Women In AppSec

=WELCOME=

Women in Application Security
The purpose of the Women in AppSec is to increase the participation of women in the field of application security. The program was successfully launched in 2011 at AppSec USA. This year, two winners will be chosen to attend AppSec USA in New York City in November. The Women in AppSec program is for female undergraduate and graduate students, instructors, and professionals who are dedicated to information security or application development. The program is open to women in the region of the conference.

Current participants that host the Women in AppSec program are AppSec USA, AppSec APAC, AppSec EU and AppSec Latam. Regional conferences are encouraged to host the Women in AppSec program. The planning phases of the Women in AppSec program are given here in detail, including the steps to setting up sponsorship, prior grading criteria, and awards outline. The winners of the Women in AppSec should be aided after the win is announced. Aid would include insuring arrangement for travel, accommodations and conference pass. On the days of the trainings and conference, the winners should be helped by OWASP volunteers to ensure they are meeting OWASP employees and that they make it to the panel for Women in AppSec.

To continue to improve the Women in AppSec program it is especially important to get feedback from previous winners. This allows the OWASP community to see the benefits of the program and what the next conference can do to improve upon the program.

=ABOUT THE PROGRAM=

Women in AppSec


The OWASP Foundation, in recognition of value to both organizations and society, is working to support and enhance programs that increase the participation of women in the field of application security. The OWASP Foundation Women in AppSec Program provides merit-based funding for women to attend participating OWASP AppSec conferences. OWASP’s current program objective is to encourage female students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, instructors, and professional working women who are dedicated to a career in information security and/or application development, to expand their skills and pursue application security.

Eligibility
Each applicant must be a woman that meets our eligibility criteria below:

Is a part- or full-time student at an accredited four-year college or university or graduate program.
 * Or

Is involved in information security and/or application development in a professional role.
 * And/Or

Has an interest in exploring application security in an information security and/or application development role.

Global Conferences
Women in AppSec currently takes place at the four global conferences:


 * AppSec USA
 * AppSec EU
 * AppSec APAC
 * AppSec Latam

Note: The applicant must be from the region that the conference is taking place in to apply for the Women in AppSec opportunity.

=GLOBAL CONFERENCES=

AppSec
OWASP AppSec conferences bring together industry, government, security researchers, and practitioners to discuss the state of the art in application security. This series was launched in the United States in 2004 and Europe in 2005. Global AppSec conferences are held annually in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Additionally, regional events are held in locations such as Brazil, China, India, Ireland, Israel, and Washington D.C.

Currently the Women in AppSec program is held at the Global Conferences, however, regional events are encouraged to take advantage of the program as well.

AppSec APAC
AppSec APAC comprises the Asian-Pacific region. The Global AppSec APAC Conference is a reunion of Information Security Asia-Pacific leaders, and presents cutting-edge ideas. OWASP events attract a worldwide audience interested in “what’s next”. The conference is expected to draw 200-250 technologists each year from Government, Financial Services, Media, Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare, Technology, and many other verticals.

AppSec EU
AppSec EU comprises the European region. Executives from Fortune 500 firms along with technical thought leaders such as security architects and lead developers travel to hear the cutting-edge ideas presented by Information Security’s top talent. OWASP events attract a worldwide audience interested in “what’s next”. The conference is expected to draw 400-500 technologists each year from various verticals.

AppSec Latam
AppSec Latam comprises the Latin American region. The Global AppSec Latin America Conference is a reunion of Information Security Latin American leaders, and presents cutting-edge ideas. OWASP events attract a worldwide audience interested in “what’s next”. The conference is expected to draw 200-250 technologists from various verticals.

AppSec USA
AppSec USA comprises the North American region. AppSec USA is a world-class software security conference for technologists, auditors, risk managers, and entrepreneurs, gathering the world's top practitioner, to share the latest research and practices. The first AppSec Conference was held in 2004 in New York City.

=PLANNING=

Step 1:
Put together a selection committee of about 5-6 people. The selection committee will then be broken down into several sub-committees of one to two people who will then work on sponsorship, marketing, the grading process and the call for entries.

Step 2:
Decide on the details of the awards, such as if the winners will be provided travel and accommodations.

Step 3:
Come up with a budget to allocate for the award based on the expense of travel for each winner, the accommodations provided and conference pass.

Step 4:
Develop a Sponsorship Strategy and put together a sponsorship flyer outlining the program, what you are seeking and the benefits of sponsorship. Give incentive for sponsorship and details about the program to get potential sponsors interested. Included the successes of past Women in AppSec conference events.

