Cybersecurity vs physical security isn’t a competition, they are inseparable. While physical security uses tools such as locks, screening and access control systems to protect physical assets, cybersecurity protects the digital part of an entity such as data, software, and networks. With the rise of IoT enabled physical security systems, cyber-based mistakes have proved costly and often led to real-world physical security breaches.
Think of how a hacker can hack your CCTV system and disable cameras, override your biometric access control or even gain access to your building visitor management system and book themselves in. While your premises remains guarded with manpower, screening equipment and perimeter solutions that deter intruders, a single cybersecurity mistake can render all that physical security unreliable.
In this article we highlight five common cybersecurity mistakes that could cost your physical security, and how you can avoid them.
1. The Cybersecurity vs Physical Security Game
The biggest mistake is thinking cybersecurity and physical security are separate worlds, when today they are one connected security system. With IoT embedded into cameras, biometric access control, and visitor management platforms, every physical action begins digitally, meaning weak cybersecurity directly compromises physical security long before anything appears broken. Avoiding this requires an integrated mindset where cybersecurity is built into physical security planning from the start, policies reflect this shared responsibility, and organisations treat cyber and physical protection as one ecosystem rather than two disconnected functions.
2. Weak Passwords That Unlock Real Doors
One of the most common cybersecurity mistakes is still the simplest: weak or reused passwords. Many physical security systems, including CCTV servers, biometric access control software, and visitor management dashboards, are still protected by passwords never changed after installation. Remember that “admin123” default password set on day one? If it’s still in use, your system is already exposed. Reusing passwords across devices means a hacker only needs to crack one to disable cameras or unlock doors remotely. Strong, unique passwords, role-based user access, and two-factor authentication turn this easy mistake into a strong first line of defence.
3. Security Systems Connected to Open Networks
Connecting CCTV cameras or access control systems to the same network as office computers may feel convenient, but it exposes physical security to everyday cyber threats like phishing and malware. Once a hacker gains access to the corporate network, they can move into security systems, turning a single email click into disabled alarms, unlocked doors, or erased footage. Physical security should never be as easy to access as email, which is why systems should be placed on segmented or dedicated networks, protected by firewalls, and accessed remotely only through secure, encrypted connections.
4. Outdated Systems Running Your Security
Physical security systems are often installed and forgotten, with software updates treated as an IT task rather than a security requirement. Outdated firmware on CCTV cameras or access control panels creates vulnerabilities that attackers actively exploit, even when systems appear to be working normally. When updates are ignored, physical security becomes predictable and easy to bypass remotely. Regular firmware updates, scheduled patching, and working with vendor-supported maintenance are essential, because a security system that isn’t updated is no longer secure, no matter how advanced it once was.
5. Too Many People Have Access
In many organisations, access to security systems quietly expands over time, leaving former employees, installers, vendors, or temporary staff with active credentials long after their roles end. This creates a silent risk where a single compromised or misused account can delete footage, override access permissions, or manipulate logs, causing physical security failures, not because the systems are weak, but because access was never controlled. Reducing this risk means assigning role-based access, removing credentials immediately when someone leaves or completes a contract, and routinely reviewing who can view, control, or manage security systems.
If your cybersecurity is weak, your physical security is already compromised, you just haven’t seen the breach yet. At Securex, we don’t treat cyber and physical security as separate checkboxes. We design, deploy, and manage unified security systems where networks are hardened, access is controlled, systems are updated, and physical protection is built on secure digital foundations. That’s how modern security should work; quietly, intelligently, and without blind spots. If you’re not sure where your systems stand today, don’t wait for an incident to find out.
Request an audit of your security systems and uncover any hidden gaps before they turn into real-world security failures. Contact us.