2026 predictions: Security shifts to software, biometrics deployed at scale

YARMOUTH, Maine — Are biometrics the way to secure frictionless home security? What role does traditional hardware play in a market that’s shifting focus toward software? What does it mean to be a security expert when everyone needs to be? Industry experts shared their insights on what topics will be trending in the coming year.  

Focus shifting from hardware to software 

Tazmin Pirani, vice president, global engineering, for Johnson Controls, believes that the physical security industry will shift from a hardware- to software-driven mindset.  

“While hardware has long dominated the mind of security engineers, the path to success in 2026 and beyond will be in delivering flexible, cloud-based architectures that integrate across connected ecosystems,” she said. “Employing AI more effectively across software will also reduce the frequency of false alarms.” 

And it's the kind of transformation that will be spearheaded by more than just trained security professionals, says Micah Deriso, global head of channel at Verkada. 

“Security decision-makers are rapidly evolving,” he said. “As security technologies become more integrated and valuable across organizations, we expect more decision-makers will be involved in the buying process – including groups like IT, HR, and operations. Organizations will need partners who understand how security fits into these broader business ecosystems.” 

Expanded biometric deployment 

Biometrics are on track to become the next mainstream access credential, according to Jake Leichtling, senior director of access control at Verkada. As biometric identities become easier to manage within unified access control systems, he contends they will move from specialized deployments to everyday use. 

“Consumers already use biometrics every day to unlock their phones or verify purchases, but enterprise adoption has lagged due to management complexity,” he said. “As organizations look for secure, frictionless ways to manage identity, biometrics offer convenience and assurance – no badges to lose, passwords to forget, or phones to carry.” 

Kevin Woodworth, vice president - Global Product Management, Intrusion, at Johnson Controls agrees with that sentiment, saying that with facial recognition already embedded in consumer behaviors through devices such as smartphones, the demand for frictionless home security will only increase over the next year.   

“In the year ahead, biometric data will become more significant in the physical security industry as advancements in both physical and behavioral identification accelerate,” he said. “While it may not become mainstream in 2026, biometric authentication will increasingly find its way into more security systems – paving the path toward a future where homeowners can unlock and enter their homes with a simple thumb print scan, facial recognition from a doorbell camera, or even through voice recognition.”