Security industry 'very close' to losing cyber war - WatchGuard

Vendors must innovate faster or risk losing the everyday internet user, warns WatchGuard executive

The security industry is "very close" to losing its war against cybercriminals as bugs and malware such as Cryptolocker and Heartbleed threaten to alienate everyday users from the internet.

That is the stark warning of Alex Thurber, vice president of sales at WatchGuard, a 20-year veteran of the security industry.

Talking to CRN yesterday at Infosecurity Europe, Thurber admitted the industry had failed to keep pace with the new breed of threats that have been able to bypass traditional defences.

"At some point, we risk losing the everyday user," he said.

"If they're worried about using the internet because there's a chance they might lose information, they'll just go to the bank or the store instead and we will lose those incredible productivity advances got through the internet.

"I'm very worried that we're really close to that tipping point and the industry has got to do a better job and innovate faster."

Thurber (pictured), who started his IT security career at one of the US' first Check Point partners and has also worked for McAfee, gave the recent Cryptolocker ransomware and Heartbleed bug as prime examples of where cybercriminals have gained the upper hand over a flat-footed security industry.

"The one thing about security is you've got to constantly innovate," he said.

"The bad guys are better funded than they were and stuff like Cryptolocker is just devious. They ask for so little money, they just fly under the radar. I don't mean that $300 is not a lot of money, but at the end of the day, you're not going to risk your business for $300 - you're going to pay.

"We think we will win the war but I'm getting more and more concerned and certainly the Heartbleed virus worries me."

Thurber added: "I think half the job is education. Why do we today still have to warn people not to click on phishing links? How is that still not intuitive?"