Methodology & Data Framework
Transparency is the foundation of SecurityTechIndex. This page explains how we collect, normalize, and compute the benchmark data that powers every model and report on the platform.
Data Sources
Observed price records are derived from publicly available, market-observable sources. We prioritize authoritative and defensible data with clear provenance.
- Federal procurement awards and contract opportunities (SAM.gov, USAspending.gov)
- Cooperative purchasing contracts (NASPO ValuePoint, Sourcewell, BuyBoard)
- Published reseller pricing and MSRP where available
- Secondary market observations (flagged separately)
Normalization
Every observation is normalized into a consistent schema: USD currency, US national region (with optional state/metro flags), date-stamped, product-class mapped, and quantity-adjusted. Outliers are flagged and source confidence is scored on a 0–100 scale.
Benchmark Statistics
For each brand, product class, region, and time window, we compute:
- Median price
- 25th and 75th percentile (P25/P75)
- Low/High band (trimmed)
- Sample count (n) and last updated date
Outlier rules: top/bottom 5% filtered unless sample < 20. If sample < 10, a “limited data” warning is displayed.
Update Cadence
Data ingestion runs on a weekly/biweekly automated schedule. Benchmarks are recomputed weekly. Formal methodology validation occurs quarterly with rolling updates in between.
Important Disclaimers
- Benchmarks are informational and derived from public/market-observable sources.
- This is not a quote. Project pricing varies by volume, integration complexity, and negotiation.
- Inclusion of a brand does not constitute endorsement. No qualitative ranking is implied.
- NDAA compliance flags are informational and do not constitute legal advice.