Security DNA

Drones, remote monitoring, and AI are changing how organizations protect people and property, but how much can these systems really deliver in the field?

In this episode of Security DNA, Steve Lasky, Director of Content for SIW, Security Executive, and Security Business magazines, talks with Ryan Smith, president and founder of Titan Protection and Consulting. A former law enforcement officer with SWAT experience, Smith built a security model that blends trained personnel, remote video monitoring, mobile response, and drone-based surveillance.

They discuss the drone as a service model, how virtual perimeters and “Automated Response and Pa...

In Part 3 of our conversation with Tim Freestone, Chief Strategy Officer at Kiteworks, we dig into the findings of the company's fifth annual Data Security and Compliance Risk Survey -- and the numbers are sobering. Eighty percent of organizations experienced a security or AI incident in the past year. Sixty-three percent of those incidents produced a compliance consequence. And half of organizations still cannot produce a complete AI data access audit record within one business day.

But the bigger story is what's driving the exposure. Tim breaks down why organizations with the largest security budgets are not...

In this episode of the SecurityDNA podcast, Editorial Director Steve Lasky continues a conversation with Scott Brothers, COO of Oncam, that began on the show floor at ISC West in April.

Brothers, who spent 16 years as an integrator before moving to the vendor side, brings a pointed rebuttal to the industry's cloud-first narrative. His central argument: physical security generates too much data, and enterprise requirements vary too widely, for an all-cloud model to work the way it has in banking or streaming. Hybrid architecture, in his view, is not a transitional phase but a durable outcome, with...

AI-generated deepfakes are advancing so fast that video — long the gold standard of evidence in legal proceedings, compliance audits, and security investigations — can no longer be assumed authentic. So what does that mean for the 90 million surveillance cameras recording across the country right now?

At Milestone XPerience Days (MXD) in Las Vegas, SecurityInfoWatch Editor-in-Chief Rodney Bosch sat down with Jason Crawforth, Founder & CEO of SWEAR, to discuss the accelerating threat to video integrity and why his company believes proving authenticity from the moment video is captured is the key to deepfake detection.

Crawforth makes a comp...

In this episode of Security DNA, recorded live on the show floor at the Electronic Security Expo (ESX) 2026, SecurityInfoWatch Editor-in-Chief Paul Rothman sits down with Jeremy Bates, incoming Chairman of the Electronic Security Association (ESA) and Senior Vice President of Business Development at Pye-Barker Fire & Security.

Jeremy came up through the industry the hard way, co-owning and growing Bates Security and Sonitrol of Lexington, Ky., into one of the most respected regional security companies in the nation before selling to Pye-Barker and joining the organization in May 2024. 

Now stepping into the ESA Chairman role, he b...

SecurityInfoWatch Editorial Director Rodney Bosch sits down with Elizabeth Parks, President and CMO of Parks Associates, live at the 30th annual CONNECTIONS Conference in Santa Clara, CA.

Elizabeth reflects on three decades of smart home research, what the industry consistently misunderstands about consumers, the mounting pressure on dealer channels, and why cybersecurity is the conversation nobody is having loudly enough...yet.

‪Parks Associates‬ has been a foundational research voice for smart home, connected home, multifamily, and small business markets since 1986, helping manufacturers and platform companies validate product strategy and forecast where the market is heading.

The December 2025 shooting at Brown University exposed a key flaw in modern surveillance strategy: more cameras do not always mean better coverage. Despite operating more than 1,200 cameras, Brown reportedly faced critical blind spots that complicated the response and delayed suspect identification.  

In this episode of SecurityDNA, Editorial Director Steve Lasky speaks with ZeroEyes Director of Service Enhancement Vincent Martinez about the lessons from Brown and the Washington Hilton incident, including why strategic camera placement matters more than camera count, how AI gun detection is changing threat response, and the common surveillance mistakes that leave organizations vulnerable.

Drawing o...

Technology isn’t the only aspect of the security industry that’s evolving. The very definition of “security” is changing, so the way practitioners approach security must change with it.

