Episode 19 Future-Proofing Security: Where Architecture, Infrastructure, and Technology Meet

Welcome to Executive Checkpoint, the live podcast for security professionals. Each week, we explore industry trends, challenges, and insights with leading experts. This is your insider access to the minds driving change in our industry.

Welcome to Executive Checkpoint, where security leaders get the insight they need to stay ahead in the physical and cybersecurity world. I'm your host, Tino Urbina, and today we have a tremendous guest, Mr. Michael Nyola. He is the principal and co-founder of the consulting group known for blending security architecture and technology into a unified solution. In this episode, Michael shares with us how thoughtful design and strategic integration can shape the safe, smart environments of tomorrow. So Michael, it's a pleasure to have you. I'm glad that we got the opportunity to engage. And so welcome to the show. Hey, Tino.

Yeah, thanks for having me. I'm excited to be part of this. I do want to say that part of what you're talking about is what helps us future-proof security designs. And, you know, If we take a step back in like the theme of future-proofing, I think we also need to future-proof the security industry. And I think part of that is really using new media like podcasts to reach out to a wider audience to make more awareness for our industry and get more talent. So I do wanna say that I'm happy to see that the industry's embracing this more and more with people like you and others. So thank you for that.

Oh, appreciate it. So glad to talk to people, especially because to your point, there is a need for us to align with different perspectives. You know, I feel like we sometimes stagger on what we know works. And yeah, we cannot afford to do that, right? We're going to continue to move with the new technology, the new trends, the new situational awareness that a changing world dictates. So I gotta ask you, I mean, we were talking about earlier how long you've been in the industry, and it's always shocking, right? How long it takes to be a so-called expert, but you are one. 20 years in the industry, just about, right? How did you get started in the industry?

Yeah, almost 20 years, like you mentioned, and it is sometimes shocking to look back and be like, whoa, 2 decades. I mean, that's a long time. Like you said a little bit earlier off camera, we were saying like 10 years, it feels like, okay, I've arrived. I kind of know what I'm doing.

Yeah.

You're like, I'm still here, I guess I'm an expert. But it's been a great career, a lot of great exposure to some good projects, good companies I've worked with. But I got my career started in one of the biggest MEP and engineering firms in the world, really, Sysco Hennessy. I started off with them as an engineer on the technology side. So they're an MEP firm that does technology as well. And I think that gave me a really good strong foundation of what it's like to design really well-engineered, systems. And also a really good insight because at that point in time when I started my career and I was there, they were going through not just Cisco Hennessy, but I feel like the security industry overall was going through a phase where we're trying to really change our perception from being security engineers to security consultants and being more bigger picture and broader, looking at not just the systems but looking at operations, looking at the building and how can we partner.

Right.

Yeah, how can we partner with all the other disciplines to bring the best solutions to the table. So it was an interesting point in my career and point in the industry's timeline as well. And then I think through that, like, I think some systems started to become commoditized, like IT infrastructure became commoditized. AV in some cases, like simple conference rooms or signage, like a lot of the manufacturers were making— were prepackaging solutions. So AV design, to a certain case, became commoditized, but security remained different. And I think that's because the threat landscape is always changing. We mentioned that a little bit earlier when we were chatting. It's a consistently changing threat landscape. There's a heightened sense of security in our society, and it's almost been like increasingly heightened over time. But also, I think that means now that there's more eyes on security, and security professionals have a seat at most tables now. And that's an exciting time and exciting place to be in the industry for sure. So a lot of what we do now is leading with security.

Yeah. And you know what's interesting you mentioned? I feel to agree with you that for the longest time we sort of kind of operated in a silo, right? Like we were the stepchild. And then as technology evolved and we started to touch other sectors, right? IT specifically. Yeah, we have to be participants in the architecture of all this, you know, the science, the biggest, you know, scale of the design. So let me ask you, when you, when you walk into a building, do you see architecture or do you see risk?

Man, that's a greatly worded question because I feel like most people fall in one or the other. Um, my, my background is not in architecture. My background is in engineering. I have an engineering degree. and I started at an engineering firm. So it, it, from, from a trade perspective, when I step into a facility, I think of things from probably more from the security and the risk perspective.

Okay.

