Pro-Vigil Report: 2026 Security Outlook Raises Concerns

A new Pro-Vigil survey examines how economic uncertainty, crime concerns and limited changes to security strategies are shaping business outlooks for 2026.

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Pro-Vigil

Feb. 6, 2026

2 min read

A new industry survey by Pro‑Vigil finds that economic concerns and crime worries are weighing on business leaders as they prepare physical security strategies for 2026.

According to the sixth annual “The State of Physical Security Entering 2026” report, 46% of respondents said they fear economic uncertainty will negatively affect their company’s physical security in the coming year.

The survey of business leaders across sectors including construction, retail and manufacturing found that physical security incidents remain largely unchanged. In 2025, 12% of respondents reported an increase in physical (non-cyber) security incidents, 76% said incidents stayed the same and 12% saw a decrease, the report states.

When incidents occur, respondents said damage to assets was the most cited impact at 27%, followed by impact to inventory at 21% and project delays at 18%.

Respondents identified rising local crime and the broader economy as top factors behind security challenges. Among those reporting more incidents, 20% pointed to rising local crime and 16% pointed to the state of the economy. The economic issues respondents said they were most worried about for security programs were inflation (22%), unemployment (15%), and tariffs (14%), followed by interest rates (8%).

AI Use Remains Limited in Physical Security

The report also tracked how businesses are thinking about and using artificial intelligence (AI) for physical security. Fifteen percent of respondents said their security strategy now uses AI, more than double the 7% who reported using it in 2024.

Meanwhile, 61% said they believe AI can be a useful tool in stopping physical security incidents, and 29% were unsure. Despite that, 60% said they are not using AI for security and 25% said they do not know if their systems include AI.

Only 23% of respondents said their physical security strategy changed in 2025, the report shows, with many organizations that did not change pointing to a perceived lack of incidents or confidence that they are already secure.

Looking toward 2026, 45% of respondents said they are more worried about crime than a year ago. A majority, 52%, expect physical security incidents at their business to increase next year.

Go here to download the full report.