Top Security Strategies in 2026: Futureproofing Your Security

Security leaders in 2026 are balancing more complexity than ever: evolving threats, new technologies, and growing expectations to do more with fewer resources. The good news is that, across industries, organizations are starting to converge on a set of proven strategies that help shape a more resilient, future-ready security strategy.

Drawing from the 2026 Global Technology Outlook Report, partner insights, and real-world action plans, here are the top security strategies organizations are prioritizing in 2026, and what you should focus on next.

1. Use AI Where It’s Already Mature and Pilot GenAI with Purpose

Artificial intelligence is no longer experimental in security. In fact, 70% of organizations already leverage AI in their security programs today¹.

The most widely adopted AI use cases are¹:

• Object recognition (36%)
• Intrusion and loitering detection (35%)
• People counting (27%)
• Anomaly detection (26%)
• Vehicle detection, speed, and direction (24%)

At the same time, interest in generative AI is accelerating. More than 90% of organizations say they are definitely or somewhat interested¹ in GenAI for automated threat detection, video search, report generation, and natural-language system interaction.

How to Incorporate AI Into Your Security Strategy for 2026:

Double down on AI where it already delivers value and run GenAI pilots where the business case is clear.

Quick-win initiatives to prioritize:

• Video object recognition and loitering detection at perimeters
• Anomaly detection for off-hours access and unusual activity
• GenAI-powered video search: leverage GenAI’s ability to understand images and context to monitor almost anything, from customer experience (“Alert me if more than 3 customers are in line”) to workplace safety issues (“Are there any OSHA violations?”)

2. Make Cloud and Hybrid the Default Backbone

Cloud security technology adoption is accelerating. While 18% of organizations are fully cloud-based today, that number is expected to rise to 34% within five years¹.

Among organizations already using cloud¹:

• 68% use cloud video surveillance
• 64% use cloud access control 
• 30% use cloud intrusion detection

The top drivers are clear: centralized management, increased efficiency, and easier system administration.

How to Adopt a Hybrid Security Model for 2026:

Adopt cloud where it enables centralization, remote operations, and data services; and use hybrid models where on-prem systems are still required.

Practical next steps:

• Document current on-prem security systems
• Identify the next 1–2 workloads to move to the cloud (such as remote sites or video storage)
• Build a 3–5-year hybrid/cloud roadmap in partnership with IT

3. Integrate Sensors and Multi-Sensor Video for Safety, Compliance, and Operations

Security systems are evolving beyond intrusion detection into broader sensing platforms. Today, 61% of organizations have already integrated advanced sensors into their security environments¹.

The biggest growth is in room occupancy (32% current / 34% planned¹) and air quality monitoring (40% current / 35% planned¹), reflecting a shift toward using security data to inform space utilization, safety compliance, and operational decision-making.

Other common sensor use cases include¹:

• Temperature and humidity monitoring (58% current / 31% planned)
• Smoke and vape detection (55% current / 24% planned)
• Noise level detection (37% current / 17% planned)

Thanks to AI and analytics, cameras are becoming powerful multi-sensors, detecting smoke, crowds, environmental anomalies, and more without requiring dedicated hardware for each signal.

How to Leverage Sensor and AI to Upgrade Your Security Systems in 2026:

It’s now practically possible to instrument your environment. Use sensors and AI-enabled video to improve safety, compliance, and operational awareness.

Where this delivers value:

• Compliance: smoke, vaping, and air-quality monitoring
• Safety: noise, temperature monitoring, gas leaks
• Operations: occupancy and space utilization insights

4. Confirm Alarms with Verification and AI-Assisted Incident Response 

Dealing with false alarms remains one of the biggest pain points in security. According to industry statistics, false alarm rates hover around 98%, leading to fines, slower response times, and strained relationships with law enforcement.

