Security News > 2021 > July > Physical threats increase as employees return to the office

As COVID-19 vaccinations continue, companies embrace hybrid work, employees return to the office and the U.S. opens up, violence and physical threats to businesses are occurring at an unsettling, record-high pace, according to the Ontic Center for Protective Intelligence.

The study showcases the collective perspectives of physical security directors, physical security decision-makers, chief security officers, chief information officers, chief technology officers, chief information security officers and IT leaders at American companies on how physical security challenges and opportunities are unfolding in 2021 as the country emerges from the pandemic.

Of the physical threats that resulted in harm or death at companies in 2021, 49% of respondents think most or almost all could have been avoided if cybersecurity and physical security intelligence were unified so threats could be shared and actioned by cross-functional teams.

Since the beginning of 2021, 58% of security and IT leaders say their company has received or investigated one physical threat, between two and five physical threats, or over six physical threats per week.

There is overwhelming agreement among both physical security and IT professionals that cybersecurity and physical security must be integrated, otherwise cyber and physical threats will be missed.

91% of respondents agree physical security needs a technology-driven industry standard for actively identifying, investigating, assessing, monitoring and managing physical security threats and 87% agree that now is the best time to invest in physical security digital transformation.

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