WASPY Awards 2012

Attention: All Chapter/Project Leaders

Every year a group of individuals including researchers, developers, security professionals and others work to ensure the security of web applications. Some of these individuals are featured in news stories or at conferences as recognized experts. But there are many other ‘unsung heroes’ that work every day to improve web application security and yet are rarely recognized. This year OWASP will initiate the first annual Web Application Security Person of the Year (WASPY) award. There will be awards for WASPY winners at the chapter or project, finalist and global levels. Each Chapter or Project who participates will have the opportunity to nominate 1 WASPY candidate from their Chapter or Project to represent them in the final vote. The OWASP board will review the profiles of the chapter/project level winners and will then select 5 Global finalists. The Global WASPY winner will be announced at the Global AppSec North America conference in Austin, TX in October. Winners at each level will be recognized on the OWASP website and receive a gift in addition to the award. Guidelines that will be used to select WASPY winners are: Individuals should be involved in web application security in some meaningful way, ie: they may be involved in projects or supporting the chapter or involved in volunteering time for awareness campaigns. Individuals should be well known for supporting local OWASP or other web application security efforts. Individuals that not only support local efforts but also contribute time to OWASP projects or other national/international efforts to improve web application security should be given additional consideration/credit. Individuals should not be well-known AppSec pundits or speakers. While these are important individuals, they already get a lot of attention and the purpose of the WASPYs is to give more recognition to lesser known but just as important AppSec supporters.

Here is how the process will work: All Chapters/Projects that would like to participate in the WASPY Award, must contact Kelly Santalucia via kelly.santalucia@owasp.org by September 1, 2012. Only Chapters/Projects who have contacted Kelly by September 1, 2012 will be able to nominate 1 candidate to represent their chapter/project. It is up to the Chapter/Project to determine how they would like to select their candidate. Please reference our Chapter Handbook for suggestions on Chapter Elections, and refer to the guidelines listed above which will be used for the selection of the winners. Once the Chapter/Project has selected a candidate, they must contact Kelly Santalucia with the candidates name, his/her accomplishments and provide an explanation as to why this person was chosen. Chapters/Projects have until September 15 to submit this information. **Each Chapter/Project must submit a candidate in order for the chapter/project to be eligible to share in a percentage of any funds raised beyond those used to support the awards.** September 22, the OWASP Board will vote for the top 5 candidates. October 25 winners will be announced live at AppSec USA in Austin, TX

OWASP corporate supporters will sponsor the WASPY awards. In order to participate Chapters/Projects must contact Kelly Santalucia kelly.santalucia@owasp.org by September 1, 2012 AND submit a candidate by September 15, 2012. Chapters/Projects who do not respond by September 1, 2012 will not be eligible to participate in 2012 but will be eligible in future years. Chapters/Projects that submit a candidate will be eligible to share in a percentage of any funds raised beyond those used to support the awards. More information will be provided to the participating chapters/projects on the awards, gifts and recognition for winners at each level.