Like a couple of years ago, I, I was visiting Ecuador and I landed right in the international gate. And, and the next thing you know, I'm looking up, I'm like, whoa, where are these cameras? Oh wait, that looks like a corridor that shouldn't be accessed, but it's accessible. So I just go down that corridor and they think, like, next thing I know, I bypassed all of customs and I found myself at baggage claim. I was like, whoa, something happened here. But it was because of that security mindset, right? But to your point, more and more, I have an increasing appreciation for architecture more and more, absolutely. And that's because of working with architects throughout my career and kind of learning how do I better communicate to them, you know, and in order to do that, I have to understand them better, understand what their goals are. And through that osmosis, I've learned a lot from architects, and I do have a bigger appreciation for architecture for sure. And when we're designing systems, we keep that in mind. We think of the architecture, we think of the materials, we think about space planning and all of that to be able to come up with better solutions.

Right. It seems to me that you— There was a point in your career, maybe a specific project where you were thinking, this is not just security, it's design, culture, and trust, right? Like, you know, you're explaining you're building all of it within a single design. Was that— was there a project that you can think of that brought that mindset? What did it click?

Yeah, you're, you're, you're good at this. Because as you're describing it, I'm thinking back and like, you're right. Yeah, there was a shift. I can't think of a specific project, but I can think of a specific point in my career when I was becoming more of the project manager front-facing with the architect. And, you know, at that point, I've had maybe 10 years of experience designing really, really well-engineered security systems. So I think, hey, Mr. Architect, I'm the security professional. I'm bringing to you what I think is the best solution for this building. Of course, you're gonna accept this. And I think that's where And then it's like it just falls flat, and they're like, uh, no, we can't do that. Our beautiful architecture is going to be, uh, you know, hurt by all these wall warts or things you're trying to put on my, on my building. And that's when I realized there's a disconnect there, um, and you need to bridge that disconnect. So I am a big proponent of saying we need to appreciate architecture. Security designers need to appreciate it, security professionals. I think it will eventually make a better outcome for the security design and the solution, right? But it also just makes you a better partner with the architect and creates that trust with them and that relationship. And all that's gonna benefit all of us. You know, architects become more receptive to making decisions that are enhancing security. You know, they don't only become more receptive to your, as a security professional, your recommendations on, you know, what systems you need or where you should put some spaces. They also start thinking thinking with more of a security mindset themselves. And that's what we need. We need everyone to invoke security through each discipline that they come to the table with.

Sure. You know, it feels that it's almost like you're telling people they have to have broccoli with their birthday cake, right? Because, you know, security is kind of— it's hard to make it frictionless or You know, like I was alluding earlier with that conversation with that architectural group, transparent, right?

Yeah.

It should not be seen, but we need to create those barriers, right? And there's friction within those barriers. We try to minimize it with technology. I think we're getting there eventually. But when you engage, you know, that intersection of integration, design, and implementation, How do you bring that broccoli conversation to an architect when they're so focused on the design and the feel of the location?

I might start using that. That's like, we're going to have the broccoli conversation now. I'm going to start using that.

Right?

Yeah, that's good. That's good. I think it's going to look different every time, you know, depending on the relationship you have with the other individuals at the table, what's their experience with security, professionals and consultants, right? But I think the goal is to start getting onto— getting into the conversation earlier and earlier. I mean, notoriously, security and technology overall, we're kind of the last ones that are brought to the design table, right? We're brought on and saying, yeah, we're brought on and say, hey, just Band-Aid your stuff on top of what we've already designed, and you're already starting off on the wrong foot there. So really, it's trying to get in there earlier and earlier, and the conversations, the earlier you get in, the, the easier those conversations are, because now you're trying to talk to the architect like, hey, um, what are— let's talk about paths of travel. Let's talk about where do you have different spaces, right? So that, um, what are your different space adjacencies based on— um, you might have like an IDF room, high-security IDF room, or a data center, and then you need some amenities and lounges. Where are all of those places located? Because that is going to affect path of travel. And then eventually it's gonna affect how much technology I need to put in there for security, right? So if we talk to them earlier, we can be part of that conversation together. And, you know, they're not always so very receptive 'cause they're— sometimes architects are wondering like, well, why do you care about this? This is the architecture design, high-level portion. But there is a little bit of education that gets done there to sort of show them the value that we bring.

Right.

So if you do come to the table early, that's gonna be very helpful. And that's where I think the magic starts to happen. If it's a little later in the game, then it is a little bit of a tougher conversation. But that's also where we get to try and become a little bit more creative. That's where we can think of, you know, well, yes, if you're gonna have hundreds of card readers because Mr. Architect, you didn't zone this out properly. And that's not a real jab at architects. I love my architectural partners. But like, yes, if you're gonna have— hundreds and hundreds of card readers and cameras. Okay, well, maybe let's look at devices that can integrate with the doorframe better or that can integrate with your ceiling panels better. And we can try to make this not as intrusive as possible. And that's what we need to do to address it from that point of view.

