Information security professionals prefer the term "trust" to "secure" because:

The preference for the term "trust" over "secure" among information security professionals stems from the nuanced nature of trust in the security realm. "Secure" is often viewed as a binary condition, implying that a system is either secure or not, without consideration for the varying levels of security that can exist in different contexts. In contrast, "trust" encapsulates a broader spectrum that reflects the varying degrees of confidence stakeholders may have in a system’s robustness against threats.

When assessing security, professionals recognize that absolute security is virtually unattainable due to the ever-evolving landscape of threats and vulnerabilities. Thus, trust allows for a more realistic assessment of a system's security—acknowledging that users and systems can be partially trusted based on certain criteria and historical performance. This paradigm shift helps in fostering a more pragmatic and effective approach to security discussions and decision-making. Trust, therefore, incorporates the complexity and subjective judgment involved in evaluating systems, which is essential in a dynamic environment where risks and trust relationships are constantly changing.