How Cybersecurity and Physical Security Work Together

Today’s business environment sees digital and physical threats constantly overlapping. A facility door might be opened by a network command, or a critical server compromised through an unsecured physical access point. Attackers no longer focus on isolated vulnerabilities; they will exploit any weakness, whether in software or a building’s perimeter. Relying on separate physical and cyber security teams, each working in isolation, creates dangerous gaps in protection. To truly safeguard assets and operations, physical security and cybersecurity must operate as one.

Cyberattacks impacting physical systems cause significant financial harm. In a 2024 survey of more than 1,000 cybersecurity professionals, almost half (45%) reported losses of $500,000 (£372,800) or more in the last 12 months from such attacks, with 27% losing $1 (£745,000) or more. The global cyber-physical security market is growing, and is projected to reach $255.3 billion by 2029 (£190.35 billion), up from $124.1 billion (£92.53 billion) in 2024.

What is Cyber-Physical Security?

Cyber-physical security addresses the protection of systems where digital controls directly interact with physical infrastructure. This includes smart building management, networked access control, integrated surveillance, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices within an organisation. These systems are prime targets because breaching their digital components can lead to direct physical disruption or unauthorised entry.

The connection between cyber and physical security attacks plays out in two common ways:

• Cyberattacks Affecting Physical Systems: This involves using digital means to disrupt, damage, or control physical infrastructure. Examples include hacking a building’s access control system to remotely open doors, disabling surveillance cameras, or manipulating industrial controls.
• Physical Attacks Aiding Cyber Exploitation: In this scenario, physical access facilitates a cyberattack. An intruder might enter a server room to install malicious software, tamper with networked hardware, or exploit an insecure physical device, such as an IoT sensor, as a launchpad for a broader digital attack.

How Global Threats are Shifting

The last 12 months have been characterised by global instability, which has a direct impact on security threats. Geopolitical tensions raise the risk of sophisticated attacks on essential infrastructure, often combining cyber and physical components. Economic uncertainty can also increase insider threats, where individuals may exploit either physical access or digital vulnerabilities to steal sensitive data or assets. Additionally, hybrid work models complicate access management for both physical premises and digital networks.

These changing threats highlight a strong need for combined defence. Ransomware, for instance, significantly impacts recovery costs. Research shows over half of businesses (53%) paid more than $500,000 (£372,800) in ransom to regain access after cyberattacks affecting their cyber-physical security. Operational disruption is also severe: 49% endured over 12 hours of downtime from such attacks in the last year, with one-third reporting at least a full day of downtime. Recovering from these incidents often takes a long time, a week or more for about half of those surveyed, and over a month for almost a third.

Remote access and supply chain weaknesses also pose considerable risks. Just under half (45%) of respondents stated that at least half of their organisation’s cyber-physical assets are internet-connected, often via VPNs that may lack specific security controls. Notably, 82% reported a cyberattack originating from a third-party supplier accessing their cyber-physical environment in the past year.

Why Integrated Security is Necessary Now

Bringing physical and cybersecurity teams and systems together offers clear advantages:

• Unified Threat Insight: Integration provides a single, comprehensive view of security events across digital and physical domains, enabling better risk assessment and identification of complex attack patterns.
• Faster, Coordinated Response: When a physical breach triggers a cyber alert, or vice versa, combined systems enable security teams to react more quickly and effectively, preventing issues from escalating.
• Stronger Protection: A unified strategy removes the unseen weaknesses that often exist between traditionally separate security departments, creating a more robust, layered defence.
• Better Data and Asset Protection: It provides a comprehensive shield for all sensitive data and physical assets, ensuring consistent protection across all attack pathways.
• Operational Resilience: By anticipating and mitigating blended threats, integrated security helps maintain business continuity even when facing complex attacks.
• Greater Efficiency: Collaborating avoids redundant investments and duplicated efforts, resulting in more effective resource utilisation and potentially lower overall security costs.

Putting Integrated Security into Practice: A Direct Approach

Effective physical security is a sound investment in a business’s ability to remain strong. When setting up cyber-physical systems, a comprehensive plan is most effective.

• Teamwork Across Functions: Establish clear communication and foster cooperation between IT/cybersecurity and physical security teams. Regular joint meetings and shared goals are highly effective in achieving results.
• Full Risk Assessments: Conduct integrated risk assessments that identify vulnerabilities across both digital and physical infrastructures. This ensures no potential attack route is overlooked.
• Connecting Technology: Choose physical security systems designed for connectivity and interoperability. This means using networked access control, IP-based surveillance, and security solutions that can share data and alerts with your wider IT security framework. For example, security doors or advanced entrance control systems can be integrated with your digital identity management systems. Physical barriers like security walls can also work with strong network security to protect vital data centres.
• Ongoing Training: Train all staff, from IT specialists to security personnel, on both cyber and physical security best practices. Emphasise how their actions contribute to the organisation’s overall security, reinforcing the importance of a vigilant workforce.

Organisations are gaining confidence in their risk reduction efforts, showing a growing maturity in defending cyber-physical environments. Most security professionals feel more confident in their organisation’s ability to withstand cyberattacks today compared to 12 months ago. This highlights that proactive integration strategies are proving effective.

The nature of threats will continue to change, becoming more complex and less confined to a single area. How quickly organisations can adjust their defences will be key. Integrated cyber-physical security is essential to protecting people, infrastructure and data.