Right. And, you know, we always have to remember, unfortunately, Security often kicks in when something goes wrong, right? So how do you find— have you found a good way to have this conversation with people and invest in a design or a perspective when everything is going okay? I mean, how does that conversation go with your team and the design group?

Yeah, again, another great point. And that's a notorious kind of symptom of what we're— of our industry. But I think that we are lucky in a way that right now the industry is paying attention more to security. There's where it used to be only IT directors or security directors or the officers that would be part of the conversations when we're trying to design something. Now you've got more of facilities. You have someone representing the end user because we are kind of in a heightened state of security awareness right now. But that's just one part of it. It's also because, from my belief, is that security systems are now also playing a bigger role in shaping the experience that individuals have with the built environment, right? So visitor management, for example, is often the first touchpoint you have once you come into a building as a visitor, and that's part of security. If you design that well and the workflow beyond that, I mean, that's all could potentially increase the— that level of interaction that you have with the facility, that satisfaction that you have as a user experiencing this facility. So because of that, the other design professionals are more receptive to what we have to say or are more interested, right? Security is also becoming a lot more tech-forward and technology is all being integrated with one another. So the conversations are a little bit, a little bit better now from that end. There's a quote by a Finnish architect. I'm gonna, I'm gonna mess up his name. Juhani Pallasmaa, I think, something like that. But he says, the door handle is the handshake of the building.

Oh.

And I think great quote, right? That's your first interaction with the building. But now I think more and more it's usually a technology system or a security system that is that first interaction with the building, right? Maybe it's access control. That then in a way elevates our role or just has individuals more interested in what we have to say, like, okay, what's the latest and greatest? Or yes, how can you help us? Because we all want to make the user experience better. And, you know, they're happy to bring us— happier to bring us to the table now.

Right. It's almost like you're suggesting, you know, that security can be beautiful. by utilizing it correctly and in the, you know, implementing it in the right portion of the design, right? Otherwise you're sort of patching the situation. So, um, right now, what's the most exciting, uh, conversations you're having with architects, tech leaders, or clients? What, what is, what is in the now? What's going on in your world?

Yeah, I think A big thing that's happening now that I think is very— well, I think of 2 things, but 2 things that excite me of my kind of day-to-day interacting with clients. One is specifically in higher ed. This happens in some other markets, but higher ed I've seen is at the forefront for a couple of years now of unifying different technology systems, you know, with their whole one-card philosophy and using one card to do many different things, whether it's not just access control, but it's also your ID, it's also what you use at your point of sale, it's also what you use to to, you know, get into the gym, all that sort of stuff. But they've taken it one step further. We're having lots of conversations with higher ed clients on how can I think of this holistically and start to really integrate all my systems, not just my security systems and facility systems, but overall all my business systems. And those conversations, I think, are very— they're very exciting. You need to get creative, and you need to, as a professional, start to learn more about all these other systems and APIs and the different capabilities. I think that for me right now is an area that's very exciting. We're doing a lot in that right now. And then the other component is AI, AI in general, but AI in healthcare specifically. What, what kind of opened my eyes a bit more here was that healthcare, from my perspective, they've often or traditionally been They haven't traditionally been early adopters of technology. They're often just cautious. Are you— let's test this, let's make sure it's going to work.

Regulations, there was a limitation, right, for some of them?

As well, as well, yeah. But now healthcare facilities are amongst the most innovative right now. Um, they're eager early adopters, and it's because AI has some real, real— not just promise, but real use cases that are, are applicable and We're having those conversations every day. I think, to be quite frank, I think it's with our healthcare clients that I'm talking about AI more than anyone else.

Interesting. That's very— so it sounds to me that we arrive always to security always had a hard time justifying their cost, right? So showing ROI to the business side is becoming more and more important. And it feels that you guys discovered a good way to bring all the stakeholders to those conversations. And, you know, frankly, probably it helps you when it comes to budgets and such, because everybody now has ownership of the design and the decisions made. You are reading my mind.

I was going to say one special thing that happened is that now security systems are being procured by more than just the director of security's budget. Now it's also facility, it's also, it's a wider scale now. Um, you're, you hit the nail on the head on that one. Yep.

Yeah, someone is going to own it before, after it's installed, right? So might as well get them involved with facilities, HR benefits, you know, there's got to be some quantifiable KPIs to your point. So I think, I think we got to become a little more strategic and intelligent when it comes to presenting these solutions, especially Like you guys design a full solution. It's not just one widget or one, right? So speaking of which, let's say infrastructure is the bones, architecture is the skin, and technology is the nervous system. So where does security fit in that anatomy, would you say? Huh?

