External interview with Yves Berchten, CEO of Protectas Group, in Security 360 supplement.
Published September 28, 2026
Below is an English adaptation of an interview originally published in the Security 360 supplement of the Swiss newspapers 24 heures and Tribune de Genève.
Read the full (French) interview in Security 360 supplement→
Yves Berchten, CEO of Protectas Group, Securitas’ business in Switzerland, describes a security sector undergoing rapid change. Here, he examines how risks are evolving and explains how AI, video, data, and robotics can support earlier prevention while keeping people at the center of decision-making.
Yves Berchten, how have security challenges evolved in recent years?
Technological developments have profoundly changed the way we approach security. What seemed unthinkable 20 years ago is now achievable, thanks in particular to artificial intelligence and the integration of different systems.
We are gradually moving from a model based primarily on presence and reaction to one with services capable of detecting, analyzing, and intervening earlier. This means no longer working in silos. Alarms, video, observations from the field, and other useful information must be connected.
Technology is most valuable when it helps operators access the right information, understand it, and act more quickly. But this evolution requires maturity, technical and financial resources, and a real capacity to invest. It also requires the right infrastructure, including a security operations center, or SOC, that can centralize information and turn it into actionable insights.
Not every company will necessarily be able to keep pace. At the current rate, the next five years could bring as much technological development as the last 25.
What are the main risks that people will increasingly face in the future?
We must avoid painting an alarmist picture. What we are seeing above all is that risks are evolving faster and becoming more diffuse and interconnected.
Organizations today must now consider physical safety, business continuity, climate-related events, social tensions, fraud, digital risks, and cybersecurity at the same time. The mass of available information has also increased dramatically. We need to be able to understand what is happening globally, within a particular geographical area or industry, and in an organization’s immediate environment. Information management is becoming central.
We are also seeing more situations in which several risks converge. A cyber incident can have physical consequences. A climate-related event can disrupt an activity. False or misleading information can intensify an already sensitive situation.
Prevention, preparedness, and the ability to maintain essential operations are therefore becoming inseparable.
Are we moving from a mainly reactive approach toward more anticipatory security?
Yes. We are moving from reactivity to proactivity and, in the future, probably more to predictivity. Information plays a decisive role in this shift.
The more data we have from incidents or real-world events, the better we can try to identify conditions that may indicate an emerging risk. This does not mean that everything can be predicted. A mature approach to security combines three capabilities: preventing incidents where possible, detecting deviations early enough, and responding proportionately.
Anticipation is above all about reducing uncertainty and shortening the time between a signal and a decision. The longer that interval becomes, the more difficult it is to respond effectively. Any intervention must then be adapted to the context.
Preparedness therefore also means knowing who to mobilize and how to communicate when an incident occurs.
In concrete terms, what does it mean to anticipate a risk today?
It begins with understanding your environment and its vulnerabilities, then bringing together information that was previously assessed separately. An isolated signal often means very little. Its value comes from contextualization and having it validated by professionals.
Let's take a simple example involving the weather. Heavy rain does not necessarily pose a danger on its own. But if it occurs at a time when large numbers of leaves are falling, and in an area that is particularly exposed, the combination of these different factors can increase the risk of accidents.
Anticipation means cross-referencing several pieces of information, such as weather conditions, the surrounding environment, the season, and the condition of the ground to identify a potentially threatening situation before it develops. You can then decide, for example, to send a team to check certain areas as a preventive measure rather than waiting for an incident to occur.
The same principle applies to a festival. Weather conditions are now an integral part of crisis preparation and management. Organizers need to know in advance whether the necessary teams will be available and what resources may need to be mobilized.
Anticipation therefore depends on the quality of information, professional experience, and the ability to prepare an appropriate response. It does not replace reacting to an incident. It allows decisions to be made earlier.
In your opinion, which new technologies will most profoundly transform security in the coming years?
Video will play a very important role. Cameras have evolved enormously. They are more accessible, can be operated remotely and, above all, can be combined with analytics.
The challenge is no longer simply viewing an image, but identifying relevant events. An unusual gathering outside an entrance, a vehicle somewhere it should not be, or a person crossing a barrier can all become signals requiring attention.
At a large site equipped with hundreds of cameras, no operator can monitor everything continuously. The system must therefore be able to flag situations that really require attention.
Remote monitoring also makes it possible to respond without having someone physically on site. At a location that is closed overnight, an intrusion can be detected, visually verified, followed by the appropriate intervention or deterrent action, rather than being discovered the next morning.
Connected sensors, monitoring platforms, and automation will also play a greater role. Their value does not lie in using each technology in isolation, but in their ability to form a coherent sequence: detect, assess, decide, and respond.
What role will artificial intelligence and data analysis play in this evolution?
They will play an important role, particularly in filtering information and reducing false alarms.
A video system can be affected by rain, snow, or moving foliage. If the operator receives an alert for each movement, their screen quickly becomes overwhelmed with unnecessary notifications.
Machine learning can help the system distinguish normal movement from a truly abnormal event. The aim is to better prioritize alerts more effectively, focusing human attention where it is most needed.
We also have access to a lot of information, including digitized reports, observations from agents, photos, incident histories, and sector-specific data. Analytical tools will make it possible to cross-reference these sources and identify essential information more quickly.
In Switzerland, these applications must remain transparent, proportionate, and complaint with data protection requirements. Technology must support decision-making, not systematically replace human judgement when a situation could have significant consequences.
Will these new technologies also transform the role of people?
Yes, but they will not make people secondary. Above all, they will change where people add the greatest value.
Some repetitive, arduous, or complex tasks can be automated or carried out by drones and, increasingly, robots. People will be able to focus more on analyzing situations, interacting with the public, de-escalating incidents, making decisions, and responding when necessary.
This requires continuous skill development and training so that professionals can use these tools effectively while retaining their capacity for judgment.
People will remain responsible for understanding the context and making decisions. Their experience and ability to intervene will remain essential. We should therefore not think in terms of "people or technology", but "people and technology".
If we look ahead ten years, what could an effective security system look like?
It will be more integrated, connected, mobile, and adaptive. We will need to think cross-functionally instead of creating separate solutions that operate independently.
Information from the field, technical systems, video, and historical records will need to be brought together to provide a clearer picture of risk. The challenge will be to contextualize this information more quickly to help professionals understand a situation and determine their response.
An effective system will detect risks early enough, mobilize the right resources and, when possible, prevent a weak signal becoming a crisis.
However, this evolution must be understood, accepted, and appropriately governed. Trust will be decisive. Technological performance cannot be separated from the way these tools are used and perceived.
