2012.0×0003 (Mar)

Adversity is a fact of software security–bad things happen both intentionally and accidentally.  In the #infosec field there is a growing undercurrent of belief that we need to build code that is Rugged meaning code that is survivable, long-lasting and persistent in the face of adversity.  When paired with DevOps the Rugged Software movement really begins to hit a nerve.  The pairing, aptly called Rugged DevOps is where security becomes an asset to the organization and no longer a drag on innovation.
The parallels to our daily lives are numerous.  Pages and pages have been written on the topic and commonly the question of “why bad things happen to good people?” or some variation thereof comes up.  This question is a question of our humanness and how we build our worldview around it is of utmost importance.
This talk will discuss adversity in software and in the soul and how in the end it works for the good.

Speaker Bio:

James graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2004 with a BBA in MIS, where he also ran a Web startup company.  After graduating he joined the IT division of National Instruments, where he worked on systems and operations for the company’s large-scale web site (ni.com), for several years.  Then he moved on to lead the Web division of a rapidly growing local startup, Community Impact. In 2010, he moved back to National Instruments to the R&D division, where he leads the security and operations team for the company’s cloud-based SaaS products.

Over the last five years, James has been involved as a chapter leader of the Austin OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) chapter and served as President from 2007 to 2010.  He is the creator and founder of the Lonestar Application Security Conference (LASCON) which is the largest annual security conference in Austin.
He is a security expert, bearing CISSP, GWAPT, GCFW, GSEC and CCSK certifications.
James lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Laura and daughter Lydia.