OWASP Academies

Preparatory meeting for the Summit'11
Following the email sent in October regarding the OWASP Academies and the work OWASP is developing to implement and operationalize this concept, multiple feedback and contributions for the discussion have been received.

We thought that one way to turn the feedback and interest received into something positive and constructive would be to sit the people involved at a table and discuss experiences, views and ideas for the OWASP Academies' operational model. Knowing, for example, how the already established connections with Universities were started and how they are working, what would seem to these partners the most reasonable “next step” in terms of formalization or knowing what, from the Universities’ point of view, would be an interesting model of relationship, could be of great use for our own definition and consolidation of the OWASP Academies concept.

In this context, a meeting will be held on the 5th and 6th of January, in Lisbon, with the following format:
 * Two days (5th and 6th January) of working sessions focused on the OWASP Academies where the operational model will be discussed with the intent to prepare a draft that can be presented and debated in the Summit'11 to happen in February;
 * Main objectives should be:
 * Definition of the concept behind the OWASP Academy model;
 * Discussion of Certification;
 * Identification of a "to do" list for the Summit'11.

The meetings will take place at ISCTE, Lisbon University Institute, in Lisbon. Address is Av.ª das Forças Armadas, 1649-026 LISBOA.

Unfortunately, due to budgetary constraints, it will not be possible for us to invite all who have contributed for the discussion and pay for their traveling and accommodation. We have therefore devised a criteria of selection for paid invitations that takes into account both the level of engagement in the discussion and the amount of work already done within the Academic community.

Having said that, if you find sponsorship to fund your trip and stay in Lisbon, you will be very welcome to join us – just drop [mailto:sandra.paiva@owasp.org me] a line to let me know you are coming!

For information about the Venue and Hotel, please click HERE

Participants

 * Martin Knobloch – Netherlands Local Chapter and Global Education Committee, Netherlands
 * Konstantinos Papapanagiotou - Greece Local Chapter, Information Security Services Manager at Syntax IT Inc, Visiting Lecturer at the University of Piraeus, Greece
 * Vasileos Vlachos - Greece Local Chapter, Lecturer at the Technological Educational Institute of Larissa, Greece
 * Jim Burkman - Assistant Professor, at the Oklahoma State University, US
 * Andreas Fuchsberger – Information Security Group, Royal Holloway University, UK
 * Ed Adams - President & CEO of Security Innovation, US
 * Jason Taylor - CTO of Security Innovation, US
 * Francisco Rente - Researcher at the Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
 * Ricardo Melo - DRI, IT Consultants Ltd, Portugal
 * Filipe Lacerda - Lusolabs, Portugal
 * Carlos Serrão - OWASP Portuguese Chapter Leader, Assistant Professor at ISCTE - Lisbon University Institute, Portugal
 * Dinis Cruz - OWASP Board
 * Paulo Coimbra - OWASP Project Manager, Portugal
 * Sandra Paiva - OWASP Training Manager, Portugal

Live Blog of the meeting
If you were not able to be with us in Lisbon and still want to be part of the discussion, please follow the meeting Live and send us your comments via Cover It Live here:


 * Wednesday, 5th January


 * Thursday, 6th January

The Events will go LIVE at 10h30m on Wednesday, the 5th January and 10h on Thursday, the 6th January.

We are looking forward to seeing you online!

Conclusions of the Meeting
Following two days of intense and animated debate about what would be the best model to support the OWASP Academies, the team gathered in Lisbon has reached the following results:


 * The OWASP Academies will be embodied by the OAP (OWASP Academic Portal)
 * The OAP will be an online platform, mainly aimed at professors and students, comprised by 3 distinct components


 * Blocks – sets of teachable contents formatted for diverse purposes and ready to use


 * Labs – platforms with vulnerable apps and hands-on exercises


 * Community – where interaction platforms, foruns and tools facilitating asynchronous communication will be made available
 * It has been decided that an OWASP Project would be created to support this area of work – OWASP Academy Portal Project
 * The OPA will be led by Martin Knobloch, Ricardo Melo and Konstantinos Papapanagiotou and will have the following contributors: Vasileos Vlachos, Jim Burkman, Andreas Fuchsberger, Jason Taylor, Carlos Serrão, Filipe Lacerda, Ed Adams, Dinis Cruz
 * Filipe Lacerda accepted the responsibility of hosting the 1st version of the OWASP Academies Portal and Vasileos and Kostas will ensure the hosting of the Labs of the Portal
 * Security Innovation has agreed to sponsor this Project by providing a hosting environment that allows SCORM eLearning content, forums, glossary, resources (such as zip, word, pdf, etc) and tracking and reporting features
 * It has been agreed that the 1st version of the OAP will be presented at the Summit'11
 * It has been agreed that Security Innovation would work with OWASP in the Certification of OWASP materials as long as the questions and answers are open and result from a peer-to-peer review process within the community

Blogs of the Meeting
To follow the discussion we have had, please read through the live blogs of the two days which are available below.

Session 5th January

http://www.owasp.org/images/e/e7/Liveblog_5_Jan.JPG

Session 6th January

http://www.owasp.org/images/d/dd/Liveblog_6_Jan.JPG

Materials
Materials used, pictures and presentations delivered during these two days can be acessed here:


 * Kostas and Vasileos' presentation of their experience in Greece


 * Jason Taylor's presentation of a course designed for the Montana State University


 * Security Innovation's presentation of Certification model


 * Course on Web Security and Information Systems (ISCTE), from Carlos Serrão


 * Courses curricula AppSec course suite, from Martin K.


 * (Gallery - pictures and videos)

UPDATE - 11 Jan 2011
We would like to inform that, within the context of the Academies meeting and what has there been discussed, Carlos Serrão (Portuguese Chapter Leader and Assistant Professor at ISCTE - Instituto Universitário) has informed us of ISCTE's interest in discussing the idea of creating a Summer Course on the AppSec area.

Following a more detailed conversation with Carlos and a subsequent discussion with Dinis Cruz (OWASP Board), it has been decided that Sandra Paiva, Paulo Coimbra and Carlos Serrão would draft a plan for the creation of a Summer School.