If you had to render an opinion, would you say the world is a more or less dangerous place today than it was, say, ten years ago? Popular perception, driven perhaps by media sensationalism of both factual and fictional violence, is that we live in more perilous times. But statistics tell a different story.
In the U.S., violent crime has declined by more than half over the past quarter-century. Property crime has declined at an even greater rate. Even in those countries that have relatively high crime rates, crime is decreasing. In the Americas, Europe, and Asia, many crimes, including intentional homicides, have declined or remained flat. Only in Africa, where poorer countries may not have sufficient resources to invest in law enforcement, are researchers seeing an increase in certain crimes. The notable exception in a world that’s generally growing safer is, of course, cybercrime, where global losses continue to equal hundreds of billions of dollars annually.
What’s behind the numbers?
It’s a short leap for tech pros to make from lower crime rates to the proliferation of security technology. But a lot of civilians are making the leap using just common sense. The global market for home security systems was valued at over $45 billion in 2018 and analysts are predicting it will be worth over $75 billion by 2023. That’s a lot of ring-a-ding doorbell cameras.
General security anxiety is the top reason why people invest in home security systems. Having been victimized once is enough for some people and many invest in home security systems following a break-in. Certain life events, like buying a new home or starting a family also tend to prompt people to install them. But innovations in home security technology and the improved performance of today’s systems are also driving sales.
Patents past and pending
The history of the home security industry might be told in patents. Maria Van Brittan Brown, a nurse who worked the night shift in Jamaica Queens, filed a patent for the first home security system in 1966. She was motivated by a powerful instinct—survival. The patent was granted three years later for a system that incorporated existing closed-circuit television technology, a hardwire connection to law enforcement, a panic push-button, and a remote locking device. Incidentally, it was also wireless, though it relied on the radio signals available to her at the time. Since Brown was awarded her patent, more than a dozen other patents have been filed that reference Brown’s pioneer system. If you examine all the bells and whistles today’s systems offer, it’s interesting to note that innovations have largely been tactical, not strategic. The underlying concept of home security systems—notice danger, call for help—remains unchanged.
#cybersecurity #iot security #security
