The security industry lost another giant with the recent passing of Ed Chandler, one of the earliest independent security technology consultants in the United States and a true pioneer in his field. Since founding his firm, Security by Design, in 1974, Ed’s outside-the-box thinking, relentless curiosity, and refusal to accept the words “it can’t be done” helped reshape the foundations of physical security.
Ed didn’t just serve the largest corporations and institutions in the world; he thrived on solving their toughest, most complex security challenges. When others hesitated, Ed leaned in. He was a relentless force for innovation, known for pushing boundaries and demanding better from every system, vendor, and solution. His influence extended far beyond his client list; Ed mentored a generation of security professionals, including me.
He offered guidance with purpose, insight with clarity, and support without hesitation—whether you were a colleague, a competitor, or someone just finding your footing. Ed was a magnet at industry trade shows. Manufacturers didn’t just want to talk to him; they needed to. His insights sparked product shifts, his feedback carried weight, and his presence always meant change was coming.
I first met Ed at a national locksmith event in the late 1980s. He was one of the first security hardliners I encountered in my early foray into the industry. He and Lorna, his wife, best friend and business partner, immediately took me under their wing, mentoring me on the current landscape and emerging technologies.
Security by Design truly became a family affair when Chrissy McCutcheon, CPP, SICC, rejoined the company in 2013 as a Principal and Senior Security Consultant with over 10 years of experience in the security field.
"My father loved to share his knowledge with anyone who would lend their ear. He enjoyed introducing people to others to help industry collaboration and worked to make everyone better at what they do. He always came up with new ideas and shared them with manufacturers to improve product offerings that would benefit our clients. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him since 2013."
A Technology and Industry Visionary, Leader
Ed was a technologist at heart—someone who deeply understood the consequences of failure by design and relentlessly pursued what was right, not what was easy. As Pierre Bourgeix, the Founder and CEO of ESI Convergent, shared, “Ed and I shared a relationship that believed the physical and the logical had transformed the industry and would transform design in and of itself. From the manufacturer to the integrator, this belief and passion for near-perfection led many in our industry to change, and that's the magic of Ed Chandler. With his wife Lorna at his side, they pursued truth in design, and that's what mattered. Our discussions and attention to this change have been paramount in transforming our industry from product-based to software-based technology.”
Ed exhibited leadership quietly yet powerfully. His colleagues knew that when he made a point, they had best listen and do so carefully.
“Ed was a leader in the industry, particularly in getting the entire security ecosystem to understand the need and tremendous benefits of getting security right from the start. The words and practice of ‘security by design’ and privacy by design are commonplace today. Still, for Ed and his team, these were reflexes, hardwired, and in practice well before their widespread adoption,” said Salvatore D’Agostino, the CEO of IDMachines LLC. “As someone who has also been invested in pushing the industry forward, Ed was always an enthusiastic collaborator.”
D'Agostino added that the use of modern cryptography with DESFire, PIV, and PKOC, the abhorrence of the insecurity of 125 KHz credentials and Wiegand interfaces, and the need for best practice in network design are just some examples Ed championed for the industry. “He brought intelligence, integrity, inquisitiveness, and unmatched experience across all his activities.”
Industry Pioneer
Jason Ouellette, a 30-year veteran of the security industry and the Chairman of the PSIA, first met Ed when he was with Software House access control brand while it was still under Sensormatic (later acquired by Tyco and then Johnson Controls in 1999). Oulette remembers that this period marked the beginning of the company's most extensive customer-funded series of modifications, aimed at standardizing and harmonizing reader LED/beep patterns, introducing a Maintenance Mode to declutter the security operations center, and implementing several other features.
“In those early days of my career in the security industry, I learned so much from Ed about his approach to security, the value of standards, and the importance of never compromising on doing things right. Over the 26 years I have spent in the industry, I have grown and developed into leadership roles in engineering, product management, sales, and eventually focused on innovation and new technology. Ed was a major influence on me throughout this journey,” Ouellette admitted. “He was always open to taking a call, brainstorming, making recommendations and providing guidance. I equally valued how his focus on family and work always seemed to be at the forefront, and it was so natural. He had a very father-like way of working with people, letting you know you had his support while pushing you to be better. It wasn't always easy, but it was an experience that improved me when working with Ed.”
Whether presenting alongside peers on future-focused initiatives like the PKOC specification, challenging manufacturers to innovate at trade shows, or quietly shaping the direction of an entire industry with his wife Lorna, Ed’s fingerprints are on countless innovations we take for granted today. “Advancements exist in this industry because of their push,” Ouellette noted.
While some may have characterized Ed as a “nuts and bolts” security practitioner and consultant, he rode the crest of the industry convergence migration, hanging ten with a new breed of security professionals like Rodney Thayer, a Security Consultant at Smithee, Spelvin, Agnew & Plinge, Inc., that matriculated in from the IT world. Thayer first met Ed in the mid-2000s when he was establishing his convergence engineering consultancy. Ed was one of his first customers.
“He was always tickling the vendor supply chain to resolve challenges, and I was brought in to help with networking issues on a project. I didn’t know much about his work. As we walk onto the job site, we pass by a rack of clearly old equipment, and he casually comments, ‘We put that in 20 years ago.’ Coming from the IT world, realizing physical security systems last much longer than computer networks was shocking. He was a wealth of information about physical security complexities.
“I had to learn to choose my questions carefully, as I might get a 45-minute lecture on how double swipe is used to unlock a classroom door. He was often working on complex system integration issues. He pushed the vendors to deliver features, but wasn’t afraid to tie together two giant Windows servers with a dry-closure relay if they couldn’t figure out how to send network messages to each other. He definitely got it that the physical security industry has too few standardized solutions. His work with PKOC was just the latest example of that.”
While Jon Polly, the Chief Solutions Officer for ProTecht Solutions Partners, had known Ed for just over six years, he always considered him approachable and willing to discuss security and systems solutions, often with a touch of humor, but always with wisdom and restraint.
“My fondest memory of him was at a manufacturer consultant event, and Ed got the microphone. Not so quietly, the product development team started to leave the stage; they knew Ed would cause them to do work. His comments the year before had caused a massive shift in their product software because, in the end, Ed spoke about what not only his client(s) needed but also the industry as a whole needed from this manufacturer. The owner of the company had the product team take notes. The software was changing again, for the better,” recounted Polly.
He added that when he saw Ed's involvement with PKOC, it clicked.
“Ed and Lorna both have been quietly moving in the background of the security industry, helping to form and shape the industry we have today. There are advancements in this industry that I would confidently say exist because of their push.”
Bourgeix concluded that Ed’s kindness, wisdom, and fierce commitment to doing things the right way made him beloved by clients, respected by competitors, and admired by all who knew him.
“May God shine a star brighter than any other in the universe for us to follow in his footsteps,” he said.
