Why is commercial software so vulnerable and what can be done about it?

Evelyn Sell 2006

We are all keenly aware of the frequency and severity of software security vulnerabilities. They spotlight the urgency and challenges companies face with patches. Software security patches are costly for vendors to produce and costly for customers to apply, absorbing valuable resources. Yet the cycle of releasing and applying patches will continue until software security principles become an integral part of software development.

In this talk we will examine industry practices and how vendors can proactively build a comprehensive approach to software security into their product development life cycle.

About Evelyn Sell

As a senior principal security program manager at Oracle, Evelyn Sell is a key member of the chief security officer's team. In this role, Ms. Sell works closely with Oracle's development organization to institute secure coding practices throughout the company's entire product development life cycle. Ms. Sell has been with Oracle for eight years. Prior to joining Oracle, Ms. Sell worked at Apple Computer in engineering and program management positions. Ms. Sell holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer and Information Sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz.