“40 under 40” Class of 2019 — Morgan Harris, 34

Morgan Harris, formerly senior director, Enterprise Solutions at ADT, founded Harris Technology Services LLC to focus on helping customers find positive outcomes using technology. “I want technology to work for people, not the other way around,” he said.

Harris' introduction to the security industry was at a company called Integration Logistics. “I originally accepted the position to build an IT practice, but I discovered a large need for an IT-centric approach to make security technology work in a more beneficial way,” Harris explained, seeing his role transition into a 'technology translator,' which benefited individuals who needed help bridging the divide between the business outcomes they wanted and the support the IT group could provide.

Despite the fact that cloud and the concept of “as-a-service” is trending in the industry, Harris identified them as “tools used to help achieve the larger, subtler trend of embracing a risk management perspective. I envision risk management, or the wholistic approach to your organization's security program, becoming the focal point, including combining physical and cyber security risk elements” requiring tighter integration.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the most interesting technology to Harris. “Currently, AI Is very reactive, but as more data is fed into AI, it can also become proactive and predictive,” he analyzed. “It is critical for organizations to start looking at how their systems work with each other and, if possible, align their data” with AI.

Harris encourages the industry to embrace innovation and change. “Learning is a two-way street and encouraging partnership of experience and innovation is critical to moving this industry forward,” he said. “Young folks are hungry for mentors, and I was fortunate to have an incredible mentor as my boss. It allowed us to tackle any challenge and provide customers with solutions beyond their expectations.”