agent Access Keys, a new composite credential type purpose-built for headless agents running in automated workflows. Each key binds agent identity, user identity, and persona-level privileges into a single attributable credential, giving security teams the forensic clarity to answer exactly who did what, when, and under which permissions. Agent Personas capabilities include: Scoped virtual MCP endpoint per agent role: each persona defines access down to the specific API endpoint and permission level, presented as a single endpoint Natural language persona creation: describe in plain language what an agent should do; the gateway selects the right tools automatically Single source of truth: update a persona once and the change applies immediately across every agent using it, with no code changes required Agent Access Keys: a composite credential binding agent identity, user identity, and persona privileges into a single attributable credential for headless agents Per-tool policy enforcement: rate limits, data masking, and approval workflows applied at the individual tool call level Full audit trail: every tool call is attributable to the specific agent, user, persona, and timestamp Model-agnostic: enforced at the infrastructure layer across OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, open-source, and custom models equally Complexity of securing agents The urgency is significant. According to Gartner®, “While the current market focus is on model runtime and inference security, this approach fails to address the complexity of securing agents, where the primary risk is not what the AI says, but what the AI does.” It further states, “If an AI agent cannot prove who it is acting for and why, it should not get access to tools and data.” More than 80% of Fortune 500 companies now deploy active AI agents, yet only 47% have AI-specific safeguards in place. Enterprises have made substantial investments in AI platforms but have struggled to move agents from pilot to production safely. Agent Personas is built to change that. Substantial investments in AI platforms Early deployments show how Agent Personas govern AI agent access in complex environments. One major U.S. telecommunications provider used the technology to prevent agents from crossing boundaries in tools like GitLab, Confluence, Jira, and Slack. Scoped virtual endpoints ensured each agent accessed only what it needed, eliminating lateral access risks without extra infrastructure. “Enterprises have made massive investments in AI, and the race to put agents into production across customer experiences, employee workflows, and business operations is accelerating fast,” said Ameya Talwalkar, CEO and Co-Founder at Cequence. “However, security, governance, and scale requirements can’t be ignored. Cequence closes the gap that has been holding organisations back by automatically limiting agent tool access which lowers costs, enhances performance, and improves security.” Powering customer commerce “AI agents have quickly become a channel as significant as the web or mobile, powering customer commerce, employee productivity, and autonomous operations all at once,” said Shreyans Mehta, CTO and Co-Founder at Cequence. “Agent Personas is how you govern infrastructure access at the agent level, enforcing exactly what each agent can do down to the specific API endpoint, across any model or platform. It is the control plane enterprises need to confidently and securely enable agentic AI access to applications and data.” Agent Personas builds on strong momentum for Cequence AI Gateway, which has grown to more than 140 verified enterprise application integrations. Cequence protects more than 10 billion daily API interactions and four billion user accounts across its platform — recognised as No. 128 on the 2025 Deloitte Technology Fast 500, a Leader in the 2025 KuppingerCole Leadership Compass for API Security and Management, co-chair of TM Forum's AI-Native Blueprint Initiative on Agentic Interaction Security, and co-author of three CIS Critical Security Controls® Companion Guides for securing AI agents, LLMs, and MCP environments alongside the Centre for Internet Security and Astrix Security.