Sample of 2013 Sponsorship Flyer

Step 5:
Seek out sponsor for the program.

Step 6:
Develop the application timeline with deadlines for each stage. Deadlines are critically important, and there has to be a cut off point. Create a deadline for when submissions should be in, for when letters of recommendation should be received, the timeline for the grading process, the date the top 5 will be announced and the date the winners will be announced.

Step 7:
Create the selection criteria and send out a call for entries. Be specific on the criteria you are looking for in candidates. Especially note that only women in the region that the conference is being held can submitted for consideration.

Sample Selection Criteria

Step 8:
Make the final selection on candidates and announce the winners.

Step 9:
Help the winners arrange travel, accommodations and other logistics. Upon their arrival at the conference center insure they are taken care of by an OWASP volunteer, someone who will get them settled and that they make it to panels and trainings without issue. The bigger the conference, the more important it is to make sure the winners are not lost in the crowd.

Step 1:
Gather feedback from the winners. Ask the winners for a brief blurb about their experience, with a picture attached for the website. Then write up a review and lessons learned page to document the experience with the program and what can be improved upon in the future. =LOGISTICS=

The Program Committee
The Program Committee should consist of around 5-6 people. The committee should then be broken down into subcommittees of one to two people who will work on various parts of the program, including sponsorship, marketing the program, the grading process, and the call for entries.

Sponsorship
Two people will be responsible for sponsorship. They will be in charge of creating the sponsorship packages, flyers and seeking out sponsorship from other chapters and organizations.

Marketing
One person will be responsible for marketing the event. Their job will consist of putting together press releases, keeping the event planners updated on progress and communicating progress to the overall community.

Grading Process
While everyone on the committee will be involved in grading, one person will be in charge of the grading process. They will create spreadsheets similar to those originally created for the selection committee, and for making sure everyone has what they need for the grading process.

Call for Entries
Finally, one to two people will be in charge of the call for entries. Depending on the amount of entries, this might work better with two people as it requires collecting entries, arranging them and sorting them out to the other graders. =ON THE DAY=

Training Days
Prior to the conference, the winners will arrive during the training workshops. Upon their arrival an OWASP volunteer will be around to greet them, sort out their hotel arrangements and take them to trainings. This is to ensure that the winners are taken care of and that they feel welcome and comfortable. The two training days prior to the conference should give the winners a chance to get to know local chapter volunteers and early attendees. Winners are encouraged to attend trainings that interest them and to mingle with fellow trainees. If there is a welcome event, winners should be encouraged to attend as well.

Conference Days
During the two days of the conference an OWASP volunteer will be available to show the winners around, introduce them to staff members and get them acquainted with conference goers. The volunteer will also be responsible for getting the winners to the Women in AppSec panel. The volunteers should be made available if the winners have any questions or need help with anything. It is important that the winners get a full AppSec experience. This includes attending sessions of interests and encourage winners to participate in the various activities provided at AppSec. =PAST WINNERS=

Previous Women in AppSec Winners
Following their experience at AppSec, winners are encouraged to write a short piece about their experience at the conference and their participation in the Women in AppSec program.

Carrie Schaper, 2013 Winner

Carrie Schaper is an Information Security Professional with over 12+ years of industry experience ranging from Penetration Testing Fortune 500 companies, the Banking Infrastructure, and Government to Incident Response and Continuous Monitoring. She has performed Threat-Mitigation against targeted  attacks from domestic and foreign adversaries for both corporate and government environments.

Nancy Lornston, 2013 Winner

Nancy Lorntson is the Security Program Manager at Infinite Campus, the largest American-owned Student Information System, managing 6 million students in 43 states. Previously, Nancy was a school district Information Services Manager and part-time trainer for Guidance Software. In her current role, Nancy is responsible for all things security at Infinite Campus, working between the application development organization and the support, network, business operations, and hosting teams to implement, grow and improve a world class security program.

Tara Wilson, 2011 Winner

“Being fortunate enough to receive the Women in AppSec grant is a unique and valuable experience. It is a great opportunity for women to have a chance to bolster their skills and dive deep into the world of application security. I found that attending the conference was not only a great way to experience what the OWASP community has to offer, but it also gives students a chance to network with a great group of people who are passionate about their field and willing to share a wealth of information.” =CONTACT=

If you have questions, or if you wish to contribute to the program, please e-mail Samantha Groves at: [mailto:samantha.groves@owasp.org samantha.groves@owasp.org]

or intern Kait Disney-Leugers at: [mailto:kait.disney.leugers@owasp.org kait.disney.leugers@owasp.org]