We have a new Security and Resilience Industry Suppliers Council (RISC - see Intellect press release or SBAC press release). Says chair Stephen Phipson:

“Through the formation of RISC the UK security and resilience sector will act as one, in concert with government, to deliver a significantly fortified frontline of security and resilience.”RISC is an alliance of suppliers, trade associations and academics. It provides a single industry voice and channel of communication for government on strategic issues affecting national security and resilience. This will foster unprecedented industry-government partnership and dialogue to counter international and domestic terrorism.

The Spy Blog takes a characteristically dim view of this.

If we could say our IT trade association had a tragic flaw, it would be its inability to ensure that what its members deliver actually meet customers’ or end-users’ needs. It doesnt even seem to show any interest in the idea, and the consequences in public-sector IT continue to be problematic.

The RISC might well fall into the same pattern.

It can’t make the world a safer place by creating a spirit of military-industrial cosiness and selling taxpayers more technology. It’s the human dimension of security that matters most. It’s not clear from what we see so far which RISC member would speak up to that effect.