Top Emerging Trends in Physical Security for 2026

The last few years have been unprecedented for everyone, including workers in the security industry. From AI to extreme violence to social upheavals, we’ve seen a lot of huge changes in our world. So what’s next for physical security?

Recently, we talked about this on the Professor Risk podcast, and we put together a list of security trends you can expect to see in 2026.

6 emerging trends in security in 2026

1. A continued (and data-driven) focus on executive protection. We’re in a time of geopolitical turmoil. In the last couple of years, we’ve seen assassinations as well as attempted assassinations, so it’s no surprise that executive protection will continue to be top of mind this year. However, executive protection is changing. We’re starting to see a focus on data analytics when it comes to protecting assets.

2. Integrated data ecosystems. Data is driving security across the board, and that data is becoming more diverse. For example, corporations used to lean heavily on threat intelligence but now there’s a demand for more and better data from multiple sources:

1. Threat intel providers

2. Case management platforms

3. Business continuity tools

4. Emergency response systems

Platforms like Circadian Risk are being called upon to ingest this data and aggregate all this data into risk scores.

3. Risk, rather than security, will be a major focus. Security, in all its forms, is about managing and mitigating risk. As organizations realize the importance of risk, physical security, information risk, and human resources (another department that manages risk) is going to be the new emphasis. Security, IT Risk and HR will fall under security risk. This means risk analysts will become an increasingly important part of every security team. Companies will start looking more closely at data, and how it can help them predict threats and the likelihood of risks.

4. The transformation of the GSOC: Global Security Operations Centers (GSOCs) have been around for a long time. Before they were called GSOCs, they were command centers: a physical room where security staff monitored cameras and access control. Since then, the GSOC has evolved. Many organizations’ GSOCs have been outsourced, or appear online as dashboards. Now, however, GSOCs are turning into intelligence centers, shifting into centers of threat/risk intelligence and analysis. There are some interesting new technologies as well, from a virtual reality-based GSOC to gaming pods that are being converted into command pods. It will be interesting to see what new tech we will see at GSX this year.

5. AI will assume a larger role in security. Now that AI has been around for a few years, we can expect to see it being used across the industry. We’re already seeing it being used in cameras, access control, and a multitude of different environments. However, we are most interested to see how AI can be used for risk analysis inside of the GSOC.

6. AI will continue to fuel scams and other social engineering threats. If AI is being used in security, it stands to reason that criminals are also using it. With the progression of AI, social engineering is becoming easier and more difficult to identify. Organizations will have to be on their guard against increasingly sophisticated spoofing and phishing scams.

Moving towards a data-driven future

The predictions for 2026 point toward security that’s more intelligence-driven, data-centric, and strategically aligned with overarching enterprise risk objectives. From the evolution of the GSOC into a genuine intelligence center to the sophisticated challenges posed by AI-fueled social engineering, security leaders must embrace these emerging trends.

Preparing for the future means moving beyond traditional guardrails and prioritizing the creation of resilient, integrated data ecosystems that can effectively predict, analyze, and mitigate complex risks. The ability to pivot from a reactive security posture to a proactive, risk-focused strategy will define the success of security programs in 2026 and beyond.

If you want to hear our full conversation about security trends, check out the latest episode of the Professor Risk podcast.

What challenges will your business face in 2026? Contact us now about assessing your security, and make a plan for the next year.

About the Author

Daniel Young

Founder & Chief Innovation Officer

Daniel has been a security and risk advisor for more than 10 years, and is passionate about helping companies to better understand their risks to undesirable events on a daily basis. Dan previously served as the Regional Bioterrorism Coordinator for District 1 in Michigan, where he was instrumental in preparing communities for catastrophic incidents. He has also acted as the Private Security Liaison for the City of Lansing’s Critical Infrastructure Team, which identified and documented deficiencies in the city’s critical infrastructure.

He is a Co-Founder of the CSO Risk Council, a think tank of seasoned security professionals and thought leaders with extensive experience in managing the physical security and risks of large enterprises consisting of multiple sites and whose mission is to create a better process to develop and share innovative solutions and pertinent information with organizations to improve safety and security risk by providing a forum to discuss best practices and recommendations for specific risk scenarios and to network with other enterprise security professionals.