By Anderson Consulting Partners | Published: March 21, 2026 | 9 min read | Target Audience: CISOs, Facilities & Security Directors
Top Cyber Threats: Deepfakes spoofing video feeds, ransomware encrypting video archives, and physical cameras serving as IT network gateways.
The Hidden Maintenance Crisis: Data reveals 70% of physical security devices run on outdated firmware, and 9.4% have known cyber vulnerabilities.
Weekly Disconnections: An average of 4% of physical security devices disconnect from their network every single week.
The Modern Solution: Transition from rigid, closed platforms to Modular Open Ecosystems paired with Automated IoTOps Management.
ACP Value: Independent vulnerability audits, open VMS architecture, and 24/7 automated device health monitoring.
1. Top Cyber Trends for 2026
3. The Hidden Maintenance Crisis
4. Open Ecosystems vs Lock-In
6. Why Choose ACP Advisory
In 2026, protecting your building isn't just about strong locks and physical cameras anymore. Video systems and connected smart devices have quietly become some of the most important infrastructure an organisation owns.
Because these systems monitor daily operations and generate real-time data, attackers are shifting their focus to the very cameras and sensors that bridge the physical and digital worlds.
If you are planning a security upgrade or reviewing your maintenance strategy, here is a non-technical guide to the cyber trends you need to know and how to choose a modern, future-proof system.
Artificial Intelligence is making cyber attacks much faster and highly convincing. For video security, this means attackers are increasingly using "deepfakes" and AI-generated media. For example, hackers might use fake video feeds to completely hide a physical break-in from your security team, or use AI-generated audio to mimic a trusted employee's voice. Today, you can't just ask what a camera is showing; you have to be able to trust that the footage is authentic and actually coming from your device.
Ransomware continues to cause massive global damage, but hackers are now explicitly targeting video archives. Instead of just locking your computers, cybercriminals are encrypting security footage and demanding a ransom to restore your access. Even worse, they are stealing sensitive video clips and threatening to publish them online if they aren't paid.
Are Now Unified Historically, protecting a building and protecting a computer network were separate tasks. Today, they are completely unified. Because modern access control and CCTV systems are connected to the cloud and your internal network, a weakness in a physical security device can now act as a gateway for hackers to breach your entire organisation.
As security systems become more complex, managing them manually is becoming too risky, inefficient, and expensive. Recent data reveals a hidden crisis in how businesses manage their security devices:
70% of physical security devices are running on outdated software (firmware).
Nearly 10% (9.4%) of devices have known cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
Over an average week, 4% of devices simply disconnect from their network.
To combat these threats, you must treat your video and IoT systems as core business assets, not just a background utility. When choosing a system and maintenance strategy for 2026, look for these two key elements:
Instead of buying a rigid, closed-off system, look for an open platform that plugs seamlessly into your existing security tools and workflows. The best modern systems are built on open ecosystems and standards, ensuring you can integrate the latest Ai tools at scale without ever being locked into a single vendor. This flexibility allows you to easily unlock the true value of your video and AI data.
Relying on a technician to manually check each camera takes too much time and leaves room for human error. Move toward automated operations (often called IoTOps). These automated platforms monitor your devices 24/7, alert you immediately if a camera goes offline, and help enforce strong passwords and firmware updates to keep cyber threats at bay.
Navigating the complex crossover between physical safety, AI threats, and cybersecurity requires expert guidance. You should contact Anderson Consulting Partners for your next upgrade because they understand how to future-proof your business using the latest open-architecture principles. They can help you:
: Identify which of your current cameras or sensors are running outdated firmware or have dangerous network vulnerabilities.
Design a flexible, open system: Help you implement a modular video foundation that easily integrates with powerful AI analytics, ensuring you are never trapped by vendor lock-in.
Automate your maintenance: Transition your organisation away from slow, manual check-ups and toward automated, 24/7 device monitoring to save time and guarantee your video data is always encrypted and secure.
Identify which of your current cameras or sensors are running outdated firmware or have dangerous network vulnerabilities.
Help you implement a modular video foundation that easily integrates with powerful AI analytics, ensuring you are never trapped by vendor lock-in.
Transition your organisation away from slow, manual check-ups and toward automated, 24/7 device monitoring to save time and guarantee your video data is always encrypted and secure.
Reach out to Anderson Consulting Partners today to secure your digital and physical footprint.
Our goal is to look beyond the hardware and collaborate to make the world a safer place together.
Please Note: The information provided in these articles is general in nature and intended for educational purposes. Every operational environment has unique vulnerabilities; therefore, it is recommended to seek site-specific expert advice for your specific needs.
