Researching of Cybersecurity and Cybercrime

Technology Development Life Cycle

Organizations have introduced cybersecurity experts to help them combat the threat posed by cybercriminals. The cybersecurity industry has benefited as a result of the urgency in coming up with solutions. This has made the field one of the fastest growing in the IT industry. Technology can be defined as the practical use of knowledge so that one can accomplish something new or accomplish something in a different way (The European Space Agency, n.d.). New technologies often emerge from scientific research, which includes the discovery of new ideas from which technology can be derived (Markopoulou et al., 2019). Many firms engage in research and development activities to enable them to provide better services to their clients.

New technologies develop through a step-by-step process that guides the project team on the deliverables. Planning is required for new technology to leave the research and development stage. The stages in the technology development life cycle include research and development, proof of concept, stage 1 development, full product development, and marketing. The research and development stage is involved coming out with new ideas that can be used to produce new technology. In this stage, the innovators research various ideas and decide on the idea to use for the technology (Branscomb, & Auerswald, 2002). This is one of the most important stages as it may determine the success of the project. Most the new ideas do not go past the research and development stage. What follows R&D is the proof-of-concept stage which is done to ascertain if the technical device or processes has value.

The next phase is stage 1 production and involves coming up with a prototype of the technology and analyzing if it meets the criteria for full production. Stage 1 production can also be referred to as early-stage production. The next stage is referred to as full product development and involves the complete production of the new technology in preparation for making it accessible to potential clients. The full production stage happens after the innovators have accessed enough levels of capital to permit production (Bartlett, 2018). Once the full capital is acquired, what follows is initial production and marketing. Marketing is pivotal in placing the new technology in the marketplace (Reuer & Devarakonda, 2017). In this phase, investors may start witnessing returns on their initial investments. Funding in the first three stages can be accessed from angel investors, corporations, and technology labs (Bartlett, 2018). In the last two stages, funding may come from corporations, venture capitalists, equity, commercial debt, and technology labs.

Technology Transfer Processes

Technology transfer involves the exchange of technology between different entities in the public and private domain. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has established a program that seeks to provide guidelines on how technology can be transferred. The technology transfer program promotes research and partnerships and offers protection through licensing and monitoring the inventions. There are different mechanisms used to transfer technology between different entities. One of the mechanisms is through cooperative research and development agreements where the federal government can agree with a non-federal agent to conduct research and come up with new technology (Department of Homeland Security, 2021). It is the most commonly used technology transfer mechanism. Another mechanism is through licensing agreements where the rightful owner of the intellectual property rights agrees with another party permitting the party to use the IP in strict adherence to the terms of the contract.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is also used to provide a framework for coordination between different entities. MOU helps create cooperation between the collaborating entities because it ensures that there is a commitment from both sides (Department of Homeland Security, 2021). A partnership intermediary agreement is another mechanism for technology transfer. PIA is an agreement between DHS and another state or non-profit firm. The agreement allows the intermediary to look for new technologies which can be used by DHS. It also allows the intermediary to help accelerate the projects undertaken jointly by DHS and other entities (Department of Homeland Security, 2021). Technology transfer has to use a mechanism that respects the intellectual property rights of the owner.

A review of the technology development life cycle indicates that technology transfer occurs in some of the stages. Through research and development, innovators identify the technologies that are a priority for the market. For the new technology to succeed in the market, there needs to be the development of effective transfer methods that assist entit