OWASP AppSec USA 2012 will be held in Austin this year October 23-26, at the Hyatt downtown.
http://www.appsecusa.org
Here are the top 10 reasons why this is so fitting:
1. Austin is transforming, and OWASP aligns perfectly with all that is
Austin because it is the preeminent GLOBAL, OPEN, FREE, CHARITABLE
501(c)(3) security organization.
2. Austin is a hotbed of cybersecurity cogniscenti and activity:
evidenced by startups like Click Security, recently acquired Anue
Systems and BreakingPoint Systems, IBM, Dell (acquired Secureworks),
etc.
3. Cyber Warfare and Cyber Crime stories hit the headlines at an
increasing rate; OWASP is the trusted source for the US National Cyber
Security Division and organizations around the world see this impressive
list:
https://www.owasp.org/index.php/Industry:Citations#National_.26_International_Legislation.2C_Standards.2C_Guidelines.2C_Committees_and_Industry_Codes_of_Practice
4. October is National Cyber Security, US Department of Homeland Security story:
http://www.dhs.gov/national-cyber-security-awareness-month!!!
5. Austin's OWASP chapter is one of over 190 chapters worldwide, it is a
thriving locus of the "brain trust" for sharing ideas and learning how
to make software security VISIBLE so individuals and organizations can
make informed decisions about true software security risks.
6. There are many security organizations, OWASP is where the best and
brightest converge. OWASP does not endorse or recommend commercial
products or services, allowing our community to remain vendor neutral
with the collective wisdom of the best minds in software security
worldwide. It's hard not to attend an information security conference
where a presenter does not quote the "OWASP Top 10."
7. AppSec USA 2012 will have sessions custom-tailored for everyone from
the CISO to the newbie software developer, including college students.
8. Austin creates a sense of community, OWASP creates and nurtures
community, open sharing, and the promotion of FREE educational
materials.
9. Austin is weird, and yes, OWASPers can be a little weird.
10. AppSec USA is coming to Austin, this is yet another proof point that
Austin's role as "THE place to be" is truly multi-dimensional.
As more background, this video is an example of education for software
developers: OWASP Appsec Tutorial Series - Episode 2: SQL Injection
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pypTYPaU7mM
For more information, click here: www.owasp.org, www.appsecusa.org