Access-control systems are increasingly becoming part of the broader cybersecurity equation as organizations connect physical security infrastructure to cloud platforms, mobile credentials, artificial intelligence and other digital systems, according to a new global industry study.
The finding is particularly relevant to the Philippines, where businesses and institutions are steadily adopting connected security technologies while facing growing requirements to protect both physical facilities and digital infrastructure.
Mercury Security, an HID brand specializing in open-architecture access control hardware, reported the findings in its 2026 Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of 561 physical security and cybersecurity professionals worldwide. Respondents included access-control administrators, systems integrators, installers and end users.
The study found that 78 percent of respondents now consider the access controller important or critical to their physical access control system strategy, up from 72 percent in 2025.
That shift reflects a broader change in the function of access controllers. Rather than simply determining whether a person can enter a door, controllers increasingly serve as a point of connection among credentials, readers, security applications, networks and other building systems.
For Philippine organizations, that convergence can create both opportunities and cybersecurity concerns. A connected access-control system can provide more centralized management and greater visibility, but it also creates additional infrastructure that must be protected against unauthorized access, compromised credentials and other cyber risks.
The report identified cybersecurity as one of the clearest areas where organizations see a gap between their requirements and their existing access-control infrastructure.
Around 32 percent of respondents said cybersecurity features are missing from their current controller systems, compared with 21 percent in 2025.
At the same time, 74 percent said coordination between cybersecurity and information technology teams has become more complicated, while 86 percent said their organizations are actively working to keep up with changing cybersecurity and data-protection standards.
For organizations in the Philippines, the issue extends beyond the security of individual doors. Access-control infrastructure can form part of an organization’s larger IT environment, making the way physical-security systems are designed, updated and integrated increasingly relevant to overall cyber risk management.
The trend also comes as Philippine organizations across sectors continue to digitize operations, making interoperability and the ability to securely connect physical and digital systems increasingly important considerations.
The research points to a preference for gradual modernization rather than wholesale replacement of existing systems.
Interoperability was identified as a critical purchasing consideration by 69 percent of respondents, while 82 percent said backward and forward compatibility is important when planning future infrastructure.
This could be particularly significant for Philippine companies and institutions operating large facilities with existing access-control deployments. Instead of replacing an entire system whenever a new technology becomes available, organizations can increasingly look for infrastructure capable of incorporating newer platforms and applications while retaining existing investments.
Mobile credentials are one example. Half of those surveyed said they are already using or planning to adopt mobile solutions, while 46% identified mobile credential integration as a factor influencing controller purchases.
The report also found a growing interest in cloud-connected access control.
Cloud connectivity was cited by 56 percent of respondents as a factor influencing controller purchases, up from 50 percent in 2025. Yet only 41 percent said their controllers are currently cloud-enabled, while 26 percent identified cloud enablement as a missing capability in their existing systems.
The gap suggests that demand for cloud-based security is developing faster than organizations are upgrading their physical-security infrastructure.
In the Philippine setting, the shift could have implications for organizations with multiple offices, campuses or facilities. Cloud-connected systems can potentially simplify centralized administration, but they also require organizations to consider network security, identity management, data protection and the security practices of technology providers.
Emerging technologies are also increasing demands on access-control infrastructure.
The percentage of respondents citing behavioral analysis and anomaly detection as an important trend increased from 44 percent in 2025 to 56 percent in 2026. Facial recognition was cited by 60 percent, while 50 percent identified predictive security and threat prevention.
More than 39 percent said they are exploring or have adopted edge computing in their security environments.
Meanwhile, 41 percent reported integrating controller data with building occupancy and utilization systems, showing how information generated by access-control infrastructure can be used for purposes beyond traditional entry management.
These developments mean that controller selection increasingly involves considerations such as processing capability, connectivity, storage, cybersecurity and compatibility with other systems.
The overall message of the study is that access controllers are becoming a longer-term infrastructure decision rather than simply another piece of security hardware.
Organizations are being asked to balance immediate requirements—including reliability and cybersecurity—with the ability to accommodate cloud services, mobile credentials, AI-driven applications, analytics and other technologies that may emerge over the life of a security system.
For Philippine organizations, the research highlights an important consideration as physical and digital security continue to converge: access control can no longer be treated entirely as a standalone physical-security function.
As doors, credentials, cameras, networks, cloud platforms and analytics become increasingly interconnected, the infrastructure that links these systems can also become part of an organization’s cybersecurity environment.
That makes the ability to secure, integrate and modernize access-control systems a strategic consideration—not only for protecting physical facilities, but also for managing the expanding digital footprint of the organizations that operate them.