Security and Privacy: Is it Really a Zero-Sum Game?

An element of economic theory is prevalent in the security and computing world – the concept of the zero-sum game. This is a game theory concept that basically means if someone wins, then someone else must lose. We’ve seen this concept, as applies to security and privacy, play out most recently as Apple and the FBI squabbled in public over hacking an alleged terrorist’s iPhone. The immediate issue has been resolved, so let’s take a look back and see what we’ve learned.

We’ve seen a lot of posturing, a lot of commentary, and even some bluster on the part of pundits and experts in the industry. We’ve seen Apple’s position on the matter and gathered other perspectives. To many, privacy wins the day, because people don’t want any large entity – government or corporation – to have too much power. Cardinal Richelelieu, a seventeenth century French statesman, once wrote, “If you give me six lines written by the most honest man, I will find something in them to hang him.” Many people share this mindset when it comes to privacy and security on the ‘net.

For some, the privacy versus security debate becomes a question of safety and well-being. Individuals and the industry default to privacy. Others, it seems, are more worried about our security; the next incident where privacy concerns (arguably) obstruct investigations.

It’s time to get past the zero-sum game mode of thinking with regards to privacy and security, where one or the other wins out. But to do that, we’ve got to learn a lot more about the basic principles of privacy and security and how they work together.

That’s why I’ve invited a security and privacy expert named John Pescatore to tell us a bit more about these issues. The webinar is called Security, Privacy and You: A Report on Today’s Industry Best Practices. It takes place tomorrow, April 20, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. You can sign up here.

John has over 35 years of experience in privacy and security. He’s worked for the Gartner Group, GTE and the United States National Security Agency (NSA). He has some fascinating perspectives gained from his work in the public and private sector. He’s the perfect person to articulate our options concerning security and privacy. I’m looking forward to joining you in attending the webinar. We’ll be discussing best practices that will help you as an IT pro and the key legal and technological issues that face us today.

Click here to sign up today and join us in getting past the either/or approach to security and privacy.