Chapter Handbook/Chapter 1: Handbook Overview

About OWASP

The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is a 501c3 not-for-profit worldwide charitable organization focused on improving the security of application software. Our mission is to make application security visible, so that people and organizations can make informed decisions about true application security risks. Everyone is free to participate in OWASP and all of our materials are available under a free and open software license.

The Purpose of OWASP Chapters

OWASP Chapters exist to raise awareness of the OWASP mission, making application security visible, at the local level. The OWASP Foundation encourages anyone with an interest in furthering the OWASP mission at the local level to either get involved in their local OWASP chapter, or if one doesn’t exist, start a new OWASP chapter. Local chapter outreach is one of the most significant ways that individuals learn about the organization and become connected to the OWASP community. Therefore, enabling local chapter leaders and volunteers to not only hold meetings, but also contribute to projects, organize training and events, and find new ways to evangelize about application security in their city or region becomes a key to the success and growth of the much larger global organization.

The Purpose of the Chapter Handbook

The purpose of the OWASP Chapter Handbook is to provide chapter leaders with a central place to find information about starting a chapter, organizing a chapter meeting, handling their chapter finances, and many other topics that come up in the course of running a chapter. While there are a few hard and fast rules that chapter leaders must follow, this handbook is primarily composed of suggestions and best practices that have worked for successful chapter leaders. That said, what works for some chapters may not work for others, and this handbook should not limit the scope of possibilities for running a strong and thriving chapter.

Contact Us: Comments, Suggestions, & Questions

• Comments, suggestions, and questions on the handbook or other chapter issues can be submitted to: http://sl.owasp.org/contactus.