Trustwave Transfers ModSecurity Custodianship to the Open Worldwide Application Security Project (OWASP)

After serving as its steward for over a decade, Trustwave has agreed to transfer the reins of the renowned open-source web application firewall (WAF) engine, ModSecurity, to the Open Worldwide Application Security Project (OWASP). This landmark move promises to inject fresh energy and perspectives into the project, ensuring its continued evolution as a vital line of defense for countless websites worldwide.

The transition, commencing on January 25th, 2024, isn’t just about changing hands. OWASP, the leading open community dedicated to application security, is already responsible for the Core Rule Set, the dominant WAF rule set on the market. By formally assuming custodianship of the entire project, OWASP can now steer ModSecurity’s development with a holistic view, fostering even tighter integration between the core rule set and the underlying framework.

Trustwave, while stepping down from its custodial role, expresses immense gratitude for its time with ModSecurity. Since 2010, Trustwave has championed ModSecurity’s growth and adoption, contributing significantly to its current relevance, its robustness, and its greatly expanded feature set. With evolving business objectives, Trustwave recognizes the value of entrusting ModSecurity’s future to a community-driven, open-source environment like OWASP.

This transition brings about several exciting possibilities:

• Enhanced Collaboration: OWASP’s vast network of security experts and volunteers can now directly contribute to ModSecurity’s core development, fostering faster innovation and wider community engagement. Coordination with Coraza will guarantee that both engines implement the same rules language.
• Streamlined Rule Development: Integrating the Core Rule Set and framework under one roof simplifies the rule creation and testing process, leading to more timely and effective defenses against emerging threats.
• Continued Openness and Adoption: OWASP’s dedication to open-source principles guarantees that ModSecurity remains free to use and modify, ensuring its accessibility for organizations of all sizes.

The future of ModSecurity is brighter than ever. Under OWASP’s stewardship, this powerful WAF is poised to further solidify its position as a cornerstone of web application security, protecting countless websites against the ever-evolving threat landscape. We, as an industry, can all stand to benefit from this open-source collaboration, empowering developers, and security professionals alike to build and maintain safer applications in the years to come. OWASP calls all interested parties to join hands and help with the future development of ModSecurity.

This landmark news marks a significant chapter in the ongoing saga of web security. Let’s celebrate this transition as a win for the open-source community and a testament to the collaborative spirit that drives innovation in the face of ever-increasing cyber threats. The future of web security is open, and with ModSecurity in OWASP’s hands, it’s looking undeniably bright.

If you have any questions about the transition, please reach out to OWASP.