Nemer Mdradas from Gallagher: For Us, 1% Breach Means 100% Failure

“Zero intrusions is not a goal – it’s a must,” says Nemer Mdradas, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Gallagher, in an exclusive interview with a&s Middle East. From intelligent pulse fencing to digital twins and secure mobile credentials, Mdradas lays out a unified vision for security in critical infrastructure, where operational resilience and cyber-physical convergence aren’t just innovations, but non-negotiables.

a&s Middle East: Gallagher recently highlighted advances in perimeter security. What are the most pressing threats driving innovation in this area today?

Mdradas: Gallagher’s advancements in perimeter security are a direct response to a fast-changing threat landscape that demands intelligent, accurate, and integrated solutions. From increasing geopolitical tensions and critical infrastructure threats to emerging risks and cyber-physical convergence, the pressure on security leaders has never been greater. As smart cities rise and infrastructure expands, systems must adapt to scale and complexity without compromising accuracy.

From my personal experience working with one of the region’s largest utility operators, one of the biggest pain points security leaders face is the high rate of false alarms, particularly from legacy systems or AI video analytics solutions that are added as afterthoughts. These false positives overwhelm operators and dilute situational awareness. At Gallagher, we’ve addressed this challenge through our intelligent monitored pulse fencing systems, which provide a highly accurate physical detection layer with virtually no false alarms. This achievement comes from ongoing product innovation, rigorous testing, and a customer-driven development model that continuously aligns with real operational needs.

What further sets Gallagher apart is our ability to integrate seamlessly with industry-leading surveillance and video analytics technologies. Our platform is built to create a truly comprehensive and unified security solution combining perimeter detection, access control, and intelligent video analytics in one ecosystem. This integration ensures security teams have a single pane of glass for real-time decision-making, enhanced threat detection, and operational efficiency. In a world where precision and speed are critical, Gallagher delivers a solution that is not only robust and reliable but also future-ready.

a&s Middle East: With the launch of your new C7000 controller, how is Gallagher redefining cyber-physical security integration?

Mdradas: As we say in security, “a 1% breach is a 100% failure.” That principle is at the heart of Gallagher’s approach to redefining cyber-physical security with the launch of our new C7000 controller Enhanced. With this enhanced platform, we are reshaping how facilities are protected both physically and logically by embedding cybersecurity, intelligence, and resilience directly into the core of access control infrastructure.

Zero intrusions is not a goal – it’s a must

The C7000 isn’t just an upgrade, it’s a strategic shift. It delivers encrypted, secure communication across every layer of the system, ensuring that physical access points cannot be exploited as backdoors for cyber intrusion. With native support for high assurance credentials, secure boot technology, and advanced device authentication, the C7000 acts as a cybersecurity enforcement point at the physical edge of the network.

From a physical security perspective, it provides unparalleled real-time processing power, enabling faster decision making, advanced threat responses, and seamless scalability for complex environments. When integrated with Gallagher’s broader security ecosystem, including face recognition, perimeter fencing, and third-party analytics, it forms a unified, intelligent defense platform.

What truly sets the C7000 apart is how it bridges the gap between IT and physical security teams. In today’s environment, convergence is no longer optional; it’s essential. The C7000 was built with that in mind, offering centralized management, robust logging, and compliance-ready reporting that aligns with both security operations and cybersecurity frameworks.

Convergence is no longer optional – it’s essential

Ultimately, Gallagher’s C7000 controller range is not just securing doors it’s securing networks, data, people, and infrastructure through a fully integrated cyber-physical approach.

a&s Middle East: Can you explain how Gallagher is addressing the evolving security needs of critical infrastructure sectors like utilities and data centers?

Mdradas: I’ve had the privilege of working in both utilities and data centers as an end user, and one core principle always guided our mission: zero intrusions is not a goal – it’s a must. In these environments, where downtime or a breach can have national or even global impact, the need for efficient, unified, and cyber-resilient security operations is paramount.

The most practical way to achieve this level of protection is by giving operators a “single-eye view” across all security layers. A typical secure utility or data center facility involves six or more layers of security from perimeter fencing, gates, and vehicle barriers to internal access control, biometric authentication, surveillance, and rack-level protection. Gallagher does this differently by bringing all these layers together under one unified platform, the Command Centre, giving security teams real-time visibility, control, and analytics across the entire ecosystem.

Gallagher’s Command Centre not only integrates access control, intrusion detection, perimeter security, and third-party systems (like VMS, fire alarms, and SCADA platforms), but does so while maintaining strict cybersecurity standards. This is crucial for utilities and data centers, which are frequently targeted in cyber-physical attacks. The C7000 controller, for example, ensures encrypted communication, secure credentialing, and policy enforcement down to the edge device, bridging the gap between physical and digital defenses.

What truly makes Gallagher stand out is our ability to enhance operational efficiency without compromising security. Through automated workflows, intelligent alarms, and user-defined escalation paths, security teams can act faster, reduce fatigue, and maintain situational awareness – whether managing a single data hall or a network of power substations spread across a country.

These sectors represent the backbone of modern society, from energy grids and water plants to cloud infrastructure, and we simply cannot afford security gaps. Gallagher’s platform provides resilience, intelligence, and control of critical infrastructure demands, ensuring security is never the weak link but a force multiplier for operational excellence.

a&s Middle East: How has customer feedback shaped the development of Gallagher’s new mobile credential and Command Centre solutions?