SecurityInfoWatch Associate Editor Samantha Schober brings Mary Gates, CEO of GMR Security Consulting Group, to the table to discuss the company’s rebranding effort, the rise of human-centric security strategies, and the unique strengths female security leaders bring to the table.

Mary Gates is a seasoned industry veteran with over 35 years of experience in corporate security management. Previously President and now CEO at GMR Securit...

As the physical and digital worlds increasingly merge, cybersecurity has become a critical component of organizational defense. The rapid growth of IoT devices has expanded the average attack surface, making businesses more vulnerable than ever--a single employee clicking on a malicious email can compromise an entire organization.

To protect against these evolving threats, companies must prioritize cyber threat awareness, understand emerging attack vectors, and implement proactive cybersecurity strategies. Knowledge is the first line of defense in preventing costly breaches and maintaining digital safety.

In this episode of Security DNA, SecurityInfoWatch Associate Editor Samantha Schober sits...

In this episode of Security DNA, host Steve Lasky sits down with Tara Dunning, Vice President of Global Security and Network Infrastructure Sales and Strategy at Wesco, to explore how AI, IoT, and cloud technologies are transforming the role of today’s security integrators.

Discover how cameras are evolving from simple surveillance tools to powerful visual intelligence assets, why platform aggregation and data-driven security are redefining situational awareness, and what the next generation of digital transformation means for integrators, manufacturers, and end users alike.

Tara Dunning originally joined Wesco as VP of Global Security in 2021, wh...

Drones are reshaping U.S. critical infrastructure—but not always for the better. While they streamline inspections of power lines, pipelines, and bridges, rogue or malicious drones pose a real threat to airports, energy grids, and government sites. As these incidents rise, protecting vital systems has become an urgent priority.

Rodney Bosch, SIW Editor-in-Chief, invites Echodyne’s VP of Marketing, Leo McCloskey, to SecurityDNA to discuss executive orders, the critical role of radar in counter-drone operations, how easy drones are to buy (or build), and how to fortify our most critical sites against them.

As VP o...

Join host Steve Lasky and Michael Niola, Principal and Co-Founder of The Consulting Group LLC, as they explore the future of integrated systems, AI in security, and designing safety into spaces from day one.

From “one card” access control to the challenges of data center speed-to-market, Michael shares insights on turning security from a cost center into a value driver, and why early collaboration with architects is key.

With over two decades of physical security industry experience developing master plans, system designs, and consultant teams, Michael Niola is a seasoned security veteran and frequent speaker at t...

The “streamlining” of video surveillance via unified systems and network-connected devices has taken the weight of alarm fatigue, manual video monitoring, and more off of the shoulders of security professionals.

It has also dramatically increased their attack surface.

Sit down with host Steve Lasky and i-PRO Americas’ Senior Manager of Information Assurance and Data Privacy, Will Knehr, to discuss how threat actors can hack cameras to breach networks, why AI analytics are becoming another attack vector, and what “ethical hacking” can do to harden your security systems on this week’s episode of SecurityDNA.

Will is a...

Video tools aren't just evolving: they're getting smarter. Once limited to passive recording, video systems are now emerging as intelligent tools capable of detecting threats in real time, interpreting human behavior, and even predicting incidents before they occur.

In this week's episode of SecurityDNA, host Steve Lasky sits down with March Networks Chief Product Officer Jeff Corrall to explore one of the most transformative forces in video surveillance today—generative AI.

Jeff Corrall is Chief Product Officer at March Networks, where he leads product strategy, R&D, and strategic partnerships. Since joining in 2001 as a so...

When Ryan Schonfeld began his security career as a D.C. law enforcement officer, he quickly became frustrated with traditional security methods. Tired of operational inefficiencies and determined to close longstanding security gaps, Schonfeld opted to drag the security industry into the modern day.

Join host Steve Lasky on this episode of SecurityDNA for an exclusive interview with Ryan Schonfeld, CEO of Hivewatch, on his security industry journey and the critical problems facing the leaders and practitioners of today, from scalability to interoperability to convergence.

Following his time in law enforcement, Ryan Schonfeld became an...

