Intel’s Kasia Hanson – ‘On this journey of physical and cyber, there isn't just one destination’

LAS VEGAS—Physical security and cybersecurity are really two sides of the same coin, and the convergence of the two is considered the future of the security landscape, say the panelists for a session at ISC West.

Here’s a teaser for that session, “Critical Convergence: United Physical and Cybersecurity for Optimal Protection.” 

Layers of defense  

Kasia Hanson, global senior director, physical and cybersecurity ecosystems, Intel Corp., told Security Systems News that the session’s title was taken from the eBook that she and Antoinette King, director of sales for the East and head of cyber convergence, i-PRO Americas, collaborated on in 2023. The eBook discusses the changing landscape of security and why adopting a holistic approach to security will create a more robust security posture for organizations. 

“I look at it overall as what are the layers of defense that you need to have and understand,” she said. “I always say it's helping the defenders defend, right? We know that on this journey of physical and cyber, there isn't just one destination. It's a matter of having the right business practices, having the right strategies, holistic strategies that cover both physical and cyber. It's about teams coming together, business processes, etc., and having those foundational pieces in place so you can be successful.” 

Integrator perspective  

Gary Hoffner, vice president, PSLA Security, noted the importance of organizations deploying an “impactful” cyber defense against threat actors.  

“Cyber has to be front of mind always,” he said. “It hasn't been, it's still not widely adopted. I don't know what the percentages are, but I think it's sub 50%, and that would be pretty generous. The reason we've gotten involved so heavily is that in my four years on the PSA Cybersecurity Committee and serving as chair there, that really opened my eyes to all the threats out there and the exposure that it creates for the company.”  

Hoffner pointed out that cyber defense is about more than technology – it's about the people. 

"So, it's all about policies, practices, processes that really make the difference,” he said. “You can't learn those by just picking up an article and reading it you. You've got to have somebody in the organization who’s more of a practitioner and is going to go ahead and drive the effort, make the recommendations for not just education, awareness, policies and practices, but also for the technology to protect yourself." 

Benefits of attending  

Hanson and Hoffner summed up what they hope attendees gain from their session on physical and cybersecurity convergence.  

“I can say very clearly to lose the fear of starting on this journey and to commence with doing a cybersecurity program internally, and then of course protecting their apparatus at the install for the customer, and then ultimately, if they want to monetize it, offer it to their customers because there are many ways to do that,” Hoffner said. “I’ve got to tell you something - for me, it's been life changing. It's the most excited I've been about business in 30 years, honestly. It is a great opportunity for any security integrator to really get a little bit ahead, because there's going to be a point in time where they're going to be behind, and when they get that far behind, they're going to be left behind.”  

Hanson added, “I hope the audience will take away, depending on where they are on their journey, some business recommendations that help them go back and revisit what they're doing, build that strategic plan and look at what are they doing holistically for security, whether it's fit for both physical and cyber. And again, the team, the people - what are they doing from a business and a foundational perspective to adopt cybersecurity policies, procedures, technology.”  

The details

Date: Tuesday, April 9, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. in Casanova 603 at the Venetian Expo. 

Panel: Moderated by Dr. Elli Reges, director of learning and development at the Security Industry Association (SIA), the panel will consist of Kasia Hanson, global senior director, physical and cybersecurity ecosystems, Intel Corp.; Antoinette King, director of sales for the East and head of cyber convergence, i-PRO Americas; Will Knehr, senior manager of information security and data privacy, i-PRO Americas; and Gary Hoffner, vice president, PSLA Security.