FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Software Security Summit™ Announces Keynote Speakers for Debut Event
Premier event on software security boasts keynotes by former Homeland Security cyber chief, Oracle chief security officer, and noted author of “How to Break Software"

Huntington, N.Y., February 7, 2005 - BZ Media LLC today announced the debut of the Software Security Summit™ conference, April 12-14 in La Jolla, Calif., with kickoff keynote presentations by the former cyber chief of the Department of Homeland Security, Amit Yoran; the chief security officer for Oracle, Mary Ann Davidson; and noted security expert and author James A. Whittaker, chief scientist at Security Innovation and professor of computer science at Florida Institute of Technology.
As software has become more and more pervasive in business and government, and more complicated, the impact of security flaws in software has been steadily growing. A 2002 study by America's National Institute of Standards (NIST), a government research body, found that software errors cost the American economy $59.5 billion annually.
Business today needs to understand the vulnerabilities in the code it builds and purchases. How to write secure software and ensure the security of a company’s software assets is a strategic corporate issue.
The Software Security Summit is the industry’s first-ever conference providing technical education on combating security flaws in software for software architects and developers, test and QA professionals, and development managers. In addition to a distinguished roster of keynote speakers, the summit offers attendees 35 courses with one day of tutorials and two days of technical presentations.
At the Software Security Summit, learn from expert keynote speakers about how one of the world’s largest ISVs – Oracle – manages its own security risks in both the products that it ships and the systems that drive its business. Find out where the U.S. government is focusing its attention and vast resources as it battles software security challenges around the world. See how the industry’s leading author envisions the future of software security.
Keynote presenters include:
• Mary Ann Davidson, speaking on “Secure Software,” is the chief security officer at Oracle responsible for Oracle product security, as well as security evaluations, assessments and incident handling. Davidson represents Oracle on the board of directors of the Information Technology Information Security Analysis Center (IT-ISAC), is a member of the Global Chief Security Officer Council, and is on the editorial review board of the Secure Business Quarterly
• Amit Yoran, speaking on “Change the Security Paradigm or Bust,” is the former cyber chief in the Department of Homeland Security where he led the coordination of federal departments, law enforcement and intelligence efforts on the cyber security of 13 critical infrastructures in the United States. Previously he was vice president of Worldwide Managed Security Services at the Symantec Corporation
• James A. Whittaker, speaking on “Understanding the Arts of your Adversary,” is chief scientist at Security Innovation Inc. and a professor of computer science at the Florida Institute of Technology. He is the author of “How to Break Software,” “How to Break Software Security” (with Hugh Thompson) and more than 50 peer-reviewed papers on software development and computer security. Whitaker participates on Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing Academic Advisory Board and was named a “Top Scholar” by the editors of the Journal of Systems and Software based on his research publications in software engineering.