That's a great question. I like that because I always thought technology overall is, you know, we're like the veins and the nervous system and security is part of that too. But, you know, how can we get more granular? I think in many ways security systems are the eyes, the ears, and the hands of the building. We're talking about the anatomy, you know, for—

Right.

Different reasons, right? There's security sensors are your eyes and your ears. But why I think that's important is because to the point you were making earlier, The— what gives us the ability to elevate the value of security systems is to show other stakeholders how can they also use the information that's being brought in by these systems, right? Not just— we're not just using it for forensic use or monitoring systems in real time, but—

Yeah.

You can also use this data for room utilization, for looking at where do you have different surges of use in your building and Different individuals, different stakeholders might, might be, uh, interested in that information and use it in different ways. So it, it's becoming more that it's not just about security, it's just about all these— what's the data that you're collecting and how can we use it? So security systems are just almost like just another sensor in this big, uh, nebulous cloud of technology that's in the nervous system, right?

Well, and you know what, it's interesting that We are— you mentioned AI as a conduit to a lot of interaction. I feel like enterprise— and let me take that a few steps back. A lot of security professionals need to understand AI in a more granular way so they can be experts and advise their customers well. So I'm glad that you guys are doing a good job on that in that sector. But When I, when I think, and some of the people listening to the show, of course, we have a lot of leaders and executives and security professionals, but we also have some folks that are tuning in because they're curious about some comment that happened during our conversation. So how would you explain what you do to a 5-year-old or your grandma? In layman's terms, you can What do you do?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, um, great question. And, and honestly, the, the, um, comparison I use is, is like the anatomy of the building, and that is what I talk to them about. And I say, well, if the, the building were a living creature, right, um, architecture is the skin, like you said earlier, and technology is the, the veins or the nervous system, what's going in and in, in and around that building. And what I say is that we design security and technology systems everywhere from phone to cameras to card readers. Almost the endpoint doesn't almost really matter. We're just designing that circulation of data throughout your facility and then honing in on specific functions for that. So if it's for security, then honing in on what kind of information do you need in order for it to be actionable and help your day-to-day. If it's for IT, what kind of information do you need to make it actionable and be able to help you do your day-to-day tasks? I get a ton of follow-up questions and clarification questions when I describe it that way, but at least it starts the conversation.

You know, I believe that you mentioned future-proven, right? So what would you say is one of the things you believe about the future of security that most of your peers might be disagreeing with you or disagree with the future of technology or the future of the industry?

I don't know if they would— if I don't know how many people would disagree with me, but kind of 2 things come to mind. One, I think the lines between— the line of delineation between security versus all other technologies is really blurring. That's quickly, quickly blurring. It's becoming— I think security is becoming just part of technology in general, and that requires us to become generalists and understand all the other technologies in the building, especially, uh, like business-specific technologies, right? ERPs and HR systems. I mean, we, we do to a certain degree need to understand how they work because we want to seamlessly integrate all of this. So I think that line is just going to continue to blur for sure. And what does that mean for the role of the security professional remains to be seen, but we need to become more holistic from that point of view. And then also we have to realize that maybe contrary to what we want to think is true, or even contrary to some of the facts of the situation, security is usually not the driving force behind large projects or new developments, security is not always top of mind. So we need to, we need to be okay with that and then just find smart and intelligent ways to, to get our intended goals done through pointing out what's the additional value that security provides outside of your typical security functions, right? What's the bigger picture for the architect, for the owner? Like, why should you care about these things? Like, how How do the decisions that I make as a security designer also affect you? And let's, let's work on that together.

You know, it's almost like you're describing a time when, you know, buildings are so smart, and they know we're safe. Like Netflix, you know, algorithm knows, you know, your favorite next movie, right, the next recommendation. And now this is for a physical space. Is that where you see the future of where we're going?

Yes, absolutely. So I like that. I like a lot of these, uh, these, these descriptions you're giving, man. I might have to steal a couple of them. But yeah, that, that's where I see the industry going for sure. Um, I, I think, you know, our digital and our physical worlds just continue to collide, and that's going to reshape what, what's— how do we design things and what's important and, and where in that design team structure we fit, I think our role is just going to elevate. But if, if we're up for the task, of course. So like you said, that smart building, smart city approach, when we achieve that— we've been trying to design smart buildings and smart cities forever, right? There's challenges there.

