Mark Curphey - SecurityBuddha.com

Many security vendors army of quota carrying foot soldiers brandish their excel sheets that prove security is important and why you should care. They usually go on to show irrefutable numbers demonstrating security ROI models and TCO. I think its all “bull shitake”!

Wired has the scoop;

Privacy is fast becoming the trendy concept in online marketing. An increasing number of companies are flaunting the steps they’ve taken to protect the privacy of their customers. But studies suggest consumers won’t pay even 25 cents to protect their data.

After the TJX debacle I remember seeing predictions that people will vote with their feet. Of course they didn’t, sales actually went up 9%. The same argument was made for Ruby Tuesdays who lost some credit cards. It just doesn’t happen. Lake Chad and disasters on a global scale continue to plague us due to climate change yet still people refuse to stop buying SUV’s.

Nicholas Carr discusses this in IT Doesn’t Matter. To start with technologies can become competitive differentials like the railroads or the telephone. But once everyone has it, the paying field levels and it becomes table stakes. Its a competitive disadvantage if you aren’t in the game (i.e. insecure) but the economic cost of developing a service or technology that is so compelling as to become an advantage ain’t on the radar (for the most part).