Today's tense geopolitical landscape, coupled with the silos of social media, has made it easier than ever for people to not only become radicalized but to make violent moves in service of their views—sometimes to widespread acclaim online.

 As high-profile assassination attempts—successful or otherwise—continue to dominate U.S. headlines, many executives are forced to contend with the reality that today's world is not safe for underprepared leadership.

On this week's episode of SecurityDNA, Steve Lasky joins 360Privacy execs Chuck Randolph and Trinity Davis to explain the dangers faced by organizational leadership, from the top...

Security Business Editor-in-Chief Paul Rothman catches up with Kelly Bond, Partner at Bridgepoint Advisors, on the ESX show floor for an inside look into the security M&A process as tariffs reshape our economic landscape.

Bridgepoint Advisors rose from Davis Mergers and Acquisitions Group in February 2025 to serve the electronic security industry. Bond, who co-founded Bridgepoint with fellow industry veterans Steve Rubin and Jason Grelle, helps guide alarm, integration, and fire company owners, as well as Central Monitoring Station operators, through the process of buying or selling their businesses.

Security Business Editor-in-Chief Paul Rothman is live at ESX 2025 with David Morgan of Security Dealer Marketing for a show floor snapshot about AI and changing marketing strategies for security integrators.

Security Dealer Marketing provides security dealers with the strategies they need to market their brands. David Morgan, Vice President and co-founder of SDM, has leveraged his vast marketing leadership experience to serve the security industry for over a decade.

We are in the midst of an unprecedented technological boom, and the catalyst for this revolution is none other than artificial intelligence (AI). The applications of AI in security are near limitless, and several industries—from education to healthcare to city planning—are already using AI integrations to better secure their facilities.

Secure Our City Founder & CEO Geva Barash joins host Steve Lasky on this week's episode of the Security DNA podcast to find out how.

Geva Barash is Founder & CEO of Secure Our City, a security and technology services design firm that provides customized phys...

On this episode of SecurityDNA, Steve Lasky invites International SOS Senior Security Advisor Rich Davis to the discussion table. Davis brings his extensive background in aviation security to the podium today to discuss the long-awaited REAL ID implementation and how it will impact airport security, operations, and the traveler experience.

Rich Davis is a seasoned aviation security expert with over 40 years of industry experience. He spent the majority of his career at United Airlines, where he ultimately served as Chief Security Officer. Over the course of his career, he collaborated with several U.S. federal ag...

Live from the show floor at ISC West 2025, Security Business Editor-in-Chief Paul Rothman meets with Actuate CEO Ken Francis to discuss the impact of AI on monitoring centers and their employees, technology integrations, and Actuate’s mission.

Actuate, an AI surveillance software company founded in 2018, aims to transform security guard operations and reduce the frequency of false positives and nuisance alarms. Ken Francis, who became Actuate’s CEO in November 2024, previously served as President of Eagle Eye Networks for eight years. Francis was also a co-founder of AMAG Technology, the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for UTC’s...

Host Steve Lasky and Genetec President and CEO Pierre Racz return to the podium for the second part of this SecurityDNA special episode.

In a security landscape rife with mergers and acquisitions, Genetec's independence is an increasingly uncommon feat. Committed to the company's mission and continued success, Pierre has a wealth of knowledge to share about maintaining organizational independence, the accountability chain for data breaches and other security crises, and navigating economic shifts—knowledge that will come in handy as the Canadian company plans for an incoming wave of tariffs.

Pierre, who broke gro...

In the first half of SecurityDNA's recent two-part special, host Steve Lasky sits down for a riveting conversation with Genetec President and CEO Pierre Racz.

Join Steve and Pierre as they speculate about the

 security industry's next big breakthroughs, discuss the "intelligent automation" aspect of artificial intelligence, and dissect the pros and cons of cloud computing.

Pierre, who broke ground with Genetec in 1997, founded the company with the belief that technology could break down barriers and improve the day-to-day lives of its users. His vision gave rise to a security powerhouse 2,000 s...

This week's episode of SecurityDNA sees host Steve Lasky take to the podium with guest Evan Bloom, industry veteran and CEO of Fortress Strategic Communications.