The Adrian Public Schools Board of Education approved the renewal of its ZeroEyes AI-based gun detection and intelligent situational awareness platform during its April 13 meeting, continuing the use of artificial intelligence technology designed to enhance school safety by monitoring existing security camera systems for potential firearms. The deployment has been in place since 2023. ZeroEyes' AI gun detection and intelligent situational awareness software layers onto existing digital security cameras. If a gun is identified, images are instantly shared with the ZeroEyes Operations Center (ZOC), the industry's only U.S.-based, fully in-house operation center, which is staffed 24/7/365 by specially trained U.S. military and law enforcement veterans. Security safety enhancements If these experts determine the threat is valid, they dispatch alerts and actionable intelligence — including visual description, gun type, and last known location — to law enforcement and district officials as quickly as 3 to 5 seconds from detection. ZeroEyes is just one component of the multi-layered security safety enhancements that have taken place over the past few years.  The District has implemented multiple safety enhancements including a full overhaul of its security camera systems, the addition of weapon detection K-9 support across school facilities, and the installation of bullet-resistant and shatter-resistant glass in key areas of school buildings. Proactive safety planning Superintendent Nate Parker stated that the District remains committed to proactive safety planning. “The safety of our students and staff remains our highest priority,” Parker said. “We continue to take intentional, layered steps to strengthen our security systems and ensure our schools are prepared and protected. The renewal of ZeroEyes reflects that ongoing commitment.” Officer Joshua Perry of the Adrian Police Department, who serves as a School Resource Officer and participates in District safety planning, said collaboration has been central to the District’s approach. “These improvements demonstrate a strong partnership between schools and law enforcement,” Perry said. “The combination of training, communication, and technology significantly strengthens our ability to keep students and staff safe.” Partnerships with innovative technology As these collaborative safety efforts continue to evolve, partnerships with innovative technology providers like ZeroEyes remain a key component of the district’s strategy. “Adrian Public Schools’ continued investment in layered, proactive security demonstrates a clear commitment to protecting students and staff,” said Mike Lahiff, CEO and co-founder of ZeroEyes. “By renewing their partnership with ZeroEyes, the district is strengthening its ability to identify and respond to potential threats in real time, giving first responders critical information when every second counts. We’re proud to support Adrian in creating a safer learning environment for its community."

In today’s hospitality environment, properties are expected to deliver exceptional guest experiences and airtight operational security. But juggling physical safety, digital privacy, vendor coordination, and staff accountability isn’t easy – especially when legacy systems like pegboards, logbooks, or unmanaged key drawers are still in use. Intelligent key control systems help users modernise their security while unlocking operational insights for better business decisions. Here are eight ways users can improve security and business intelligence at their facilities using key control: 4 hospitality security enhancements Enforce Access Control: A networked key control system secures high-risk areas like storage, housekeeping, and back-of-house offices with real-time visibility and alerts. Reduce Risk of Internal Theft or Misuse: Automated key storage with audit trails deters misuse and helps quickly identify issues, lowering theft and liability exposure. Improve Accountability and Guest Protection: Detailed tracking holds staff accountable, highlights unusual behaviour, and strengthens guest and personnel safety. Reduce Rekey Expenses: A networked key control system prevents lost keys and lets you trace usage instantly, reducing costly rekeying. 4 business intelligence boosters Spot Trends with Key Usage Reports: Automated reports show which areas and tools are used most often, helping users plan staffing, prepare supplies, and detect anomalies. Streamline Vendor and Contractor Access: Grant time-limited, role-based permissions to contractors and deliveries, reducing the need for staff supervision and easing the front desk workload. Maximise Asset Utilisation: Keys unlock more than rooms. They also access golf carts, radios, minibars, tools, and more. Tracking usage helps manage inventory, reduce loss, and improve availability. Update Access Instantly: With centralised software, users can revoke or adjust permissions across the property in seconds – safer and faster than manual updates.

