Beyond Silos – Holistic Security for a Hyper-Connected World
10th September, 2025 • The St Regis (Corniche), Abu Dhabi, UAE
The convergence of cyber & physical security has profound implications for CISOs, CSOs and the technology they use. What do they need to know?
The next phase of intelligent defence
The once-discrete realms of physical and cyber security are becoming ever more tightly integrated—and inseparable. Digital connectivity and control of physical assets increases the stakes of cyber intrusions. In addition, modern physical security systems —surveillance networks, access control, biometric authentication— are now deeply reliant on IP connectivity, cloud infrastructures, and AI-driven analytics.
These systems, once standalone, are now nodes in the broader attack surface. A vulnerability in a smart lock or networked camera isn’t just a device-level flaw—it’s an entry point into critical infrastructure.
As threats increasingly span both cyber and physical domains, traditional siloed security models are becoming a liability.
CISOs, CSOs and vendors all need to understand the high-level implications of physical/digital convergence and they need to translate that into updated real-world frameworks, cross-domain incident response planning, and threat modelling that integrates physical and cyber domains.
One way to think about this is security convergence: if attackers are exploiting the seams between digital and physical systems then converged teams reduce duplication and align security with business goals. They also deliver unified visibility into cyber-physical risks, faster, more coordinated incident response and improved compliance, communication, and strategic oversight.
So, what are the action points for CISOs?
CISOs need to take the lead in unifying cyber and physical security teams and leadership. They need to define shared roles, responsibilities, and escalation paths. And they need to develop joint security policies and standards.
More generally, the converged security challenge is to keep on top of cross-domain vulnerabilities regularly and implement the technologies that can cope with this new and evolving environment.
But security convergence is not a one-time project—it’s a strategic evolution. CISOs must tailor their approach to their organization’s structure and risk profile, engaging cross-functional leaders and expert advisors along the way. Many organizations lack the in-house talent to execute this comprehensive vision. So, where can they turn to for help in architecting and operationalizing truly unified security strategies?
Holistic security isn’t a trend—it’s the next phase of intelligent defence. If you're not building it, you're behind. CISOs must lead the charge toward security convergence to ensure operational resilience and business continuity.
This event will look at the skills, people, processes, technologies and governance models needed to secure complex, hybrid environments. And we will explore how technologies like AI and quantum computing will affect both sides of the security equation.
