Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
I have worked in software development and cyber-security for 18 years, joining OWASP in 2012 and becoming their European Board Member in 2016. The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is a worldwide, not-for-profit charitable organisation focused on improving the security of software. Their mission is to make software security visible, so that individuals and organisations are able to make informed decisions.
 
What motivated you to bid for an international conference?
The OWASP organisation hosts a major cyber-security conference in a different European city every year. We decided to bid for the conference in 2016 due to the massive IT and software industries already here in Ireland. Hosting such a major cyber-security conference would encourage Irish IT and software businesses to attend, and increase their software security awareness and skills.
 
In your opinion, why was Ireland successful in securing this conference?
Visit Belfast, along with Invest NI, helped tremendously by creating a bid detailing local conference facilities, hotels and rooms, transport — even profiling the IT and software scene. Armed with this information, we were able to put forward a compelling case to OWASP to host the conference in Belfast.
 
What makes Ireland a world-class meeting destination?
Belfast Waterfront was an amazing venue for this conference, and many delegates were impressed by the venue’s facilities.
 
What is Ireland’s legacy from hosting this international conference?
The conference was focused on software security education and awareness. Belfast 2017 was the largest OWASP European conference to date, with 730 delegates registering for the main 2-day conference.  The event shone a light on the excellent software and cyber-security skills within Ireland.

To find out how you can be a Conference Ambassador, contact our Association Team.