Standalone Security Industry Dying, Says Expert
This year’s Infosecurity trade show in London has seen a record number of attendees. So why does noted IT security expert Bruce Schneier say the industry is dying?

In an article on the Register website, John Leyden says Schneier points out that while attendance is high at the show, no one really seems to be buying anything.

“Buyers don’t understand what is being sold. That’s why the security industry as a standalone entity is dying,” Schneier told Leyden. “It’s only because the stuff you buy sucks so bad that the information security industry exists in the first place.”

Schneier then argued that security should be built into products instead of being sold as a separate product. He compared it to buying a car: Consumers don’t buy anti-lock brakes as a separate product; they are built into the car.

He also told Leyden that as the IT security industry matures there will be a greater demand from customers that products and services simply work, a trend mirrored in the growing use of outsourcing.

“Telcos and OEMs should become the only customers for security products. That way you’d have smarter buyers,” he told Leyden.