February 2026 Issue

January has already set a demanding pace for the security industry, and returning from Intersec 2026, that momentum feels both tangible and unavoidable. The show floor in Dubai once again proved why Intersec remains such a reliable barometer for global security priorities. Conversations were less about novelty and more about deployment, accountability, and long-term system resilience. That shift is reflected clearly across this issue. 

As the industry now turns its attention toward ISC West in Las Vegas, the direction of travel is becoming clearer. 2026 is shaping up to be a year defined less by individual technologies and more by how those technologies are governed, integrated, and sustained. 

Our Cover Story for this issue features Jaroslav Barton, Director Product Marketing, Physical Access Control at HID who identifies how facial recognition ss the natural progression in access control advancement.

We also feature interviews with Rudie Opperman of Axis Communications in our Innovator, and a 2026 Trends report insights with Kaseya. 

This issue is our annual A-Z Product Showcase, and it arrives at an important moment, featuring leading technologies for the year ahead. This section includes insights from the likes of Johnson Controls, Kentix, Verkada and so many more.

Our access control feature examines how integration, accountability, and operational discipline are overtaking hardware innovation as the sector’s defining challenge. Meanwhile, our camera analysis, informed by Intersec and recent off calendar launches, explores how video technology is entering a more measured and disciplined phase, prioritising architecture and performance consistency over specification escalation. We also cover Biometrics and Cyber in this issue.  

We also bring you insights from Messe Frankfurt Middle East and Intersec directly in our comprehensive Intersec Review section, while our Ask the Expert with Traka features Roshin Roy who discusses key and asset management, in his interview conducted at Intersec. The discussion highlights how key and asset management is expanding into wider operational governance, reflecting a broader convergence between security, safety, and compliance that is now impossible to ignore. 

And don’t miss your chance to get to know Bonnie Butlin, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Security Partners’ Forum (SPF) and Security Buyer Awards Winner.