Video and audio alarm verification is emerging as the gold standard²:

• 25% of our clients already use verified alarms
• 27% plan to adopt them

The industry is shifting from “detect and notify” to real-time, verified incident management, combining edge analytics, Security Operations Center (SOC) oversight, and AI-assisted triage.

How to Incorporate Alarm Verification into Your Strategy in 2026:

Turn alarms from noise into signal with verification and intelligent response.

Key actions:

• Baseline current false-alarm rates
• Deploy video and audio verification in high-volume locations
• Explore AI virtual agents and edge analytics to pre-filter alarms before escalation

5. Close the Emergency-Preparedness Confidence Gap

While 88% of organizations have formal emergency response plans, confidence remains uneven. Nearly 1 in 5 organizations report low or no confidence in their emergency preparedness¹.

This gap is driving investment in subscription-based preparedness services, with 43% already using fire and emergency preparedness training², and growing emphasis on scenario-based training such as fire safety, active shooter response, first aid, and counterterrorism.

On the technology side, mass notification is now a top future adoption priority for 22% of organizations², alongside cloud video sharing with responders to support faster, better-coordinated incident response.

How to Increase Confidence in Your Emergency Preparedness Plans in 2026:

Don’t just have a plan: train it, test it, and enable it with technology.

Checklist for improvement:

• Annual emergency plan reviews
• Regular drills by scenario (fire, active shooter, severe weather)
• Mass notification systems and secure video sharing with responders

6. Use Risk Intelligence to Prioritize Security Action

Risk intelligence is becoming a critical input to smarter security decisions. 20% of organizations plan to integrate risk-intelligence services¹, making it one of the top planned investments in the near future.

Rather than relying on instinct or historical spend alone, risk intelligence helps security leaders focus attention where risk is highest, using actionable, data-driven insights such as:

• Risk Forecast Reports that provide daily, weekly, or monthly situational awareness
• Crime Index Reports with neighborhood-level risk scoring, interactive maps, and AI-powered analytics

The report highlights the Pinkerton Crime Index as a leading example of how crime risk scores can be applied to real-world decisions, from facility location planning and resource allocation to insurance, liability, and stakeholder safety.

How to Integrate Risk Intelligence Into Your Security Strategy in 2026:
Let risk data guide where the next security dollar goes.

How to apply it:

• Pull crime and risk scores by region or site
• Map them against incident history, spend and business criticality
• Rank investments (technology, staffing, hardening) based on data, not instinct

7. Embed Sustainability and Remote-First Operations into Security Strategy

Sustainability is no longer optional. 48% of security leaders say sustainability is important when selecting technology, and 33% are directly involved in sustainability initiatives¹.

Security programs are responding by prioritizing:

• Remote-first monitoring and maintenance
• Reduced travel and site visits
• Energy-efficient hardware and cloud security services

Securitas Technology already empowers organizations to monitor the environmental impact of their security systems over time. With access to device-level power consumption and CO₂e estimates into sales quotes and lifecycle management tools, businesses can make informed decisions that support sustainability goals from the start.

How to Embed Sustainability into Your Security Strategy in 2026:

Design security programs to be efficient, remote-enabled, and environmentally responsible from day one.

Best practices to adopt:

• Favor cloud and remote services over on-site interventions
• Select power-efficient cameras and access devices
• Begin tracking energy usage and CO₂e impact at the device level

Looking Ahead

The organizations that succeed in 2026 won’t be chasing every new technology - they’ll be doubling down on what works, integrating systems intelligently, and using data to guide decisions.

By focusing on proven AI, cloud, and hybrid platforms, verified response, risk intelligence, and sustainable operations, security leaders can build a modern security strategy that is resilient, scalable, and aligned with broader business goals.

To explore the data and action plans behind these strategies, read the 2026 Global Technology Outlook Report 

Sources:

1. Third-party blind survey of 575 security and loss prevention professionals with decision-making authority for security technology in Australia, France, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Conducted February & March 2025.
2. In-house branded survey of 4540 Securitas Technology clients in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Conducted November 2024.