Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP)

The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 with the goal of improving security for software applications and products. A community project, OWASP involves different types of initiatives such as incubator projects, laboratory projects and flagship projects intended to evolve the software process.

OWASP represents one of a number of vanguard groups working with government agencies and other parties to improve digital technology standards for enterprise and public use. Working on a kind of open source or "crowdsourced" model, OWASP offers a range of community projects aimed at helping others to use technology more safely and effectively. Some projects under this group's aegis include a Software Assurance Maturity Model (SAMM), as well as development and testing guides that provide best practices for tech industries. OWASP has also developed a code review guide used by IT professionals to look at source code issues and an application code verification standard. Yet another type of project development OWASP is doing involves learning projects. For instance, the group's "WebGoat" project consists of deliberately insecure tech structures that serve as a kind of training ground for IT people to pursue trial and error research into how to make technologies more secure.