The Secured Podcast

The Access Control Collective

Access Granted. Welcome to the podcast where the physical security industry stops whispering and finally speaks for those in the back. Secured is your inside line on the business moves, the tech shifts, and the power players reshaping how the world gets protected. From fast-hit breakdowns to cinematic deep dives, we go past the glossy PR and into the decisions, debates, and dynamics driving the future of physical security. Every week, we unlock: • The trends nobody’s explaining clearly • The strategies executives are actually using • The myths the industry keeps repeating (and why they’re wrong) • The conversations that shape the culture of security • The turning points, deals, and innovations that matter Whether you're leading a team, building a product, or just tired of surface-level “thought leadership,” Secured brings you the clarity, context, and attitude this industry has been missing. Stay sharp. Stay curious. Stay Secured.

  1. 2d ago

    Access Control Hit CNBC — And VTS Made the Industry's Biggest Reversal

    This week, Lee breaks down why VTS — which covers over 60% of Class A office space in the US — walked away from building access control in-house to partner with SwiftConnect instead, and what that says about where real value lives in this industry. Then, access control data goes mainstream as Kastle Systems' Mark Ein appears on CNBC's Closing Bell to talk occupancy data across 3,500 buildings in 138 cities. Lee also flags a collaborative article on access control fragmentation, highlights two reads from the Security Breakdown on electric locks and alarm fatigue, and makes his case for naming the next era of the industry: Intelligent Access.

    Access Control Hit CNBC — And VTS Made the Industry's Biggest Reversal

  2. Jul 10

    How Extreme Climbers Made a Mainstream Security Story in Manhattan

    In this episode of "Secured," Lee Odess breaks down one of the most talked-about security stories of the week: the viral Empire State Building climb and engagement, dissecting not just the spectacle but the physical security questions it raises for one of the world’s most surveilled buildings. He also covers Dormakaba’s acquisition of the UK’s leading movable wall distributor, Style Group, and unpacks what the move means for the broader security market. The episode spotlights the latest Access Control Executive Brief, diving into iLOQ’s impressive 2025 numbers and what it reveals about the evolution of access control—highlighting a shift into the "intelligent access" era. Lee reviews the growing influence of AI, the role of cloud and mobile, and what these shifts mean for the industry's future. Tune in for industry news, market analysis, and details on the upcoming ACS 26 event in New Zealand.

    How Extreme Climbers Made a Mainstream Security Story in Manhattan

  3. Jul 3

    $4 Billion Says Your Door Controller Is a Cybersecurity Asset. Is Your Company Listening?

    Episode 22 | $4 Billion Says Your Door Controller Is a Cybersecurity Asset. Is Your Company Listening? This week, Lee breaks down Verkada's move to scale its physical AI platform to 2.4 million devices across 170 countries with new backing from Nvidia — and why the real story isn't the investment, it's the category claim. Then: Accenture pays $4.175 billion for a majority stake in Dragos, Run Zero, and NetRise, and suddenly your door controller looks a lot more like a connected device that needs to be inventoried. Lee also covers Gallagher Security's new AI-powered visitor management platform, recaps a day spent with locksmiths standing between three worlds at ALOA, and makes the case that this industry has a marketing problem — not a budget problem. In this episode: -Verkada scales its physical AI platform to 2.4M devices across 170 countries with new Nvidia backing -Accenture acquires majority stake in Dragos, Run Zero, and NetRise for $4.175B -Gallagher Security launches AI-powered visitor management, natively integrated with Command Centre -A recap from ALOA: locksmiths standing between three worlds -Tony Dong's breakdown of how (and why) access control companies borrow money -Big M marketing vs. small m marketing — and why this industry keeps confusing the two

    $4 Billion Says Your Door Controller Is a Cybersecurity Asset. Is Your Company Listening?

  4. Jun 26

    The Most Downstream Trade in Physical Security Reacts to Its Own Disruption | Live from ALOA

    This week, Secured goes live from ALOA — the Associated Locksmiths of America annual show in Las Vegas — with three guests from the locksmith trade reacting in real time to the week's biggest stories in physical security. Joining Lee: Wayne Winton, Dave O'Toole, and Jason Montague. This episode focuses on the Secured podcast broadcast directly from the event floor. We have 3 locksmiths joining the conversation to react to the biggest stories shaping physical security right now. Wayne Winton, Dave O' Toole, and Jason Montague join me to talk about the role locksmiths can play in the $100B electronic access control opportunity. Their advice was simple. To locksmiths: embrace electronic locks. To manufacturers: engage, because locksmiths have more to offer than most realize. Simple advice is often the hardest to act on. My takeaway: this isn’t your grandfather’s locksmith industry anymore, and the ones who engage deeply will be the ones who benefit. Episode 21 of Secured is live now. Subscribe for weekly security technology breakdowns, and comment which electronic security devices you want to see covered in our next episode. Chapters0:00 Welcome to Secured Live from ALOA1:52 Guest Introductions and Industry Predictions4:40 The Shift to Wireless and Ease of Install8:15 Training the Technology Eager Generation11:30 The 100 Billion Dollar Market Squeeze14:50 Moving from Key Cutting to Selling Judgment18:10 Six Pillars of the Modern Locksmith21:45 Solution Based Selling and Code Compliance24:30 Future Trends in Global Smart Lock Adoption26:45 Advice for Manufacturers and Technicians28:15 Closing Remarks and Final Thoughts

    The Most Downstream Trade in Physical Security Reacts to Its Own Disruption | Live from ALOA

  5. Jun 19

    OpenAI’s $150M Bet: A New Era for Security Integrators?

