7 Predictions for the Physical Security Industry in 2026

From agentic AI to the integration of security data into broader organizational operations, see where the physical security industry is headed in 2026.

In 2025, the physical security industry reached a critical turning point. Agentic AI shifted the industry from a reactive tool, relied upon to verify and investigate an incident after it occurred, to a proactive strategy for increased safety and operational efficiency. 

From AI-Powered Deterrence to AI-Powered Unified Timeline, new features enabled by AI-powered, cloud-connected technologies made proactive deterrence, real-time response, and rapid investigations dramatically more efficient.

With the emergence of state-of-the-art security tools, public tolerance for inadequate physical security waned in 2025. When teams responsible for protecting people and places were caught on their back foot after an incident, their failures became major news stories. We saw this when security systems at the Louvre Museum were scrutinized after two individuals, armed with a ladder and low-tech tools, walked away with an estimated $102 million worth of jewels in just 7 minutes. A few months later, Brown University’s security system was publicly criticized after it took law enforcement five days to locate a gunman who opened fire on campus, killing two and wounding nine.

As we look ahead to 2026, the question isn’t whether physical security will continue to improve and change; it’s how it will shift and what the impact of those changes will be on communities and businesses.

1. Agentic AI tools will power a security operator's entire workflow, enabling them to focus on their highest-value work. 

Artificial intelligence is already redefining what it means to secure the physical world. Tools to date have been focused primarily on speeding up investigations, and while that is incredibly valuable, it's really just the start of what AI can do. As AI models become more capable and intuitive, they’ll transform physical security into a proactive, intelligent discipline that helps teams detect and deter incidents before they escalate, not just respond after the fact. In the year ahead, we’ll see AI quickly become an active partner to security operators. Natural language interfaces will make complex searches and investigations conversational. Predictive analytics will surface anomalies and automatically trigger deterrence measures before they require human intervention. All of this will free security professionals to focus on their highest-value work and create safer buildings, campuses, and communities worldwide. 

2. Security data will become a strategic asset that extends far beyond safety. 

Security cameras, access control systems, alarms, and sensors are capturing valuable data that is often disparate and underutilized. As cloud-connected devices and AI continue to advance, the data generated by security systems will reshape how organizations understand and optimize their physical environments. For example, access events, occupancy trends, and movement patterns offer insights into how office spaces are used or how retail stores are staffed. Organizations that can integrate these data streams with other business systems will be able to make smarter, faster operational decisions across space utilization, energy efficiency, and employee experience. Ultimately, this evolution will shift how security teams are perceived – from cost centers focused solely on protection to value creators that drive efficiency, insight, and strategic decision-making across the organization. 

3. Adopting physical security tools will become an interdisciplinary endeavor. 

As security technologies become more integrated and valuable across organizations, we expect more groups, such as IT, HR, and operations, to be involved in approving and investing in new technologies. Organizations will need partners who understand how security fits into these broader business ecosystems and can communicate how modern security solutions can facilitate smoother operations, improve visitor management, and provide actionable data insights that inform business decisions beyond security. 

4. The rise of AI-generated video will force organizations to verify what’s real. 

As generative AI models grow more sophisticated, distinguishing authentic security footage from fabricated clips will become increasingly difficult – and increasingly important. Deepfakes that once took hours to produce can now be generated in minutes, making it easy to create convincing yet entirely false video evidence. This shift will have major implications for security teams that rely on video footage to make critical decisions. From insurance claims and workplace investigations to law enforcement reviews, the ability to authenticate video content will soon be a prerequisite for trust. Expect verification tools – those that can confirm whether footage has been altered or AI-generated – and processes to become standard across enterprise security. 

5. Biometrics will become the next mainstream access credential. 

While fingerprints, facial recognition, and iris scans have long been used in high-security environments like airports, advances in cloud-based access control and identity management are making biometrics far easier to deploy at scale. Consumers already use biometrics every day to unlock their phones or verify purchases, but enterprise adoption has lagged due to the complexity of managing them. As organizations look for secure, frictionless ways to manage identity, biometrics offer convenience and assurance – no badges to lose, passwords to forget, or phones to carry. As biometric identities become easier to manage within unified access control systems, they will move from specialized deployments to everyday use, redefining how organizations think about secure, seamless access. 

6. Attacks on politicians and executives are driving a new era of investment and standardization in executive protection. 

Rising threats – from targeted harassment and doxxing to high-profile physical attacks – have increased both visibility and spending for organizations responsible for safeguarding key personnel. Boards are recognizing that protecting executives is not just a compliance or HR issue, but a business imperative that directly impacts operational continuity, brand trust, and employee confidence. In 2026, standardization and data-driven metrics will not only raise the standards of the executive protection field but also drive innovations. For the first time, global executive protection standards will be certified and approved by American National Standards Institute (ANSI), providing the private sector and civilian protection teams with clear, recognized guidelines. Just as cybersecurity teams measure dwell times, breach costs, and vulnerability exposure, executive protection teams will increasingly quantify risk reduction and operational impact: how many threats were identified, potential losses avoided, or disruptions mitigated. Organizations that connect these outcomes to clear business value will strengthen credibility, justify investment, and enhance performance across the security function. 

7. Perceptions of safety will be a key driver of staff retention for frontline workers. 

Across industries where employees have physical contact with customers, clients, and/or patients, modern security measures, from controlled access and real-time monitoring to faster incident response, will become critical tools for reducing burnout, turnover, and long-term staffing shortages. In a survey of healthcare workers, three in five (59%) say they worry about their safety at work, and almost half report they would consider leaving their jobs within a year if safety concerns persist. A survey of retail workers exposed similar findings, as more than half (52%) of retail workers say they are likely to leave their current job in the next 12 months, specifically due to personal safety concerns and one in four (25%) retail workers report they have already thought about looking for a new job due to personal safety concerns. Across industries, organizations that fail to prioritize safety will face mounting retention crises, while those that invest in secure, supportive environments will earn a lasting advantage in both trust and talent. 

Key Takeaways

• Physical security will continue to transition from reactive to proactive: Through natural language interfaces and predictive analytics, AI will detect and deter threats before they escalate, rather than just providing footage for after-the-fact investigations.

• Security data will become a strategic business asset: Data from cameras and sensors is moving beyond safety to inform operational decisions. By analyzing movement patterns and occupancy trends, organizations can optimize space utilization, energy efficiency, and staffing, shifting the perception of security from a cost center to a strategic contributor.

• The battle against AI-generated deepfakes is just beginning: As generative AI makes it easier to create fabricated video evidence, authenticating security footage will become a mandatory industry standard. Verification tools will be essential for maintaining trust in video data used for insurance claims, legal proceedings, and law enforcement.

• Safety will be an essential retention strategy for employers: In sectors like retail and healthcare, physical safety has become a primary driver of employee turnover. Investing in modern security measures is no longer just about protection; it is a critical tool for reducing worker burnout and addressing staffing shortages.