Israel offers one of the most advanced medical systems in the world where cutting-edge treatments and patient care are provided by some of the best medical professionals using high-tech equipment in modern facilities. As such, medical tourism is growing exponentially in Israel. The country’s Ministry of Health shows that more than 50,000 medical tourists travel to Israel for treatments every year and consistently ranks in the Top Ten in the globe for health tourist destinations. Raphael Hospital is Israel’s newest and most advanced hospital. It is a state-of-the-art private hospital recently opened in Tel Aviv. Advanced medical systems A team of experts, drawing from best practices around the globe, designed Raphael Hospital to be technologically advanced and to provide a premium standard of care and services. It is staffed by senior doctors who are some of the most experienced in their respective specialties. Everything about its construction, for example, was thoughtfully planned for — even the types of tiles used on the hospital flooring: they come with “an integrated antibacterial shield that is 99.9% effective against bacteria, 24 hours a day, in all light conditions.” Special emphasis is placed on a patient’s overall wellbeing, mentally and physically, and thus the physical space is designed to appeal to patients from both an aesthetic sense (to promote an inviting, welcoming feel much like a luxury hotel), and a high-tech approach, in order to maintain maximum patient safety, efficiency, and the finest level of medical care. Physical security risks Hospitals are among the most essential and vulnerable spaces worldwide. In terms of security, hospitals are often considered “soft targets” — along with shopping malls, schools, and sports arenas — because they are high-density locations with large, vulnerable crowds. Soft targets have many access points, increasing certain physical security risks. Security professionals are thus tasked with “hardening” hospitals as part of a holistic security protocol. Raphael Hospital’s operating rooms are some of the most technologically advanced in the world; they are specially equipped with advanced medical technologies for surgeries including the Mako robotic arm-assisted technology for joint surgery and the Da Vinci robotic surgical system. Touch-free environments Such advanced technologies, and the people operating them, require an extra level of security in order to protect the most sensitive areas of the hospital where delicate surgeries are performed. Moreover, even before the pandemic, maintaining sterilisation in operating rooms was challenging. COVID-19 only heightened the need for touch-free environments to help limit the spread of germs. The hospital’s advanced access control and video monitoring technologies were incorporated from the very start of its operations, using the hospital’s existing CCTV cameras. According to Raphael Cohen, Operating Room Manager for Raphael Hospital, “We had a lot of challenges. We wanted to build the most updated hospital.” Facial recognition based technology Raphael Hospital wanted to incorporate facial recognition based technology for a few reasons, including protecting people, patients, and physical assets. Face-based access control plays an essential role in infection control protocols while keeping highly sensitive areas of the hospital, such as operating rooms, restricted to authorised personnel at all times. Hands-free and automated access allows hospital staff to not be required to touch any buttons to open doors while reducing contamination as much as possible and defining exactly which staff could travel within specific areas of the hospital. "Oosto’s OnAccess solution gives the staff, doctors, and nurses a sense of belonging in the hospital…they’re an essential part of the hospital, and when the hospital recognises them, and the doors open - it’s effortless for them to get about," said Raphael Cohen, Operating Room Manager, Raphael Hospital. Facial recognition technology Now, with Oosto’s facial recognition technology, surgeons and support staff can benefit from gaining frictionless access to the most sensitive areas of the hospital without having to touch any surfaces. Contamination is avoided, patients and staff are kept safe from unauthorised access to restricted areas of the hospital, and the frictionless, face-based access control in the hospital contributes to the overall perception of Raphael Hospital as a world-pioneer and cutting-edge healthcare provider.

Large entertainment venues offer opportunities for memorable experiences enjoyed by many attendees. With such breadth and scope of operations comes great operational complexity in managing a massive amount of foot traffic which exponentially increases risks for the safety and security of patrons. Increasingly, entertainment operators are looking to technology to help solve some of the most pressing challenges in managing these environments in real-time. Facial recognition technologies Facial recognition technologies among sports venues, casinos, and corporate buildings are increasing because of their ability to quickly and accurately recognise people — whether they are bad actors (e.g., felons, hooligans) or authorised personnel. This capability is increasingly being leveraged across a broad range of use cases from watchlist alerting, access control, and forensic investigations. It’s not surprising that the market is facing explosive growth and is expected to quadruple by 2026, according to Global Market Insights. Challenges for the racecourse included issues with identifying and managing evictions of bad actors across multiple entries and