Future-ready security: Where minds meet, talent thrives, and intelligence empowers

As crime grows more sophisticated, the security industry is transforming fast. This article explores how collaboration, skilled people, and ethical use of intelligence are shaping a smarter, more resilient approach to keeping communities safe.

As threats to public safety evolve, crimes are increasingly sophisticated and relentless, with the security industry under mounting pressure to step up and respond.

According to our 2025 Security Radar Report, a third (32%) of organisations cite the fast-changing threat landscape as their biggest challenge. In this context, the future of security will be defined not just by by  the power of collaboration, investing in people, and the ethical integration of intelligence.

Teaming up to create safer streets

We are increasingly seeing the impact that working together as an industry can have on building safer communities.

Encouragingly, three in five (60%) security leaders told us that they have seen growing cooperation between the public and private sectors over the past 18 months. This collaboration is becoming increasingly integrated thanks to initiatives such as the Government Crime Action Plan, which has been underpinned by Pegasus, a data- sharing agreement between retailers, police forces and the security industry to tackle retail crime.

According to the 2025 Crime Survey, shoplifting costs retailers £20 billion a year, which ultimately impacts the pockets of every shopper, and Pegasus was formed to tackle this. Pegasus perfectly illustrates how effective a collaborative approach can be in tackling crime, having led to 148 arrests in its first year alone. Now we know the model works, there’s an opportunity to see how the security industry can put it to work to tackle other societal issues.

Training for today and tomorrow

Technology and intelligence are game changers for the future of security, but they can only be harnessed in tandem with rethinking how we develop our security personnel. Our research found that two thirds (69%) of organisations cite a lack of specialised skills and certifications as a major challenge to hiring qualified professionals. In response, nearly half (49%) are investing in training. This is a huge opportunity for us as an industry to develop the role of security professionals, upskilling our people so they have all the knowledge to use new tools to respond effectively to an evolving threat landscape.

To keep pace with advancements in technology, the Security Skills Board has advocated for a national Security Skills Academy to address the industry-wide skills gap. This follows findings from the National Skills Survey where two thirds (66%) of respondents said funding is a barrier to their career development, so not only are we giving people a skills boost, we’re also helping them build long-term careers in security.

Ensuring ethical intelligence

We know that technology is reshaping the industry, with four in five (79%) organisations already using or planning to implement facial recognition and AI-powered video analytics, but the effectiveness of technology depends on ethical deployment, and this requires human oversight.

Security technology makes catching criminals and case building easier and can even act as a deterrent. Retrospective facial recognition, for example, can link multiple crimes to a single perpetrator. These intelligent security technologies are quickly gaining traction within the industry, and almost half (44%) of security leaders believe technology will increase overall effectiveness and enhance efficiency. However, the success of these tools hinges on skilled professionals who can interpret data, manage systems and uphold those important ethical standards.

A clear path forward for the security industry

Security threats constantly evolve. The path forward for us as an industry lies in effective collaboration, investment in training and getting the ethical deployment of technology right. If we can do this, the security industry has all the tools to adapt to emerging threats and build safer communities for everyone.

Gary Culloden

Managing Director, Security

Mitie

www.mitie.com/intelligence-services