Our 2026 security industry predictions continue with John Nemerofsky, chief operating officer at SAGE Integration and chairman of the Foundation for Advancing Security Talent (FAST). Appropriately enough, we are sharing Nemerofsky’s prognostications on National Security Technician Day, the annual celebration of the industry’s unsung heroes.
We shared John’s 2025 security industry reflections in a post last month.
John Nemerofsky 2026 Security Industry Predictions
Read on to check out John Nemerofsky’s 2026 security industry predictions. We’ll have more predictions from others among the brightest minds in the security industry throughout the month!
Security Sales & Integration: What technology category or solution area do you see as 2026’s ripest, most profitable growth opportunity for security dealers, installers and integrators? Explain your reasoning.
John Nemerofsky: Analytics, automation and artificial intelligence. The three A’s are changing how security integrators approach the traditional implementation of security technologies. If you understand the three A’s and can implement them across multiple security technologies, you can easily become a rock star in the security industry.
We can no longer think of security solutions and technologies as siloed approaches to mitigating risk and vulnerabilities but as a unified solution that can help take the guesswork out of the equation.
SSI: Which emerging security technologies do you think are overplayed? Which ones do you think will truly transform the practice of security integration in the coming years?
Nemerofsky: If I had to pick one technology that is overplayed, it would be the use of AI as the catchall to resolve all of our security vulnerabilities. AI isn’t the catchall; it’s just another tool in the toolbox that the industry can use to provide a higher level of security, automate processes, and reduce human error. AI is both overplayed and will truly transform the industry.
SSI: What’s getting better about the security industry these days? What seems to be getting worse?
Nemerofsky: For better or worse, it is essentially the same thing: the quality of the final deliverable to a client. As an industry, we have to do better; there is a wide gap between the quality of the work being completed. The industry as a whole needs greater accountability, standards, guidelines and playbooks to ensure we remain respected.
SSI: What’s liable to catch some security industry dealers, installers and integrators off guard in the coming year?
Nemerofsky: The lack of industry talent. Which is why FAST is such an integral part of preparing the future generation of technicians, systems engineers and project managers. If you have good people, you have to do everything you can to keep them. There are just too many opportunities for individuals to pursue if you don’t treat your employees right.
SSI: What’s the single most pressing challenge that professionals in the security industry must tackle right now? And how would you suggest tackling it?
Nemerofsky: Same as above.
SSI: Finish this sentence: 2026 will be remembered as the year that the security industry
Nemerofsky: …understood the importance of the valued employee.
Click here to check out all the entries in our 2026 security industry predictions series!
