Photo Credit: The Security Institute

As The Security Institute approaches its 25th Anniversary year in 2025, it has been decided that this year’s annual conference and awards ceremony is to be titled ‘The Changing Face of Security’ to reflect on the exponential shifts that security professionals have dealt with in recent years.

Held on the 16th of October 2024 at the prestigious Royal Society of Medicine at 1 Wimpole Street, the event will focus on the shift from  traditional physical security to a more comprehensive approach that prioritises organisational wellbeing. The scope of security roles has broadened considerably, with responsibilities now encompassing supply chain continuity, insider threat management, and overall organisational resilience. Reflecting these changes, job titles within the industry are evolving from Heads of Security to Directors of Risk and Resilience, signalling a new era for security leadership and a more comprehensive approach that encompasses the full breadth of protective security.

The ‘Changing Face’ has many sides: During the event, attendees will hear from industry experts and thought leaders on a broad range of topics, including the changing role of security leaders, the impact of technological advancements, updates from key organisations, the experiences of those who have started in one area of security only to transition to another field, and, crucially, the increasingly diverse and inclusive nature of the profession at large. A special panel featuring young professionals will also discuss the future of security careers, and what we can expect in the coming years.

This event represents a valuable opportunity for professionals across the security sector to gain insights into the latest developments and challenges shaping the industry.

The Security Institute CEO, Professor Simon Hepburn, had this to say regarding the event: “The last few years have seen much upheaval, both in the wider world itself in the form of an ever-more complicated and dynamic threat landscape, but also within our profession itself.”

 “That is why we at The Security Institute feel that, as a representative organisation of the profession, that it is of utmost importance that we address these challenges and prepare our membership, as well as the wider security industry, for them as best we can. It’s not just the ‘changing face of security’, it’s the ‘changing face of the world’, and we have to be ready for it.”