The (un)ethical Security Dealer Strikes

The alarm industry is in a bit of an uproar over aggressive sales tactics of one of their own. As an excellent SDM article explains, one monitoring company, Mason is targeting the accounts of a rival Rapid Response.

Just yesterday, the Security Dealer editor fired back, questioning the ethics of companies like Mason who engage in such tactics. The editor acknowledges,

"I know this type of thing has been going on for almost forever, but it made me think that perhaps it's time to change this type of tactic-for good."

So why suddenly would Security Dealer take such a stand?? And then today it became clear as their publication ran a paid email blast for Rapid Response, the company under attack, and a long standing advertiser with the publication.

So to sum up, according to trade magazine logic:

• Unethical: Aggressive offers to win over customers from competitors
• Ethical: Calling companies who criticize your advertisers unethical and failing to disclose any financial relationship with the advertiser you are defending.

Alas, there are ethical issues in the security industry, among the biggest how warped the media is by their advertisers.