By Elton Borgonovo,
vice president and regional director of government
for Motorola Solutions in Latin America
Providing the population with a safe and secure environment, where people can enjoy the city without fear, is the desire of most governments that prioritize security in their plans, understanding that without security, development and well-being are unfeasible.
For this reason, it’s no surprise that the security market in Latin America will reach a value of US$8.60 billion by 2022, according to data from the research and market intelligence company Expert Reports, which also projects a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.80% during the period from 2023 to 2028.
Faced with this great challenge of making cities safer, technology has a lot to contribute, being a key link in multiplying the resources of public security agencies, expanding their capabilities and providing a more proactive than reactive approach, allowing authorities to anticipate threats and respond in a timely manner to people’s calls in the face of a threat or emergency.
In this context, I see three main technological trends for 2024 in terms of security in Latin America. These trends are:
- Artificial Intelligence
Video is a fundamental component in the infrastructure of a city that seeks to be safer, but in addition to hardware, the trend is to implement advanced software with AI. This approach not only automates processes, but also efficiently analyses data, video and images to augment human capabilities and optimize emergency response.
AI is becoming an effective solution in active camera monitoring, detecting unusual situations such as the presence of smoke, wanted vehicles or unusual movements. This approach allows video analysts to verify possible elements of interest, avoiding wasting time reviewing endless video streams and significantly improving monitoring efficiency.
- Mobile video
Body cameras have become an essential tool for capturing and recording incidents. As well as providing valuable information for better situational awareness, they represent neutral evidence of events and are increasingly used as evidential material in court. For this reason, more than 60% of citizens say they feel safer in society when advanced video technologies are used, according to Motorola Solutions’ “Consensus for Change” study.
With a projected CAGR of 9.4%, according to MarketsandMarkets’ forecast, the video security market is experiencing a sharp increase. Investments in mobile video solutions, especially body cameras, are aimed at protecting public security agencies and the public, while at the same time promoting transparency in the actions carried out by the authorities.
- Cyber security
Latin America and the Caribbean stand out as areas with a high frequency of cyber attacks worldwide, facing more than 1,600 incidents per second. This data comes from a collaboration between a dozen cybersecurity companies, which came together to produce the inaugural CISO LATAM 2023 cybersecurity report, which offers insights from industry leaders. The report highlights the worrying rise in cybercrime and underscores the importance of governments and companies being adequately prepared to prevent and combat cyberattacks.
In this scenario, cyberattacks are not only aimed at breaching companies, but also at strategically targeting government institutions and public security bodies. If these bodies are not adequately protected, this can have a significant impact on national security and civil protection. For this reason, technology leaders are increasingly focused on strengthening the security of their communications through services that protect the integrity of essential communications networks used by the police, armed forces and other emergency agencies. The aim is to minimize the risk of vital communications being interrupted or intercepted. Thus, cybersecurity and service availability are interlinked to ensure an effective response, both through preventive security measures and by guaranteeing efficiency during critical situations.
As we look ahead to 2024, technological trends in public safety show that we can take advantage of innovation to chart another stage in the journey towards a safer future.
*** Translated by DEFCONPress FYI Team ***