September 2025 Issue

As the global security industry prepares to gather at GSX 2025, this special edition of International Security Buyer reflects both the scale of innovation on display and the critical issues shaping the sector today.  

At the heart of this issue is our Big Interview with Nick Chatzovoulos, CEO and Principal Consultant at XN Consultancy, who outlines strategies for resilience and crisis management in high-risk environments. His insights underline a clear truth: effective crisis management relies on seamless integration of security, cyber and intelligence functions into a unified decision loop. In an era of hybrid threats, this disciplined fusion is no longer optional but fundamental. 

Our feature on access control considers how this essential discipline is transforming from a basic regulatory requirement into an intelligence-led function that underpins organisational resilience. Today’s systems are expected to integrate with surveillance, visitor management, and building automation while meeting the complex demands of hybrid working and stringent regulation. Alongside this, our biometrics feature examines how exit-point authentication is reshaping risk management at airports, illustrating the growing role of advanced identity verification in safeguarding high-traffic environments. 

Elsewhere, our data storage feature addresses one of the most pressing operational challenges facing modern security: the exponential rise in data volumes. Paul Joseph evaluates how edge and hybrid storage solutions are emerging as practical answers, reducing reliance on central servers while delivering resilience and compliance. Complementing this, our education feature looks at how campuses are adopting layered technologies that balance safety, privacy, and interoperability — with measurable outcomes increasingly central to procurement decisions. 

Our Innovator interview with Suprema CEO Hanchul Kim explores how AI regulation and biometric authentication are converging, with privacy, inclusivity, and compliance driving product design and deployment. Meanwhile, Keynetics Managing Director Stuart Wheeler brings a more personal perspective in Into the Cloud, discussing the evolving attitude towards technology and the importance of forward-thinking in security leadership. 

We also include the IFPO column, The Secret Life of AI, which addresses the unregulated use of AI tools in daily workflows, an issue that will only grow in significance as organisations balance productivity with governance.