Specifically Speaking with Jarrett Morgan, Mead & Hunt

YARMOUTH, Maine—Security Systems News’ monthly column Specifically Speaking features Jarrett Morgan, CISSP, PMP, ACE, who is Technology Market Leader at Mead & Hunt, where he works with clients to understand their needs and develop innovative technology solutions.

SSN: What is your title and role at the company?

Morgan: As Technology Market Leader at Mead & Hunt, my focus is providing solutions and designs across the entire technology eco-system, including Cybersecurity, Technology Strategic Planning, Virtual Infrastructure Design, Network Design, Digital Signage Cable Infrastructure Design, Electronic Security, Cloud Design, Systems Integrations, Project Management, and Storage Design.

SSN: What kinds of systems do you design/specify and what services does the company provide?

Morgan: Mead & Hunt is one of the fastest growing architectural and engineering firms in the nation, with over 1,200 employees offering a full range of disciplines including Architecture, MEP, Technology, Planning, Environmental, Sustainability & Resilience, and Construction Services.

SSN: What vertical markets does the company specialize in? Any interesting projects that you can mention?

Morgan: Mead & Hunt serves a wide array of markets including Aviation, Food & Beverage, Federal/State/Local Government, Justice, Education, Transportation, and Water.

SSN: How did you get started in security and designing/specifying?

Morgan: I spent the first 22 years of my career as an IT professional in the private sector and aviation, provided a wealth of experience in many disciplines including network engineering, systems administration, and cybersecurity. As my career progressed, I transitioned to management, culminating as the CIO at the world’s busiest cargo airport.

SSN: Can you talk about what new or emerging technologies you are seeing or specifying today?

Morgan: The zero-trust security model assumes that no users or device inside or outside or your network should be trusted. Zero-trust is a methodology that is a combination of policy, technologies, and processes and can help organizations defend and respond against cyber criminals. Some zero-trust tools that are emerging include micro-segmentation tools that provide granular management functionality based on policy developed during implementation as well as passwordless hardware authentication relying on biometric or NFC Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology.

SSN: What is your view on the industry moving forward?

Morgan: Over the past decade, we have all witnessed the convergence of the Information Technology (IT) and Electronic Security industries. I believe that we will continue to see Information Technology and Electronic Security become even more aligned as emerging electronic security solutions become more IT centric and cybersecurity regulation become more prevalent. It will be paramount that consultants, designers, and integrators challenge themselves to understand each industry to break down the silos that can slow the adoption of new technologies and create less secure environments for our clients.

Specifically Speaking, a Security Systems News monthly column, features Q-and-A with a security consultant provided to SSN by SecuritySpecifiers.