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Chapter Meetings
When: September 15, 2009, 11:30am - 1:30pm

Topic:  Detective Work for Testers. Finding Workflow-based Defects.

Workflow-based security defects in Web applications are especially difficult to identify because they evade traditional, point-and-scan vulnerability detection techniques. Understanding these potential defects and why black-box scanners typically miss them, are key to creating a testing strategy for successful detection and mitigation. Rafal Los describes the critical role that testers play in assessing application work flows and how business process-based testing techniques can uncover these flaws. Rafal demystifies the two main types of workflow-based application vulnerabilities-business process logic vulnerabilities and parameter-based vulnerabilities-and provides you with a sound basis to improve your testing strategies. Become a security testing sleuth and learn to find the workflow-based security defects before your system is compromised.

Who: Rafal Los, Sr. Web Security Specialist, HP Software

Senior Security Specialist with Hewlett-Packard’s Application Security Center (ASC), Rafal Los has more than thirteen years of experience in network and system design, security policy and process design, risk analysis, penetration testing, and consulting. For the past eight years, he has focused on information security and risk management, leading security architecture teams, and managing successful enterprise security programs for General Electric and other Fortune 100 companies, as well as SMB enterprises. Previously, Rafal spent three years in-house with GE Consumer Finance, leading its web application security programs.

Where: The First American Co, 1 First American Way, Westlake, TX 76262 (@15 min from DFW Airport)

Parking: Upon arrival at Circle Drive, please pull into the Visitor Kiosk to your right where you will be issued a Visitor’s Parking Pass. Once parked, proceed to Building 5 for your Visitor Badge. See Map for Directions. .

Cost: Always Free

Lunch: Bring your own lunch or purchase lunch at the First American Café in Building 7.

RSVP: OWASPDallas@utdallas.edu This will help expidite the check-in process. Thanks.

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When: Dallas February 25, 2009 11:30am – 1:30pm

Topic: Vulnerability Management in an Application Security World. Identifying application-level vulnerabilities via penetration tests and code reviews is only the first step in actually addressing the underlying risk. Managing vulnerabilities for applications is more challenging than dealing with traditional infrastructure-level vulnerabilities because they typically require the coordination of security teams with application development teams and require security managers to secure time from developers during already-cramped development and release schedules. In addition, fixes require changes to custom application code and application-specific business logic rather than the patches and configuration changes that are often sufficient to address infrastructure-level vulnerabilities. This presentation details many of the pitfalls organizations encounter while trying to manage application-level vulnerabilities as well as outlines strategies security teams can use for communicating with development teams. Similarities and differences between security teams’ practice of vulnerability management and development teams’ practice of defect management will be addressed in order to facilitate healthy communication between these groups.

Who: Dan Cornell, Principal, Denim Group Dan Cornell has over ten years of experience architecting, developing and securing web-based software systems. As a Principal of Denim Group, he leads the organization’s technology team overseeing methodology development and project execution for Denim Group’s customers. He also heads the Denim Group application security research team, investigating the application of secure coding and development techniques to the improvement of web based software development methodologies. He is also the primary author of sprajax, Denim Group’s open source tool for assessing the security of AJAX-enabled web applications.

Where: UTD Campus - Galaxy Room of the Student Union, Room SU 2.602 Doors open at 11:00 am.

RSVP:  OWASP.DFW.RSVP@denimgroup.com