Living in interesting times

If you’re reading this, congratulations! You made it to 2025, and that means you get to set about fulfilling whatever resolutions you’ve made.

Time to hit the gym, or pick up that instrument, you know, all the classics. One of my personal resolutions this year is covering news in the security industry that gets overlooked or receives less consideration among other more popular topics. I was inspired by our 2025 predictions article where Stephen Burd, vice president of Essence Security, discussed a need in the new year for providers to have security solutions available for non-traditional situations, locations, or conditions.

Unfortunately, we’re beginning with an increasingly common threat situation on the eve of the New Year's celebrations in New York. An attack in Germany at a Christmas market in December proved to be deadly as an assailant drove into a crowd of civilians, killing five. Now weeks later NYC is taking no risks for its New Year's event which is expected to host more than a million people in Times Square.

To protect revelers, the intersections leading to the location will be blocked off with sanitation trucks to prevent vehicles from entering. Specialized units of officers and canine teams will be on scene, and in addition, law enforcement will be using boats, helicopters, and six teams of drones. It certainly has the appearance of being a secure event, but only time will tell if the response is textbook or security theater.

I personally hope that I won’t get the opportunity to find out, and if I have any wish for the new year, it’s for a kinder and gentler one than the last.

Happy New Year to all our readers from the editorial staff at Security Systems News (SSN).