Purpose

The BCNET Applications Security Working Group is a subgroup of the BCNET Applications Advisory Committee, and is both a project and discussion group.

Objective

The Applications Security Working Group has been formed to identify security issues and share best practices among BCNET members, focused primarily on application level security.

Goals

The primary focus of the group will be to:
create awareness within the broader communities of interest for the importance of security within applications
identify questions and concerns application developers may have regarding security issues; and ensure that the correct or best form of this information is readily available. The BCNET Applications Security Working Group will collaborate closely with the BCNET Network Security Working Group, serving as a complimentary group. Applications Security will also act as a resource on security matters for other working groups within the BCNET society.

Membership

The membership is drawn from the select communities of interest, but will also necessarily include the members of the Network Security Working Group (see BCNET Network Security Terms of Reference, Section 2). Additional members will be selected based on references from APAC, the Network Security Working Group and project leaders at member institutions.

Working Group Lead - Jens Haeusser, UBC
Joel Carter, BCIT
Konstantin Beznosov, UBC
Peter Van Epp, SFU
Andy Scott, BCIT
Don McWilliam, BCNET
Marilyn Hay, BCNET
Eric Van Wiltenburg, UVic

Working Group Scope

Roles for the Applications Security Working Group

Identify secure application development guidelines as they exist and provide the most relevant of these guidelines in a repository easily accessible to those conducting application security research, and implementing or developing secure applications.

Promote awareness for the use of these guidelines amongst application developers within the BCNET member community.

Create a forum for inter-institutional discussion of application security issues, and discussion of security issues between application developers and application users.

Provide advice and assistance to other BCNET working groups and committees on applications security concerns.

Investigate security applications of common interest among BCNET members, such as:

*2 factor authentication

*Secure messaging

*Secure file transfers

*Communities of Interest

*IT security staff at member institutions

*Application developers at member institutions and other researchers conducting application security research

*Selected representatives of the local security and application vendor communities

Activities/Deliverables

Create area on BCNET public website to post links to relevant information that has been researched by the Applications Security Working Group for use by applications developers and researchers.
Identify existing information and if necessary, create documents that outline relevant information.

Coordinate local seminars and sponsor talks.

Co-sponsor a KIPS meeting.

Assist the BCNET Annual Advanced Networks Conference Program Committee in developing content for the BCNET Conference.

Publish development guidelines and usage profiles for security standards and technologies specific to BCNET.

Create a resource directory of security subject matter experts within BCNET Security.

Create a summary update for each Board meeting.

Operations

The working group will meet in conjunction with the Network Security Working Group (see BCNET Network Security TOR, Section 6).

The Applications Security Working Group lead will report to and advise the Applications Advisory Committee at regular intervals.

The Applications Security Working Group is openly accessible to BCNET Board members, other working groups and staff.