Marketing can degrade into con artistry. It isn't always, but it certainly can.
That being said, I think in the long run people appreciate it if your marketing isn't scummy.
(Not directly aimed at the original article, though I do think there's a lot of deceptive, confusing, and overly hyperbolic FUD in the security sector.)
It should be called lying and bullshitting, and I strongly believe that we tolerate it far too much as a culture.