    The security industry is facing a massive inflection point that will define the next fifty years of business. With OpenAI investing 150 million dollars into a formal partner network, the line between security integrators and enterprise software consultants is officially blurring. This episode explores why waiting for the market to settle is the riskiest strategy you can take right now. Chapters: 0:00 OpenAI’s 150M Dollar Bet 2:12 Triton Partners and Nordic Consolidation 3:35 Deep Dive into Industry Verticals 4:15 Insights from the CSA Unify Event6:20 The Cost of Waiting on Standards8:05 Aliro: The New Era of Access Control9:15 Travel Updates and ACS 26 New ZealandIf you found this breakdown valuable, please share the episode and leave a five star review. Subscribe to stay ahead of the curve in the security and access control industry.

    OpenAI’s $150M Bet: A New Era for Security Integrators?

  6. Jun 18

    Secured Presents: West to East With Charles Johnson

    Welcome to Secured Presents: West to East, a 45+ episode series filmed live at ISC West where we bring the biggest voices in security into real, unfiltered conversations. In this episode, we’re joined by Charles Johnson Founder and CEO of NGA Security Advisors LLC We dive into: Negligent security and premises liability How foreseeable risk is evaluated after an incident The role of planning, documentation, and security design What property owners and security providers are responsible for And why security decisions matter long before a case reaches the courtroom This conversation looks beyond the technology and into the decisions, environments, and responsibilities that ultimately shape security outcomes. This series is about more than trends. It’s about capturing an industry in motion. Let us know in the comments: Are organizations doing enough to identify and document foreseeable security risks?

    Secured Presents: West to East With Charles Johnson

  7. Jun 18

    Secured Presents: West to East with Jacob Hengel

    Welcome to Secured Presents: West to East, a 45+ episode series filmed live at ISC West where we bring the biggest voices in security into real, unfiltered conversations. In this episode, we’re joined by Jacob Hengel, CTO of YourSix. In this episode, we dive into: Video intelligence platforms Real-time monitoring and analytics Data aggregation across systems And how video is evolving beyond surveillance This conversation explores how video is becoming a more active part of security strategy. This series is about more than trends. It’s about capturing an industry in motion. Let us know in the comments: Is video becoming the most important layer in security?

    Secured Presents: West to East with Jacob Hengel

  8. Jun 18

    Secured Presents: West to East with Jean-Baptiste Milan and Carter Kennedy

    Welcome to Secured Presents: West to East, a 45+ episode series filmed live at ISC West where we bring the biggest voices in security into real, unfiltered conversations. In this episode, we’re joined by Jean-Baptiste Milan, Global OEM Sales Manager at HID, and Carter Kennedy, CEO of Soloinsight. We dive into: The collaboration between HID and Soloinsight to bring biometrics into the CloudGate platform How CloudGate acts as a governance layer for physical identities Why biometric technology is now mature enough to support reliable automation How facial verification and document identification can create a more frictionless experience The balance between security, privacy, and convenience through one-to-one matching And why the industry may need to define itself through physical identity governance, not just cameras, locks, and hardware This conversation explores what happens when biometrics, identity, and access workflows come together to answer bigger questions about who is in a building and what they should be able to access. The episode also touches on Invisible Doors, a book exploring physical identity governance failures and the business value of solving them. This series is about more than trends. It’s about capturing an industry in motion. Let us know in the comments: Is physical identity governance the next evolution of access control?

    Secured Presents: West to East with Jean-Baptiste Milan and Carter Kennedy
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Access Granted. Welcome to the podcast where the physical security industry stops whispering and finally speaks for those in the back. Secured is your inside line on the business moves, the tech shifts, and the power players reshaping how the world gets protected. From fast-hit breakdowns to cinematic deep dives, we go past the glossy PR and into the decisions, debates, and dynamics driving the future of physical security. Every week, we unlock: • The trends nobody’s explaining clearly • The strategies executives are actually using • The myths the industry keeps repeating (and why they’re wrong) • The conversations that shape the culture of security • The turning points, deals, and innovations that matter Whether you're leading a team, building a product, or just tired of surface-level “thought leadership,” Secured brings you the clarity, context, and attitude this industry has been missing. Stay sharp. Stay curious. Stay Secured.

Information

  • Creator
    The Access Control Collective
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    67
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Secured Podcast

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