FC: Reply to Schneier: No need for more federal "cybersecurity" laws

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

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Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2002 22:28:13 -0400
From: Roderick Sprattling <rls () wiseworks com>
To: declan () well com
Subject: Re: FC: Bruce Schneier: Feds need to pass new laws for "cybersecurity"

Declan,

I agree with Schneier when he says "make companies liable for insecurities, 
and you'll be surprised how quickly things get more secure." But don't pass 
laws making companies liable: Markets can be much stronger motivators than 
regulation, so turn up the liability heat in society by creating and 
promoting security's version of Consumer Reports.

Love it or hate it, you've got to admit Consumer Reports and similar 
product testing and review organizations do more than just teat, praise and 
pan products. They also identiy and teach people what attributes of a 
product class really matter, and what the acceptable range of those 
attributes' values should be.

In time:

- People will learn the applicability of information security to their 
lives, and demand security from organizations.
- Standards bodies will be more focused and careful.
- Organizations will first consider security in product and service design.
- Organizations will be more careful about product claims and information 
utilization.
- Organizations will be more responsive to security breaches.

Social and economic liabilies are far more powerful, immediate and elegant 
forces of influence than criminal and civil liabilities. Organizations also 
can't write themselves out of the liability loop as they can when the law 
is involved, so governmental and non-commercial organizations are 
influenced as well.

Rod Sprattling
rls () wiseworks com




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