John Lutz Boorman, Head of Product & Marketing at Hanwha Vision Europe, explores the importance of selecting the correct surveillance manufacturer.  

From cybersecurity to sustainability, the challenges that today’s organisations face make the correct choice of manufacturing partner is more important than ever. 

Businesses today must manage a range of unique challenges as they balance investment in technology and skills necessary to bring growth, while also controlling costs, protecting supply chains and mitigating cyber risks.  

All while meeting increasing demands to incorporate more sustainability-focused practices and use new technologies, such as AI, in a responsible way.

The result? A potent mix of potential problems for business leaders, but one that can be partly addressed by partnering with the right manufacturer.  

Building cyber resilience 

Half of UK businesses and around a third of charities (32%) reported some form of cybersecurity breach or attack in the 12-month period to April 2024, according to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology. 

Firstly, the cost of this can be huge: IBM believes the average cost of a data breach is now £3.7 million, up 10% from the previous year.

Secondly, what’s more, the number and complexity of cyber-attacks is on the rise.

In Europe, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) observed a threefold increase in cyber-attacks in 2024 when compared with 2023, logging 11,079 incidents and including 322 incidents specifically targeting two or more EU Member States. 

Lastly, cybersecurity is therefore a pertinent issue for business leaders, so it’s little surprise that the UK government and the European Union are working to reduce the risk of cyber-attacks on organisations.

The latest major efforts centre on two directives, the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and the Network and Information Security Directive 2nd edition (NIS2).  

The NIS2 Directive was adopted by the European Parliament and Council in December 2020.

The deadline for Member States to transpose the NIS2 Directive into applicable, national law was 17 October 2024.

Ultimately, the directive aims to improve the cybersecurity of network and information systems across the EU.

With more smart devices in businesses and homes, the European Commission is also looking to ensure an adequate level of cybersecurity in every product used within member states, with regular security updates throughout the product life cycle.  

And, while the UK is no longer a member of the EU, so falls outside this legislation, the UK Government has stated that it is planning its own NIS-equivalent changes in the upcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill.

Even then, if a UK business wishes to work with European customers, it will need to comply with NIS2, regardless.

The best way for leaders to future-proof their organisations for NIS2 and the CRA, and indeed other cybersecurity-focused legislations that are mandated, is to work exclusively with manufacturers which are committed to cybersecurity and ahead of the curve in complying with legislation.  

Vendors must also show that they are conducting risk assessments to identify, assess and mitigate any risks to their network.

This is an approach taken by Hanwha Vision’s Security-Computer Emergency Response Team (S-CERT), which regularly runs penetration testing and security checks.

Furthermore, Hanwha Vision’s products are all designed and developed with security in mind, with UL CAP Certification in the Wisenet 7, Advanced System On Chip (SoC).

Certified to ISO 27001, the international standard for information security, the company regularly publishes potential threats and vulnerabilities as a CVE Numbering Authority (CNA), and provides users with information about their products’ security features and how to use them. 

ESG in full focus 

Environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) increasingly impacts how brands are perceived by customers.

As such, ESG plays an ever more important role in maintaining customer loyalty and providing businesses with investment prospects. 

Indeed, more than 60% of customers are now basing their purchasing decisions on how sustainable and ethical a brand is, and this is growing by 10% every year, according to consultancy PwC.4.  

An organisation’s choice of vendors and supply chain will influence many parts of its ESG profile.

Yet when it comes to video technology manufacturers, they are not all the same – and many don’t place sufficient emphasis on sustainable or in-house manufacture, ethical supply chains, or reducing energy and waste, for example. 

Working with a reputable manufacturer can support an organisation’s ESG efforts through the use (and transparent declaration) of sustainable manufacturing operations, ethical supply chains and lower energy usage. 

A member of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, Hanwha Vision is committed to sustainable manufacturing.

At the firm’s Vietnam-based smart factory, for example, all production environments and equipment are managed in an integrated way for efficiency.

Solar panels deliver sustainable electricity to the plant and help reduce energy consumption.

Additionally, ISO 37301 certification reaffirms the company’s commitment to excellence, ethics and sustainability. 

Hanwha Vision operates a green purchasing strategy, prioritising products with minimal energy and raw material resource impacts.

Production materials are carefully selected to aid in disassembly and recycling.

Optimising water and energy use has led to a fall in energy consumption between 2021 and 2022, while renewable energy use has accounted for a greater proportion of total energy mix year-on-year.

Water use and wastewater creation are down, along with air pollutant emissions, for the same period. 

Hanwha Group also participates in the World Economic Forum’s Center for Nature and Climate, and is a member of three of its initiatives: the First Movers Coalition, the Circular Transformation of Industries, and 1t.org.

Respectively, these aim to help decarbonise the world’s heavy-emitting sectors, promote a circular economy that minimises waste and encourages the sustainable use of natural resources, and conserve, restore and grow a trillion trees by 2030. 

Through these and other initiatives, the Hanwha Group is working to drive sustainability through innovation and the power of partnership.

That partnership extends to Hanwha Vision customers and users.

That’s because partnering with an ESG-focused manufacturer can provide an organisation with ongoing environmental gains and innovation.

For example, Hanwha Vision’s research and development team focuses on sustainable product development, with recent innovations including Edge AI, low-light technology and SolidEDGE cameras as a serverless VMS option to enhance energy efficiency.

Systems that use less energy not only save money, they contribute to the ESG bottom line. 

A reliable supply chain

Finally, one major concern for UK businesses centres on their supply chain resilience.

According to the Office for National Statistics, one in five (21%) businesses are concerned about their supply chains over the next 12 months. 

Yet, having control over the entire design and production process allows a manufacturer to adhere to design and specifications throughout manufacture, ensure product quality is consistent, and build resilience in the supply chain.

This ensures a consistent and reliable supply for customers. Those who simply relabel products manufactured elsewhere cannot do this and are at the mercy of their own supply chains, meaning any disruption is passed down the line. 

Businesses are also placing increasing importance on the steps that manufacturers take to ensure technology is designed, manufactured and used in a responsible way.

This is particularly true when businesses wish to work with public sector organisations, large corporations and sectors such as healthcare, education and law enforcement, where video technology must be 100% trusted. 

Indeed, UK authorities have warned of the risks associated with using certain manufacturers’ video surveillance equipment over fears that the technology presents a security risk. 

Such concerns overtrust can be alleviated by working with a manufacturer that is compliant with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

This US legislation prevents manufacturers from using silicon chips, electronic components and indeed, video technology if they have been sourced from blacklisted countries due to concerns that they might present cybersecurity risks. 

While the law specifically applies to the US, four in 10 (39%) UK security managers believe legislation similar to the NDAA will become law in the UK at some point.

Indeed, nearly one-third (31%) of UK security managers would actually support a version of the NDAA becoming law in the country.

Choosing a partner that is NDAA-compliant therefore provides a mark of trust. 

Trustworthy partners in surveillance

The myriad challenges that businesses face today may often seem insurmountable to managers and those highlighted here represent only a small selection of what leaders must consider every day to remain competitive.  

But working with a trusted partner that understands these challenges and actively helps organisations overcome them can help take some of the pressure off meeting targets. It’s what partnership means, after all! 

This article was originally published in the November Edition of Security Journal UK. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.