On 28 February our Department of Computing and Technology hosted "Building in Security for Application Development" in conjunction with the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) on the Cambridge campus.

OWASP is a not-for-profit worldwide charitable organization focused on improving the security of application software. Their mission is to make application security visible, so that people and organizations can make informed decisions about true application security risks.

The conference showcased talks from a number of renowned experts in the field of application security and also provided an opportunity for networking between academics, members of OWASP and Computing and Technology students.

Delegates who welcomed by conference organiser, Senior Lecturer in Computer Science Adrian Winckles, who opened proceedings with an introduction to the topic area and biographies of the main speakers. Adrian's presentation was followed by Dinis Cruz, OWASP champion and legendary penetration tester, who introduced the group and discussed the Application Security O2 Project Framework.

Fabio Cerullo, an application security specialist with AIB Bank then gave an enlightening presentation on the Open Software Assurance Maturity Model and Enterprise Security API. Fabio was followed by Colin Watson, Technical Director for application security consultancy firm Watson Hall, who provided insights into the APPSensor Intrusion Detection Project.

The evening was rounded off with informal refreshments and networking in LAB006, speaking of the conference Adrian commented, "This was a very well attended event from both lT professionals and students which provides a catalyst for many future events and the establishment of a local OWASP chapter and security based student society".