Mdradas: At Gallagher, customer feedback is not just valuable – it’s foundational to our continuous product development strategy. We invest 15% of our global annual revenue into R&D, and one of the most important data sources driving that innovation is real-world customer experience and feedback from across the globe. This input directly influences how we shape and refine our solutions, particularly with products like Gallagher Mobile Credentials and our continuously evolving Command Centre platform.

Mobile credentials are no longer a luxury; they’re a necessity

In today’s world, mobile credentials are no longer a luxury, they’re a necessity. With your phone now doubling as your wallet, ID, boarding pass, and even your PC in many cases, Gallagher ensures it also becomes your trusted access tool. Our secure mobile credential technology enables seamless, encrypted access to facilities without the need for physical cards, enhancing both convenience and security.

But this goes far beyond convenience. In modern office environments and critical infrastructure facilities, digitalization is transforming security operations. Teams require flexible, real-time control over access, remote lockdown capabilities, and intuitive management tools that can be used across geographies and devices. Gallagher’s Command Centre continues to evolve based on customer input, ensuring that every feature, from event auditing to system health monitoring and role-based access control, supports smarter decision-making and smoother workflows.

Security leaders are telling us they need platforms that are agile, cyber-resilient, and intuitive. With Gallagher, that feedback turns into action. Whether through mobile credentials that reduce friction for employees or through Command Centre’s intelligent, centralized control for multi-site management, our solutions reflect the needs of today and anticipate those of tomorrow. Ultimately, we’re helping organizations digitally transform their physical security without compromising on control, compliance, or cyber safety.

Security is never the weak link, but a force multiplier for operational excellence

a&s Middle East: Could you share insights into Gallagher’s partnerships with technology providers and how they influence innovation?

Mdradas: Gallagher is globally recognized not only for its innovation in security solutions but also for its collaborative approach to technology partnerships. These alliances play a crucial role in driving our innovation pipeline, particularly in regions like the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), where rapid digital transformation is reshaping security needs.

In Q1 alone, we signed five major technology collaboration agreements with strategic partners across the region. These include a Technology Cooperation Agreement (TCA) with Moro Hub, home to the world’s largest green data center, where we’re co-developing advanced security concepts tailored for sustainable, high-availability infrastructure. We also partnered with Global Aerospace Logistics (GAL) to support defense sector innovation, introducing integrated perimeter, access control, and cybersecurity frameworks tailored for mission-critical environments.

Our partnership strategy is about more than just integration—it’s about co-innovation. By working closely with leaders in video analytics, surveillance, AI, and cloud infrastructure, we ensure Gallagher’s platform evolves in sync with the ecosystems our customers already rely on. These alliances enable us to deliver truly unified solutions that span physical and cyber domains, tailored for industries like utilities, defense, smart cities, and hyperscale data centers.

We are also preparing to announce new collaborations with advanced technology providers across Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf region, reinforcing our commitment to regional market alignment and innovation. These partnerships are central to our go-to-market strategy in MENA, helping us localize solutions, accelerate deployment, and stay ahead of evolving threats and regulatory requirements.

Gallagher’s innovation is not built in isolation—it’s driven through deep collaboration with technology leaders, integrators, and End Users, ensuring we deliver intelligent, scalable, and secure solutions that address both today’s challenges and tomorrow’s demands.

a&s Middle East: Looking ahead, what key trends do you believe will reshape enterprise security over the next 3 years—and how is Gallagher preparing for them?

Mdradas: Looking ahead, there’s no doubt that AI is dominating conversations across all industries, including security, and it will continue to be a transformative force over the next three years. But in my view, what will truly reshape enterprise security is how we utilize data, especially the vast amount of unstructured data generated by security systems every second. The shift won’t just be about gathering information but about making it actionable, transforming raw inputs into intelligent, predictive insights that drive faster, smarter decisions.

Another key trend is the rapid adoption of cloud technologies and virtualization. As security operations become more distributed and dynamic, organizations need scalable, resilient platforms that offer real-time control without compromising cybersecurity. At Gallagher, we’re fully aligned with these trends. We monitor emerging technologies closely, test rigorously, and only embed what meets our strict security standards.

A great example is our recent launch of digital twin capabilities, which we introduced alongside our partner Kloudspot during IDEX. This innovation allows us to structure unstructured data, create dynamic, real-time visualizations of environments, and develop customized use cases that go far beyond traditional security, while maintaining zero compromise on both physical and logical security layers.

Additionally, our cloud-based SMB security product has seen solid global traction, particularly in delivering secure multi-tenancy solutions. This has given our team valuable hands-on experience with advanced cloud infrastructures, helping us support customers of all sizes with agility and intelligence.

At Gallagher, we believe our role is not only to build secure systems but to help organizations maximize the utility of their existing technology investments while being fully prepared for what’s next. By staying ahead of trends in AI, data intelligence, cloud architecture, and system convergence, we ensure that our customers remain resilient, adaptive, and secure in an era of rapid digital acceleration.

Gallagher’s platform evolves in sync with the ecosystems our customers already rely on