exits throughout the massive property. Theft and fraud are rampant in such large crowds, and it is humanly impossible to monitor everyone at all times. Security personnel needed to identify bad actors who had caused trouble on one property and to be able to recognise them again at another time, and in another one of the ATC racecourses. Maintaining data protection Coupled with a challenging and evolving risk landscape, more than 500 staff, including up to 300 security officers (and over 2000 casual staff) needed to be accounted for and kept safe on 120 major race days. Moreover, with an ever-changing set of regulatory requirements, ATC needs to comply with a strict set of regulations in order to maintain the integrity of operations while maintaining data protection. Finally, ATC needed security technology that would enable real-time monitoring as well as the ability to analyse video footage retrospectively for post-event investigations to track behaviors - especially during high-traffic times. Essential security tool And the final requirement? A solution that needed to be user-friendly as the head of security knew all too well that if a system were too complicated, it wouldn’t get used and would be money not well spent. The human eye alone is imperfect, and most facial recognition solutions underperform in real-world conditions (i.e. when there are crowds, facemasks, and POIs looking directly at the camera). This is even more challenging when the cameras are positioned on ceilings or high on walls, which makes facial recognition even more challenging (especially if the lighting is less than ideal). That’s why facial recognition technology is an essential security tool for entertainment venues and gaming operations. Video analytics software The Australian Turf Club and its systems integrator, Quorum Systems, turned to Oosto to take their venue’s enterprise security systems to a new level and solve their existing challenges. “Positioned at key entry points, our passive cameras were turned into smart cameras with Oosto’s video analytics software nearly instantly,” said Gary Colston, Head of Security and Access at Australian Turf Club. “We didn’t have to invest in a bunch of brand new cameras or a massive amount of servers and things like that. It was easy for us to implement it on our system.” Moreover, said Mr. Colston, “We needed something that was user-friendly. If it’s too complicated, [security teams] won’t use it and it becomes a waste of money.” Biometrics-based technology Once The Australian Turf Club implemented Oosto OnWatch real-time watchlist alerting to recognise potential security threats, the solution delivered vast efficiencies in operations by ensuring that evicted and banned patrons were immediately refused entry, while security teams were able to better track persons of interest throughout the venue without disruption. Since OnWatch can identify a person of interest through both face and attribute recognition in real-time or in historical footage, security personnel can receive alerts instantly on any device, without having to rely solely on memory or manual comparison of images between systems. With the world’s pioneer-edge biometrics-based technology in use, ATC was empowered to identify individuals a lot quicker than traditional methods allowed and manage their operations more efficiently and safely. Addressing compliance risks Oosto OnWatch quickly and accurately recognised persons of interest for security teams – from VIPs to banned players – to help improve the player experience, address compliance risks, and make ATC ultimately a safer, more enjoyable destination for patrons and a safer place to work for employees. "Positioned at key entry points, our passive cameras were turned into smart cameras with Oosto’s video analytics software nearly instantly. We didn’t have to invest in a bunch of brand new cameras or a massive amount of servers and things like that. It was easy for us to implement it on our system. We needed something that was user-friendly. If it’s too complicated, [security teams] won’t use it and it becomes a waste of money," said Gary Colston, Head of Security and Access at Australian Turf Club. Context of a security incident Since working closely with the ATC and Quorum to implement Oosto’s OnWatch solution, ATC has significantly improved in the rate of detection, finding individuals, and being more proactive than reactive with potential threats. The ability to search backward in video footage at a rapid speed to find POIs’ locations historically has been a welcome tool and a key point of differentiation for ATC; Oosto’s technology has dramatically improved ATC’s ability to perform forensic investigations and understand the full context of a security incident or crime scene. Forward-thinking venues Oosto’s cutting-edge technology is also in use at the Club to help protect guarded points of entry for authorised employees. According to Mr. Colston, this proved especially beneficial recently: “One of our staff members was assaulted and we were able to obtain a photo of the person we thought had done it and run them through the facial rec system here and we were able to locate him at the event at the time and have that person banned.” Oosto’s Vision AI technology is helping entertainment destinations like the Australian Turf Club stay focused on the fundamentals of strong client service while remaining resilient as the marketplace continues to shift. As forward-thinking venues look to stay competitive, grow revenues, solve business challenges, gain greater operational efficiencies and ensure safer, more secure spaces, they look to Oosto - and then never look back.