Bloom's formative years growing up in South Africa left him with a unique perspective on the security industry's transformation through technology and the environment. Together, he and Steve delve into an in-depth discussion on the state of security culture in South Africa and the impact its evolution might have on the industry globally.

Evan Bloom is CEO of Fortress Strategic Communications, a PR consultancy with a focus on the law e...

In this week's episode of Security DNA, Rebel Global Security CEO Mark Freedman joins host Steve Lasky in a timely discussion about online radicalization, social media, and rising threats of violence from both sides of the political aisle.

Mark Freedman is the Principal and CEO of Rebel Global Security, a leading advisory firm specializing in national security, geopolitical strategy, and risk management for critical infrastructure companies. Known for his expertise and trusted counsel, Mark equips executives with actionable strategies to navigate today's complex security landscape.

Previous to his work with Rebel, Mark’s nearly decade-long ten...

On the show floor at CES 2025, Security Business Editor-in-Chief Paul Rothman discusses the future of monitoring centers, the applications of AI automation, and SimpliSafe's Active Guard solution with SimpliSafe's CEO and High Tech Product Leader, Christian Cerda (L) and Hooman Shahidi (R).

Host Steve Lasky brings on Shannon Torres, Customer Success Manager at 911inform, former Chief of Police of the Keyport Borough in New Jersey, and veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard, for a passionate discussion about emergency preparedness, active shooter training, and emerging technologies in this week's episode of SecurityDNA.

As Chief of Police, Torres managed a team of over 50 employees serving a diverse community 7,000 strong. With a specialization in investigation and internal affairs, she joined the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce as Detective Sergeant, where her critical investigations and forensic examinations contributed to a culture...

Industry titan Leonid (Leo) Levit, ONVIF’s Steering Committee Chairman and Director of System Integration at Axis Communications, joins host Steve Lasky in this week’s episode of SecurityDNA. Join Steve and Leo for an in-depth discussion on the benefits, impact, and perils of generative AI and ONVIF’s role in safeguarding video assets.

Leo Levit’s 20-year-strong career in the security field, beginning with a master’s in electronic engineering from the prestigious Moscow State University of Transport (MIIT), evolved to include tenures at multiple industry-leading multinational companies, including Ericsson and Sony. He has cont...

In today's episode of SecurityDNA, host Steve Lasky engages with Michael Julian, the producer of the "Down 'n Dirty" podcast and best-selling author of "10 Minutes to Live: Surviving an Active Shooter Using A.L.I.V.E." Together, they dive into discussion about the A.L.I.V.E. approach, the importance of building a robust security culture, why active shooter training is an essential team investment, and surprising stories from Julian's own podcast.

Michael Julian's storied 30-year career in security and investigations has equipped him with the extensive expertise required to prepare organizations for active shooter...

Established in 2019 after a 60-year tenure as Panasonic, i-PRO Americas provides sensing technologies in intelligent surveillance, medical and industrial imaging, and public safety. With a close network of integrators and elite partners in North America, the company's development in the region is being watched with close interest.

On today’s special episode of SecurityDNA, SecurityInfoWatch editor Paul Rothman makes the trek to Japan to speak with Masato Nakao, CEO of i-PRO, about i-PRO’s roadmap for integrators and partners in North America as well as Nakao’s thoughts on acquisitions.

On the show floor at GSX 2024, Julie Brandt, vice president and president, Building Solutions North America at Johnson Controls, and Greg Parker, Global Vice President of Lifecycle Solutions at JCI, talk with SecurityInfoWatch.com editor Paul Rothman about what the company is doing to help its building customers implement connected, data-driven security solutions. They also discuss what the
company is doing to address workforce development challenges.

SecurityDNA podcast host Steve Lasky has an impactful discussion with Donna Chapman, Director of the A&E Program at HID Global North America, about the challenges in dealing with veteran suicide after her
24-year-old son, Army National Guard Sgt. William Davidson, committed suicide during in Operation Enduring Freedom.

