Hybrid security technology is a revelation in the security sphere. Many businesses are switching to hybrid security systems to benefit from both on-premise and cloud-based security.
Are you considering making the switch to hybrid security for your business?
Keep reading as we discuss how hybrid security technology lowers overhead for your company and improves financial health. We will explore what hybrid security technology is and the cost benefits of implementing hybrid security technology in business.
What Is Hybrid Security Technology?
Hybrid security technology is a technology that uses both on-premise and cloud-based elements to gain the benefits of both security forms. To help you understand why hybrid systems are advantageous, let’s explore some of the benefits of cloud-based and on-premise systems.
Here are some of the benefits of implementing cloud-based security systems:
- Cloud-based security systems allow for remote management – your security staff can quickly check surveillance footage, unlock doors, and view security data from anywhere using a browser-based control center or mobile application.
- Open API integrations – a cloud-based security system has open API integrations that allow you to connect different security tools on a single interface. You can also apply software integrations to improve the ROI you gain from your security hardware investments.
- Fewer storage requirements – since security data is stored in the cloud with a cloud-based security system, you only need to allocate a little building space towards server storage.
- Easier management – with a cloud-based system, you can perform updates and troubleshooting remotely, reducing maintenance requirements.
With an on-premise security system, you gain the following benefits:
- No cybersecurity requirements – you do not need to protect on-premise data from a cybersecurity standpoint, increasing your data security.
- Failsafe security – if you are experiencing downtime with your cloud-based security system, your on-premise system acts as a failsafe so that your security is always operational.
By combining the benefits of both types of security systems, you can benefit from the advantages of each, ensuring you have a solid and futureproof security approach.
Cost Benefits Of Hybrid Security Technology
Although you may know the functional benefits of hybrid security, you might need to be made aware of the cost benefits. This section will explore the many cost benefits you can gain from hybrid security.
Integration To Improve ROI
Hybrid security systems come with the advantage of open API integrations. So, when you invest in security hardware, you can expand its function using software integrations. This means that you can make the most of your security investments and improve ROI.
To help you understand what this looks like in practice, here are some of the most popular integrations for cloud-based security technologies:
- Visitor management software – this tool offers ROI by automating the visitor management process and reducing reception staff requirements.
- Video analytics – this software integration applies to office building security camera solutions, allowing you to automate the video monitoring process for more agile security, freeing up your security staff’s time and reducing the potential for human error, which could lead to a security breach.
By leveraging integrations, you can ensure that you make the most of security hardware, automating processes to maximize the use of staff’s time and reducing costs. Additionally, ensure your platform supports standards-based threat intel ingestion (STIX/TAXII) and SIEM/SOAR playbooks; selecting the right threat intelligence tools based on feed quality, analytic depth, and integration maturity cuts alert noise, enriches detections, and reduces response costs.
Lower Staff Requirements Due To PSaaS
In addition to automating daily security processes, you can also use Physical Security as a Service (PSaaS) to automate security system management. Your PSaaS provider can help you to expand, scale, and manage your security system. By outsourcing this service, you can reduce security management responsibilities for your staff.
Over The Air Updates
Service engineer visits can cause inconvenience and increase costs. You will need to cover the travel costs of the engineer, allocate time towards supervising the engineer and schedule a time for the engineer to visit. In the meantime, your system may not be fully operational.
Hybrid security systems allow you to access over-the-air updates that you can perform instantly and remotely. Your PSaaS provider can perform troubleshooting to locate the source of the issue, and they can also provide your system with essential updates automatically.
Merging Cyber And Physical Security
Implementing cloud-based security elements for your physical security presents the opportunity for you to merge cyber and physical security teams. When connected, both teams can work together to provide the following advantages:
- Cybersecurity protection for your physical security resources stored in cloud-based locations.
- Using physical security tools to protect servers and digital resources.
- Addressing security threats that concern both facets of security by eliminating interdepartmental data silos.
By merging both teams, you may reduce each team’s workload, allowing you to downsize your team and save money.
Factors to Consider When Implementing Hybrid Security Tech
Business Requirements: Arguably the most pressing factor to consider when looking to implement hybrid security technology is the importance of gaining a comprehensive understanding of the specific business requirements at play.
Hybrid security solutions must strategically align with a business’ objectives for them to stand any chance of being worthwhile and/or optimally effective. For example, for any organization that requires secure remote access for employees, considering a hybrid security solution that incorporates cloud-based identity and sophisticated access management tools is a complete no-brainer.
Budget: Another crucial (and let’s face it, unavoidable) factor to consider when implementing hybrid security technology are the finances you’re working with. Hybrid security solutions require investing in both on-premise and cloud-based security tools, which can be a rather costly exercise.
Therefore, it is essential to painstakingly evaluate the organization’s budget and ensure that the project is projected to be a sound, and cost-effective one. A cost-benefit analysis is a handy way to help businesses determine the projected return on investment (ROI), and a budget that won’t blow any hope of big-picture gains out of the water.
Infrastructure: These hybrid solutions also depends on a robust infrastructure that has enough umph to efficiently support the integration of both on-premises and cloud-based security tools. Organizations must, therefore, have a suitably powerful network in place equipped to handle the increased traffic that will inevitably be generated by the new security solutions.
Evaluating the existing infrastructure to ensure that it can support the proposed changes is a step you must not miss. If the existing infrastructure turns out to be in any way inadequate, it’s highly advisable to invest in the necessary upgrades before rolling out your hybrid security vision.
Compliance: Compliance requirements are a critical factor to consider when implementing hybrid security technology. Many industries, such as finance and healthcare, set out super-strict compliance requirements for organizations to meet, especially when it comes to data protection.
For example, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires that all healthcare organizations actively protect patient data from any unauthorized access, disclosure, and theft. Organizations in such industries must, therefore, ensure that the hybrid security solutions they implement are fully compliant with the industry’s stringent regulations and standards, lest they be vulnerable to penalties and/or colossal damages.
Scalability: Scalability is another crucial factor (and benefit) of hybrid security technologies that organizations simply must not ignore. As businesses grow and evolve, so too do their security needs, and their hybrid security solution of choice must have the scalability prowess to efficiently accommodate for such changes.
The hybrid security solution of choice should have the ability to scale up or down in accordance with the organization’s changing security needs, so it’s crucial to evaluate the scalability of a hybrid security solution before plowing ahead.
Integration: The hybrid security solution you choose should integrate seamlessly with the organization’s existing IT infrastructure, catering to current firewalls, servers, endpoints, and so on.
Superior integration capabilities help to reduce complexity and ensure the optimal safeguarding of business assets; one of the most transformative aspects of emerging technologies are their integrative capacities, and so it would be frankly absurd not to invest some time in ardently evaluating a security solution’s scope for seamless integrations before signing on the dotted line.
Security Expertise: Finally, security expertise is another critical factor to consider. Successful implementation of hybrid security technologies require a high level of technical expertise, as well as a boatload of cybersecurity experience.
It’s imperative, therefore, to engage a team of skilled security professionals who can manage and maintain your security solutions expertly. For organizations that lack any in-house security expertise, outsourcing the management of hybrid security solutions to a third-party provider is advised.
Summary
Hybrid security helps to make daily security operations more convenient, creating more agile and efficient security processes. Hybrid security technologies also provide your business with cost-saving opportunities. If you’re considering ways to streamline your security overheads, consider implementing hybrid technologies for your business.
