What Kind of Adopter is Your Enterprise?
Security industry technology is always adapting, as it should be, so what does that mean for the categories of adopters in the space?
Innovators:
“There is no such thing as a problem, just a solution waiting to be discovered.”
These individuals and teams are the ones finding the gaps and creating solutions if they do not already exist or they are improving upon the solutions that do exist. They are unafraid of failure and rely on iterative design to build upon their ideas until they have solved the problem. They do not stop there; they will consistently assess the effectiveness of their creations so they can elevate their impact as time passes. They treat any solution as a living organism that must grow and improve with time. Nothing stays still in an innovative space.
Early Adopters:
“I want to be the first to try it.”
Ever seen a line outside of Best Buy or the Apple Store when a new product comes out? It’s full of Early Adopters. They are lined up for more than just a product, they want to be the first to use and review it. They want to know first if a product works. Yes, there is risk, but the knowledge they gain is far more important than the risk they are taking. They are the ones who are the most up-to-date on new technology, which is information they can confidently use to educate their clients or staff on which technology is best suited for the company.
Early Majority:
“It worked for them! Let’s give it a try.”
The Early Majority are the ones who might have the fear of missing out on a great new solution. They are not going to be the first to try a new product, but they certainly do not want to be the last to know if there is a new way to work that will optimize their processes or make their days more efficient. They are open to trying something new, as long as there is a reasonable expectation that it will work.
Late Majority:
“We just want to be sure.”
The Late Majority is a Medium Risk for customers in the security solutions space. While these folks acknowledge change can be necessary, they often wait too long to implement so they do not get the most out of their purchased solutions. Late Majority Teams wait until there is substantial data to back up a new process, system, or product, so by the time they purchase it, the solution is almost out of date again. As stated earlier, security solutions are constantly adapting, because threats are constantly adapting. If an enterprise is not adaptive, they put themselves at risk for not having the best solution at any given time. That does not mean security systems need to be fully reconfigured every year, but it does mean that consistent maintenance and input from security professionals will keep enterprises safer.
Laggards:
“Why fix what is not broken?”
To be a Laggard in the security space is a dangerous place to be, whether as a customer or a solutions provider. Laggard enterprises usually call themselves “risk-averse” but do not realize that holding off on technological advancements is actually quite risky. Laggards view risk as anything they do not understand or anything they do not have experience with. The tried and true, or at the least the tried, is a comfort. They will not seek out a new solution until their current solution is in shambles, on fire, or no longer working to the point of a security disaster. They will drive their figurative cars until they break down on the figurative highway. When confronted about out-of-date solutions, Laggards might say: why fix what is not broken? These are their famous last words.
About Edge360
Edge360 combines proven risk management methodologies and analytics to assess threats and identify vulnerabilities with adaptive security solutions. Our team creates security solutions for the modern world through tailored physical and integration of information security innovations for the U.S. government, its partners, and state and local governments. Edge360’s agile and scalable methodology provides operationally-appropriate, cost-effective, and mission-driven results.
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