Verkada Exclusive: Sounding the alarm at RAF Brize Norton

The RAF Brize Norton breach represents a wider crisis in military base security, explains Michael Evanoff, Chief Security Officer and Global Advisor, Verkada.

The security of military bases is a cornerstone of national defence. Yet, recent high-profile incidents in the UK have exposed critical vulnerabilities in perimeter security, leaving sensitive information, assets and personnel at risk.

As geopolitical tensions escalate, this is a crucial moment for leaders to reassess the security of their military bases and other critical infrastructure.

Gaps at RAF Brize Norton

Activists recently broke into the UK’s largest airbase, RAF Brize Norton, evading security by riding in on scooters.

After the breach, they defaced aircraft with red spray paint. While the actual damage to aircraft was minimal, the breach sparked critical conversation about the considerable gaps that exist in perimeter security today.

John Healey, the UK’s Defence Secretary, called the incident “totally unacceptable” before announcing both an investigation into the site’s security and a broader review of security at military sites across the country.

Unfortunate truths about military base security

The reality is that the incident at RAF Brize Norton isn’t uncommon, both in the UK and abroad.

Even the most well-funded critical infrastructure – whether energy facilities or communications networks – often struggles to police its perimeters.

A follow-up investigation by The Telegraph found that other RAF airbases also had serious gaps in perimeter security, including short fences and hedgerows.

These gaps also exist in other areas of critical infrastructure: UK prison governors warned earlier this year that dozens of correctional facilities lack functioning perimeter security.

These vulnerabilities include non-functional camera and alarm systems, which have not been maintained for years.

They also exist in other parts of the world. Military vehicles were stolen from a US base in California earlier this year, while weapons were stolen from another US military base in Washington.

Additionally, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Defense (DoD) has reported over 100 cases where foreigners have attempted to access such sites and three individuals were recently jailed for surveilling a US naval base in Key West, Florida.

Why are military bases and other critical infrastructure so hard to protect?

There are several reasons why these perimeter security failures are so common. First, the nature of critical infrastructure makes it difficult to secure – these are often expansive sites with multiple entry and exit points.

Furthermore, budget constraints can make the situation worse by delaying necessary upgrades, maintenance and training.

As a result, much of the security infrastructure at these facilities is outdated or, in some cases, non-functional, creating serious gaps in the perimeter protection.

At RAF Brize Norton, in particular – a sprawling site home to more than 6,000 service personnel – perimeter security reportedly has significant gaps, including blind spots in camera coverage.

Greg Bagwell, a former RAF Commander, told The New York Times that many military bases are vulnerable to similar breaches.

“Airfields are large pieces of real estate that have miles of fence line,” he said. “It’s not an easy piece of territory to protect everywhere. Anybody with a wire cutter or ladders could be able to get in.”

Together, these challenges make it more difficult to detect threats, coordinate security efforts or understand where and how security is failing. In the short term, this leads to weak defences that are easy to bypass.

But in the long term, it reflects a flawed strategy that treats security as a series of fixes rather than an integrated, proactive system.

Simply repairing broken equipment won’t be enough; proper perimeter security requires a fundamental shift toward integrated, coordinated and continuously evolving practices.

How AI and cloud-first technology can fill gaps

AI and cloud-first technologies are providing a solution to many of these challenges. AI embedded within physical security systems, such as cameras, can provide alerts before risks escalate, ensuring teams can immediately take action on intelligence, and in some cases, even pre-empt a threat.

For example, video security cameras can recognise anomalous motions and behaviours, such as a person loitering in a specific area or a vehicle crossing a specified line.

Additionally, cloud-based security systems allow personnel to monitor footage in real-time from anywhere.

Cloud-native designs also support easy maintenance with minimal downtime, as continuous firmware and software updates can be automatically shipped to devices to stay ahead of evolving threats.

This new generation of perimeter security controls can also integrate with other security devices, such as door access systems and alarms, forming a holistic security infrastructure that provides increased situational awareness.

The ability to view and interpret security data from a single, integrated view provides long-term gains in identifying potential security threats.

Ultimately, these new technologies can be a force multiplier – protecting a country’s most sensitive assets for less.

RAF Brize Norton sounds the alarm

The incident at RAF Brize Norton was a wake-up call for leaders in the UK and beyond.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) promptly acknowledged deficiencies in the site’s security and announced an urgent review, along with improvements to the site’s layered defences and additional funding.

It may seem surprising that sites central to state security have basic perimeter vulnerabilities, given the solutions that are available today.

In the coming years, I believe we’ll see more and more organisations leverage AI and other emerging technologies to fortify their perimeters and ensure that their first line of defence isn’t missing any gaps.