I joined the physical security space from the cybersecurity and networking world. Coming from that background, it has been fascinating to see how far behind the physical security world is when compared with those two sectors. It often feels like the land that time forgot.
But I have no regrets. Why? Because I have seen this movie before, and I like how it ends. Let me explain.
In 2005 — what now feels like the early days of cybersecurity — Palo Alto Networks showed up with a fundamentally different approach that shook up the landscape. At the time, customers were buying a new black box for every application and function. The boxes didn't talk to each other to coordinate in any particular way. Managing them all was a nightmare, and it also created vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit.
In a time when firewalls were all about ports and protocols, Palo Alto could see applications. It assigned application priorities in the firewall itself. The company's integrated platform pulled multiple functions into a single environment. It was faster, easier to manage, and more secure. Customers loved it.
When I look at the physical security world today, I see a similar situation to the fractured firewalls and networking environment of the mid-2000s of cybersecurity. When we arrive at a concert or sporting event, we endure a security queue of indefinite duration. After that, we dump the contents of our packets — I mean pockets — into a bucket. If we have a bag with us, we surrender it for deep packet inspection. Then we walk through an ancient analog metal detector that can't tell the difference between a gun and a prosthetic knee. If ..
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