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Physical security technology trends to watch in 2025

Andreas Conrad

In years past, predicting technology trends in the physical security industry was quite easy, whether it was the shift from analogue to IP cameras, a new biometric technology for access control or new video analytics applications. A brisk walk around any major tradeshow and you would quickly pick up on the year's overarching theme.

Today, the landscape is far more diverse, reflecting the scale and pace of technology coming to market, but also the growing complexity of security ecosystems. However, there are some very exciting developments and significant changes, some technical and some operational, taking place that security professionals should be aware of as they plan for the year ahead.

3D LiDAR a paradigm shift in perimeter security

In recent years, LiDAR (light detection and ranging) has been labelled the ‘next big thing’. It is a technology capable of redefining and changing the landscape of physical security, most notably in the safeguarding of critical infrastructure. The hype has been supported by statistics such as those from ABI Research, which forecast the worldwide market for smart LiDAR sensors will surpass 3 million total installations in the physical security environment by 2030. This presents an exciting opportunity for integrators.

To date, LiDAR has often focused on 2D applications within the physical security ecosystem, notably to create simple virtual fences, but if forecasts are correct, it will be innovation in 3D surveillance that will drive demand and growth. These volumetric detection systems challenge the concept of traditional perimeter intrusion detection systems (PIDS) by moving to a more holistic and actionable approach of monitoring and securing entire areas, not just boundaries.

Physical security professionals are renowned for being cautious about the early adoption of new technologies. However, LiDAR technology, and specifically 3D sensors and management systems, has been used for many years in geospatial measurement and mapping applications. Many industry professionals are already very familiar with the use of mapping technology to manage assets such as cameras, alarms and access control points, etc. The use of LiDAR goes further, introducing the powerful concept of a true digital twin – a digital representation of the real world.

With LiDAR-based systems being tried, tested and proven, extending their usage to physical security applications is not a giant leap, but a relatively small step that stands to pay big dividends.

Another advantage of leveraging an existing technology is the availability of expertise, making integrating LiDAR sensors within complex physical security ecosystems less labour-intensive and optimised for success. What is more, the cost of these sensors has fallen since they were introduced, which lessens risk.

When it comes to risk, LiDAR technology can be useful in terms of regulatory compliance. A good example is the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Unlike other technologies that are adept at identifying individuals, LiDAR sensors do not capture any personal identification data. This is particularly advantageous for scenarios in which it is essential to continuously and accurately monitor movement in a specified area. A volumetric detection system provides the exact location, size and speed of people within a detection zone, even the trajectory of their movements – but nothing that would identify them. When a person or group needs to be identified, integration with a wider physical security technology ecosystem, specifically video and particularly pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) capabilities, is vital.

Crucially, an increasing number of security system manufacturers have been quick to recognise the potential for LiDAR, with mission-critical platforms such as video management software (VMS) and physical security information management (PSIM) making it easy to integrate the typically open-platform technologies via a simple API. While not exactly plug-and-play, this reduces the number of barriers to entry significantly for organisations wanting to leverage LiDAR. It also means that organisations should think carefully when investing in new and upgraded VMS and PSIM systems. When they decide the time is right to invest in LiDAR technology, these systems need to be integration-ready.

It is also important to remember that 3D surveillance software is a security solution in its own right. A standalone version can be used by a control room operator conducting an incident investigation, and when greater situational awareness and a coordinated stakeholder response are needed, it can be used in parallel with, or in combination with, a VMS or PSIM system as part of an integrated ecosystem.

The rise of artificial intelligence applications and regulation

Global annual spending on physical security, in general, is predicted to increase significantly in the next four years, rising from USD 106,5 billion in 2023 to USD 136,9 billion by 2028. By this time experts predict that a significant percentage of this spending (USD 16,3 billion) will be consumed by artificial intelligence (AI)-powered video surveillance technology. The European Commission has tried to get a head start to deter malpractice and give clear guidance by introducing the EU AI Act, which came into force in August 2024. It aims to ensure better conditions for the development and use of this innovative technology.

The potential applications for AI within physical security are vast, and the surface is only being scratched. Today, AI’s predominant use case is building video analytics algorithms, which are becoming increasingly advanced, with investments from major players in the technology world (such as NVIDIA) funding research and development. This investment and innovation will finally see video analytics shift away from being a niche playground for a relatively small number of highly specialised vendors.

The next step in the evolution of AI in the context of physical security will be supporting incident management and response. It will become entrenched in other systems and applications such as access control (where it can be used to identify patterns that a human may not detect) or PSIM/incident management (to guide operators to respond to an incident according to best practices, based on information available and historical performance).

The advice to every organisation that places a premium on security and plans to invest in AI-powered infrastructure in the coming year is to thoroughly assess the risks. Know what data is being generated, how and where it is being stored and how it is being used.

Redaction and evidence-sharing

The need for compliance also extends to sharing CCTV with external stakeholders, including law enforcement. New masking and blurring capabilities available within the latest VMS systems are making this far easier to manage. However, getting video footage to police continues to challenge many organisations.

The traditional method for exchanging video evidence (typically CCTV) has largely been a painstakingly slow manual process involving officers visiting a site to review footage and save it to a storage device. This can be further complicated if, for example, a retailer does not have the recording onsite, or the store manager cannot access the recording device. This has led to many retailers choosing not to report incidents due to a lack of confidence in follow-up and not wanting a law enforcement presence on the premises during open hours.

In the UK, the National Business Crime Centre is urging businesses to ensure that their CCTV systems have “the capability to upload and share CCTV footage electronically with the police to speed up investigations and identify offenders”. In the U.S., the NYPD is running an initiative to help reduce instances of shoplifting by allowing businesses to feed security camera footage directly to the police department.

However, there is good news. Law enforcement agencies are investing in new systems to help them request and receive video footage electronically (known as DEMS and DAMS systems). Additionally, retail businesses can do a lot to improve the process. VMS systems can speed things along, allowing them to access video from the control room and beyond, quickly source all incident-related footage from across multiple cameras, and, of course, redact sensitive information.

The next 12 months will see the world continue to face commercial and economic challenges, geopolitical instability, issues of extremism and societal unrest, and the physical security industry will continue to do what it does best: take advantage of new innovations and best practices to be the front-line of defence.

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