Mercury Security report identifies cybersecurity gap in access control

The 2026 Trends in Access Controllers Report by Mercury Security, an HID brand, reveals a growing cybersecurity gap in physical access control systems. Based on a survey of 561 global security professionals, the report indicates that 32% of respondents find cybersecurity features missing from their current controllers, an increase from 21% in 2025.

As controllers become more central to security strategies—with 78% of professionals viewing them as critical—the complexity of managing the intersection between cybersecurity and IT has increased for 74% of participants. Organizations are actively attempting to meet evolving data protection standards, with 86% working to stay current.

Key drivers for future infrastructure investments include interoperability and cloud connectivity. Approximately 69% of respondents cited interoperability as a critical factor, while 82% emphasized the importance of backward and forward compatibility to protect existing investments. Additionally, cloud connectivity is a growing priority, mentioned by 56% of respondents, alongside emerging needs for facial recognition, behavioral analysis, and anomaly detection.