'Extra' - Fortify Software Launches Online Software Security Community Site
Extra Creates Industry Community Featuring Breaking News Analysis, Commentary, Tips and User Forums to Respond to the Rise in Software Security Exploits
MENLO PARK, Calif., Jan. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Fortify Software today announced the launch of "Extra", an online industry community resource for breaking security news analysis, expert commentary, developer tips and other application security-related features. The site, available at extra.fortify.com/, leverages security and software development experts from across the industry to provide expert analysis on breaking security news and trends. "Extra" supports Fortify Software's commitment to building a community dedicated to helping detect and resolve security vulnerabilities in software applications in order to protect consumers and organizations from security breaches that can cause serious reputation, financial and operations risk.
"Security at the application level is a hot topic inside enterprises and within the software development community. Frequent reports of large security breaches demonstrate the frightening potential for damage to consumers and businesses and remind the industry to sharpen its security focus on where the criminals aim their attacks -- the software," said noted researcher and author Dr. Aviel D. Rubin, Professor of Computer Science and Technical Director of the Information Security Institute, Johns Hopkins University. "Extra provides a forum for healthy discussion of the issues for those new to the topic and experts alike. Especially interesting is how it brings together well respected experts from government, academic and industry circles to provide commentary on relevant security trends and techniques. Companies have another resource to stay ahead of the curve and avoid becoming a victim of avoidable security attacks."
Extra's inaugural feature is a compelling taxonomy of software security that categorizes and explains common security errors with code excerpts to illustrate the problem. Other features include a Q&A with Dr. Avi Rubin, a computer science professor at Johns Hopkins University, who recently cracked an RFID tag designed for Exxon/Mobil. The feature page will rotate and include interviews with and commentary from top industry luminaries such as Bill Joy and Howard Schmidt. Other features on the site include:
oBreaking News Analysis: Analysis of general interest security news
stories noting progress for "Good Guys" and "Bad Guys" alike with an
unique point system
o Forums: Venue for Extra readers to discuss the latest articles and
swap secure coding tips
o Reviews: Reviews of various software development books for security
content
o Alerts: Urgent security alerts which include Fortify research and
analysis
As part of its educational mission, Fortify Extra also broadly focuses on raising awareness of unknown and under-explored examples of software security exploits. The site will soon introduce advanced community features such as mailing lists.
"Leveraging both the qualified staff at Fortify and wide range of security experts in the industry, Extra will offer a distinct perspective with a unique focus on software security, which is where most security exploits occur," said Mike Armistead, co-founder and VP Products, Fortify Software. "Our goal is to create an open dialogue on hot security issues and provide a useful resource for any interested parties to explore issues that impact both enterprises and consumers worldwide."
About Fortify Software, Inc.
Fortify Software products protect companies from the threats posed by security flaws in business-critical software applications. Its flagship software security suites, Fortify Source Code Analysis and Fortify Security Tester, drive down costs and security risks by automating key processes of developing secure applications prior to deployment. Fortify Software is backed by leading investors, including Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers, and a world-class team of software security advisors and partners. More information is available at www.fortifysoftware.com.
Web site: www.fortifysoftware.com/