Chapman is working to help troubled vets through her foundation – Willpower for Veterans – and hopes to get her fellow security
professionals on board with this effort and the entire New England and New York communities. The Willpower for Veterans Fund is a non-profit organization and 100 percent of all...

In this edition of the SecurityDNA podcast, host Steve Lasky has an inspiring discussion about the evolving world of security with Francis D’Addario, emeritus faculty for the
Security Executive Council. Francis is a Lifetime Outstanding Security Performance Award (OSPA) recipient and his cross-functional teams have achieved reduced violent crime claims by 80% while establishing multi-million-dollar, per year, net ROI contributions for multiple brands.  

D’Addario, who co-leads strategic, SEC, Next Generation Leadership initiatives, including Solution Innovation Partner (SIP) programming, will discuss all-hazards operational risk oversight, communicating ROI-capable concepts of operations, and establishing value with security performance metri...

Please join SecurityInfoWatch as we host a wide-ranging discussion with Paul Sarnese, the accomplished owner of Secured & Prepared Consulting, about the challenges teams face in providing physical and cybersecurity in the health care sector, and what can be done about it.

The renowned healthcare safety, security, and emergency management expert shares some of the workplace violence indicators his staff looks for when his company contracts for a security/risk assessment at a healthcare facility. He’ll also discuss best practices that can be applied universally to mitigate violence in the healthcare system, and his experiences helping to man...

Aileen Garcia was pursuing a career in interior design before a sudden change in trajectory  took her into the male-dominated field of security technology – more specifically cybersecurity, where as fraud prevention manager at ClearSale she’s working to ensure all her team members are motivated to take a flexible approach toward their important work.

In her interview with SecurityInfoWatch Associate Editor Samantha Schober, Garcia shares how she handled the challenges she faced as a woman entering the industry, what strengths she feels women can bring to the fight against fraud, and strategies women can consider to establish thems...

In this episode we engage with Dave Sweeney, District Director for the Mid-Atlantic region for
The Cook & Boardman Group, including Advantech, and a member of the executive board for Security-Net. Sweeney and host Steve Lasky, editorial director for Endeavor Business Media's Security Group, delve into how technology is changing the role of security integrators – from dealers to consultants – and how they can stay current and certified amid ever-changing regulations and requirements.

Lasky and Sweeney will also hit on tackling the challenges of maintaining security in a hybrid work environment and strategies for IT professionals to meet evol...

In this episode, Steve Lasky, Editorial Director for the Security Group at Endeavor Business Media, engages in a timely and poignant discussion about security program design and team leadership with Bryan Willett, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for Lexmark International.

Willett will discuss his journey from firmware development and
project management to security management and how he guided Lexmark
to making significant investments in security infrastructure, monitoring and operations across all business areas. He’ll also share the attributes he’s strived to look for when building security team, and strategies that can be employed to a...

Please join SecurityInfoWatch.com for an enlightening conversation
with Lee Odess, a globally recognized leader and influential voice in the access control industry who challenges conventional thinking and redefines the role of access technology today.

Odess, the producer of the monthly insightful Access Control Executive Brief, will speak about the wave of technology and innovation sweeping access control industry, which has been impacted globally through digital transformation, post-COVID protocols, advanced technology integration and other fast-moving trends. Odess will also touch on how users can maximize ROI from their access control system from a technology perspective through...

In this exclusive interview from ESX 2024, Security Business Editor-in-Chief Paul Rothman talks with Eric Garner, President of Pye-Barker's Alarm Division and CEO of Pye-Barker company Mountain Alarm, about Pye-Barker’s growth aspirations, the types of companies it looks to acquire and what the “master plan” looks like for the company’s future.

From Ukraine, Israel and Gaza to the influence of the Houthis in the Red Sea to the ever-present specter of China, the global security environment is brimming with challenges. Add to it the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, a presidential election year and the ever-present threat of cybercrime and security officials face a truly complex threat landscape.

In an exclusive interview with SecurityDNA host Steve Lasky, former U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, co-founder and executive chairman of
The Chertoff Group, reveals the trends he sees in the convergence of cyber risk, physical risk...