As belts tighten in organizations and upper management has all eyes focused on the bottom line ROI of every business unit, security professionals must continually seek methods to reduce costs, while maintaining reduced risks and increasing regulatory compliance.

A combined dose of the fundamentals and continual innovation seems to be what the doctor orders to successfully meet security demands and simultaneously elevate security in the organization, according to a number of experts and security directors.

According to Peter Martin, president of security provider AFI International Group, security has in past years been able to run with small oversight. But, those days have come to an end, demanding for many a return to business basic.

“Post-911 everyone’s (security) budgets inflated. And for the consulting business and the security outsourcing business these were fabulous times for us. People had blank cheques, big budgets; you could write down a lose plan on a napkin and away you go.”

Seven years and a troubled economy have changed that, and organizations are demanding security more closely align to the business, as well as show ever-increasing accountability.

“Gone are the days when a company wants a security expert,” says Martin. “They want a business expert with a strong focus on security.”

Security systems provider Johnson Controls says the key in today’s economy is to focus on the integration of the “four pillars of security”: event management, identity management, building management and compliance management.