Mm-hmm.

Part of it, I think, because of the culture behind each of the different design disciplines. I mean, we really need to become more integrated with one another, then our physical environment will be integrated too. But once we reach that goal, like you mentioned, then the environment is sort of going to regulate safety and security on its own. And the things that we care about, the little details we care about today, are not going to be the same things we care about in that environment. So we need to figure out what's that— what is that new picture going to look like?

You know, we always talked about how, you know, we have physical and cybersecurity and, you know, the intersection. We always missed— not always, but sometimes in the conversations we missed the human factor. And I feel like you mentioned technology is only— AI specifically is going to amplify that ability for humans to make better decisions. And I've been saying it for the last couple of years since AI is kind of catching up that we are not going to be replaced by AI, but we are going to be replaced by someone that understands AI better than we do and implements it and uses it as a way to amplify their abilities. So I appreciate that you guys are leading the charge in that sense. So Here we are, 20-plus years in the industry. Do you remember, what would you tell your younger self when you were starting your career in security? What are the 3 things that you will tell your younger self about where you are today and what they should be cognizant at that early stages? And the only reason is, like I said, some people are listening that are in that place where they just started or they're interested in the industry and they want to know how to get from point A to point B. So what are the 3 things you will tell yourself and now our audience?

Yeah, I think the first thing I would say is don't take yourself too seriously. You know, maybe you're coming at this as an engineer and you're learning the best ways to design something or the best security strategies, but realize that this is all part of a bigger picture. And just because you understand how important it is, doesn't mean the other person does. So don't come at it with an ego or anything like that. So don't take that— don't be too attached to that, you know. Find ways, find the humanity in all of this to then be able to impose some of those things that you're learning. Don't stop being curious. Absolutely learn as much as you can. Something piques your curiosity, dive into it. Learn as much as possible. And now with You know, things like AI makes learning a lot easier. You know, AI can summarize things for us and help us digest different things. You can even create a model of yourself in AI and tell it to go learn something and teach it to you the way you would learn. Like, that to me is mind-boggling. You know, you can do something like that.

Absolutely.

And then the last part is— the last thing I would say is you know, we talk a lot about work life as kind of like separate things, but they, they blur quite a bit. And so I, I would stay— I would say like, don't, don't stop, don't stop the things that make you who you are. Like, if you— if there's a hobby you really enjoy, keep doing that. If there's a specific, uh, topic or subject that you enjoy and you may not think it's, it's relevant to, to your career at all, just keep going because you never know when the skills that you're gaining in those other areas are gonna become useful in your day-to-day life, in your day-to-day work. That's kind of where our humanity is. It creates itself. It exercises itself. It's in all the extra things we do outside of work. And I think those— all of that eventually comes to play in your career, either as a person trying to do work on a project with someone else across the table and you can now connect with them better because of something, Or maybe you learned a skill on how to handle a specific challenge in a hobby or in a team sports setting that now you can use in the office. I think, think of yourself as this really holistic human being and all of the— everything that you do and you learn plays a role in who you are for sure.

Wow. Wise beyond your years, sir. I'm taking notes. I'm like, yep, that's good. That's— see, there you go. Well, Michael, I, I really, I really enjoyed the conversation. I think this has been great. We can do this definitely again. I'm looking forward to have more than a couple people talk about the subject matter from different perspectives. So I'd love to, to have you back in the show for that reason.

30 minutes is not enough time.

Awesome. Um, but also, uh, if someone wants to get in touch with you and work with you, where can they find you? Is there, um, an upcoming event that you guys promoting or easy place to find you?

Yeah, easiest place to find me is on LinkedIn, Michael Niola on LinkedIn. Our company website is also theconsulting.group. You can find us there and kind of what we're up to. And we're always, we're always putting on events, sponsoring events. The next one that we're doing is on June 12th. It's an in-person, so for any individuals that are in LA, We're having a session in conjunction with AMFP, the Association of Medical Facility Professionals. We're having a panel discussion all about AI and healthcare. And as you'd imagine, security is a big part of that. So if that's a topic that interests you guys, look it up online or on LinkedIn and sign up for that event. Should be a good one.

Excellent. Well, Michael, thank you again. This was a great conversation. talking about future-proven security and through the eyes of someone who is implementing this type of solutions and design with all different customers, different clients. So for our audience, if you enjoyed the episode today, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share. It helps us reach more security professionals like yourself. Until next time. Stay informed, stay secure, and we'll see you at the next Check Point. Thank you so much, Michael. See you next time.

Thank you, Tino.