The forgotten gap: Is your physical security at risk?

Nowadays, when talking about business security, the conversation always revolves around the same things: firewalls, cyberattacks, strong passwords, digital threats. And it makes perfect sense. We live surrounded by connected devices, exposed data, and threats that evolve almost daily.

But while we scrutinize every packet entering and leaving the network, we often forget something much simpler, equally critical, and surprisingly common: physical security.

We verify it in every project. No matter how fortified your network is, it's of little use if anyone can just walk in through the back door with a fake maintenance order. And, although it seems incredible, that happens every day.

What is a security study really?

When a “security study” is mentioned, many think of a technical document full of tables or a formal audit that ends up in a drawer. But a well-done security study is not that. It is something deeper and more valuable: a strategic analysis of everything that can put your assets, your operations, and most importantly, your business continuity at risk. Because yes, cybersecurity matters, of course. But everything starts and ends in the real world, in the physical space:

• Who enters your facilities?

• With what controls?

• What can that person see or touch?

• Where are the blind spots that no one supervises?

At Grupo Cybertix, we have always approached it the same way: it's not about making a checklist and accepting it as good, but about creating a real map of vulnerabilities, capable of making the difference between anticipating or regretting.

Physical security is not just a guard at the door

A very common image in many organizations: an access control post with a guard, some surveillance cameras... and the feeling that this is enough. But today, that approach is no longer sufficient.

Modern security demands a more technical, more dynamic, more integrated approach. It's not just about blocking access, but about deterring, detecting, acting before the damage escalates. We are talking about:

• Access systems with biometric control, multiple validations, traceability of movements.

• Architectural design oriented towards defense in depth: controlled zones, security rings, redundancies.

• Trained personnel, who are part of the protection system, not just passive operators. 

• Integrated protocols between technology, processes, and people.

When all that works in a coordinated way, you gain something fundamental: time. And in security, time is what makes the difference between a controlled scare and an irreversible crisis.

When the physical fails, everything else falls apart

It may seem exaggerated. Until you see the real cases. In 2025, a European energy facility was the victim of a cyberattack that started with a physical breach. An alleged technician entered, left a spy device, and weeks later the attack was activated.

In June of this very year, several US hospitals suffered similar intrusions. In one case, it all started with something as simple as a tablet left in a hallway, later used by external staff to access the systems.

They were not technological failures. They were physical supervision failures.

And the cost was not only economic. It also affected reputation, customer trust, even people's safety.

The environment: that great forgotten factor

When we talk about physical security, it's not just about doors, credentials, or sensors. The environment also matters: where your organization is located, what characteristics the surrounding area has.

• Is it easy to get in without being seen?

• Are there escape routes for an intruder?

• What is the local crime rate like?

• What response capacity do emergency services have?

You can have the best technical system in the world, but if you operate in a hostile or poorly designed environment, the risk multiplies.

What to protect? From whom? And how?

Here comes the essential part. Every organization, big or small, should be able to honestly answer three key questions:

• What should I really protect? Not just infrastructures: key people, critical processes, sensitive information, strategic relationships

• Who do I need to protect myself from? Not only from external threats, but also internal ones: negligence, sabotage, human errors.

• How do I do it effectively? Through a clear matrix of vulnerabilities and risks, allowing prioritization of resources.

It's not about protecting everything with the same intensity. It's about intelligently protecting what really matters.

The truth is in the field, not in the reports

This is one of the key points we repeat most: security cannot be audited just from a desk.

That is why we spend at least 50% of the time touring facilities, interviewing people, observing. We talk with security staff, but also with maintenance, logistics, management. We walk through access points, cross shifts, review schedules, analyze patterns. Only then are blind spots detected. Only then do the cracks that are not on the blueprints appear.

From diagnosis to action

A serious physical security study does not end with a nice report. It must provide a clear, realistic, prioritized action plan with a return:

• Preventive measures: controls, sensors, training.

• Corrective measures: operational adjustments, new policies.

• Contingency plans: what to do if everything fails.

And all of this integrated with business continuity plans, with an analysis of technical, economic, and operational feasibility. Because security cannot be just ideal: it has to be viable and sustainable.

And then?

Here comes the most important part: once the study is delivered, it must be turned into reality. That means making changes, installing technology, training people, establishing clear protocols. But also maintaining it over time. 

Physical security has a life cycle: implementing it once is not enough. It must be reviewed, adjusted, and evolved in the face of new threats.

Conclusion: look again where we stopped looking

We are clear about this: physical security is not something of the past. It is the foundation on which everything else is built. You can have the best network in the world, but if anyone can enter wearing blue overalls and a convincing smile, everything else falls apart.

Investing in physical security means protecting people, decisions, and futures. It means ensuring governance, continuity, and reputation.

And, above all, it's about stopping looking only at screens and starting to look at doors, hallways, people because that's often where the real crisis begins — or is avoided.

Miguel Ángel Guergué, Advisor at Cybertix.