http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=193402406 

By K.C. Jones
TechWeb News
Oct 25, 2006

A few years ago, when networking technology experts and traditional 
security experts got together, they could barely communicate. Now, the 
two areas are converging at a rapid pace and business leaders should 
plan for more changes ahead, according to several experts who spoke 
Wednesday.

Both IT and physical security are likely to be driven by government 
regulations and business needs and are likely to move offshore, said 
panelists at InfoSecurity and the International Security Conference & 
Exposition.

"Years back, when you brought physical and cyber security guys together 
they weren't even speaking the same language," said CA Senior Vice 
President and Chief Security Strategist Ron Moritz, one of four featured 
panelists Wednesday at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Senior Vice President and Chief of Security for Indymac Bank, Boulton 
Fernando, agreed, saying, "one group would be talking about exits and 
the other would be talking about network stuff."

Boulton said corporate decision-makers should realize that they are 
likely to reap cost-saving benefits of convergence in three years, not 
immediately.

Irene Lam, senior products manager of American Dynamics IP Video Edge 
Solutions, said that the consolidation of security and networking 
companies -- evidenced by recent Cisco acquisitions and EMC's purchase 
of RSA -- is good news.

"It means our industry is growing, that they want to come and play," she 
said. "It will weed out all these one-offs. It means we have to have 
quality products and loyal channels."

James Henry, chairman, CEO and Founder of Henry Bros. Electronics, said 
it lends credence to both industries.

"These big guys don't get into businesses for a few years and then go 
off onto something else," he said.

Moritz said that the future of convergence is likely to manifest 
offshore, where IT security is already headed.

"One of the things we did not see happening is the eyeballs moving 
offshore, at least on the third shift," he said. "Eventually, we'll be 
seeing the first and second shifts move offshore. How long is it going 
to be before they start watching the doors and access privileges?"

Fernando and Moritz said that foreign workers are taking more security 
precautions than Americans take.

"Lots of companies we do business with don't allow people to bring in 
purses or cell phones," Fernando said. "Try that here and you won't have 
any people working."

Moritz pointed out that, while Americans seek assurances that foreign 
environments are secure, foreigners are sometimes skeptical about the 
safety of products from beyond their borders.

He recounted a story in which he was pitching Israeli security products 
to Swiss leaders and they asked, "How do we know the Mossad didn't 
inject spyware into your code?" Moritz said he joked that for $25,000 it 
could be removed.

"The truth is we don't know," he said.

Copyright 2006 CMP Media LLC


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