Schneier puts forward very crucial issues about information security. I concur with his argument that people always trust others or even some things without thinking much about it. However, I disagree that people are so naïve that they can put 100% trust in any issue. People have learned that there is no physical difference between a good person and a bad person. Therefore, they usually take caution.
However, people trust that technology is the solution and heavily depend on it for their day to day activities (Calabrese, 2004). As a result, cybercriminals have taken advantage of this and increased their evil tricks. I agree with him that security professionals are in work as long as hackers and other cybercriminals are in existence. In a nutshell, there must be a balancing act in any aspect of society.
On the same note, his argument that there comes a time when people get tired of an idea is paramount. It is important to note that trust lasts only if there are no frustrations. Nevertheless, if people realize that their trust is frustrated continuously, they are bound to revolt. It is vital to note that in such cases, change becomes inevitable. Additionally, since firms are out to maximize profits, it will be wrong to say that information security is a priority to them. I concur with Schneier that firms adhere to the law about security not because they like spending extra cash, but because they trust that the move can help in maintaining customers (Calabrese, 2004).
I agree with note two that trust has lost the importance it had. Nowadays, people are skeptical about any issue or person they are involved with. However, I do not agree that people have completely lost their trust and cannot dare trust anything. Yes, society has disintegrated and many people prefer not to completely have faith in various issues. But people use technological devices because they believe their work will be made easier. People use antivirus software because they trust it will protect their computers.
I concur with note three that in the modern-day world, trust is not even a question to discuss as far as information technology is concerned. All internet sites ensure they are completely secured because the users cannot be trusted. Moreover, it is a trust that leads to the spread of cybercrimes. Though there are some issues in society that require trust, information security is not one of them. Even co-workers are not supposed to be trusted and must also be expected to follow the security channel before accessing anything. The blind trust that people were accorded before is the cause of all the security problems currently facing internet users.
Note WK presents a very good argument. People must trust technology to be willing to use it. They must be confident that technology works to their benefit before they decide to purchase any software. It is a trust that people have in certain software that makes them take the risk of using the software. Unfortunately, this is a double-edged sword and has led to an increase in attacks. It is paramount to note that the failure of trusted antivirus software has led to huge losses (Calabrese, 2004).
I also agree that reputation plays a very crucial role in determining the success of a firm. Customers will be more willing to get out of a firm that is usually attacked by hackers. Therefore, firms will do anything to protect their reputation.
Reference
Calabrese, T. (2004). Information Security Intelligence: Cryptographic Principles & Applications. Stanford: Cengage Learning.