ENTEPRISES SHOULD INTEGRATE DIGITAL, PHYSICAL DATA SECURITY DATA TO REDUCE BREACH RISKS -- MANAGEENGINE

By Engku Shariful Azni Engku Ab Latif

CHENNAI, Jan 23 (Bernama) -- Enterprises should integrate both digital and physical security data, such as biometric systems, into a central monitoring platform to reduce the risk of data breaches, said IT management software provider ManageEngine.

Its chief IT security evangelist, Subhalakshmi Ganapathy, said many enterprises have already invested in cybersecurity tools and services, including analytics platforms, management tools, and outsourced security operations through third-party vendors.

However, she said what remains entirely within an organisation’s control is its own data, and how that data is managed and monitored.

Subhalakshmi explained that when a company installs a new system, such as a firewall, it is automatically brought under the purview of monitoring and security operations.

“But when a biometric system is installed, upgraded, or when the way people physically access facilities changes, these are often not integrated into the security monitoring system,” she said.

“So, bringing both digital and physical security data into the system is becoming increasingly critical,” she said during a question-and-answer session at ManageEngine Day 2026 here.

Recently, Kaspersky reported that Malaysia continues to see growing adoption of biometric technologies across key sectors, including public services, financial institutions, transportation, healthcare, and energy facilities.

However, the global cybersecurity and digital privacy company noted that Southeast Asia remains a high-risk region for cyberattacks involving biometric systems, with a significant exposure rate of 23.7 per cent across multiple threat vectors.

In addition, Subhalakshmi said that companies are gradually improving security awareness through training initiatives and by expanding standard operating procedures at security operations centres to incorporate more data sources.

She said it is not just about adopting new technologies, but about how well those technologies are integrated with an organisation’s cybersecurity monitoring systems.

“When both digital and physical security data are integrated into the monitoring system, it can significantly reduce the risk of breaches in both the physical and digital environments,” she said.

ManageEngine is the IT division of Zoho Corporation, a multi-national technology company that helps digital businesses around the world improve their efficiency, resilience, and compliance across their workforces, workplaces, and workloads.

Its portfolio offers more than 60 products and tools, including identity and access management, enterprise service management, unified endpoint management and security, IT operations management, and security information.

The ManageEngine Day 2026 event was held over four days from Jan 19 -22, 2026, at ManageEngine’s headquarters in Chennai, India, to provide the media with an overview of the company. It was attended by 23 journalists from the Middle East and ASEAN countries. 

-- BERNAMA