Full Report
As the year winds down, it’s time to mention a few internal victories that are fun to share: Daniel Cuthbert and Rogan Dawes (both staunch OWASP proponents) have joined our assessment team, which is a big boost. Welcome guys! Glenn Wilkinson, a lead analyst, had his Masters thesis listed on Amazon Dominic White was interviewed in all his glory on .za teevee over Wikileaks
Analysis Summary
# Industry News: SensePost Bolsters Assessment Team with Prominent Security Talent
## Summary
SensePost announced key internal personnel additions, notably securing Daniel Cuthbert and Rogan Dawes—both recognized OWASP proponents—to strengthen their assessment team. Additionally, the firm highlighted internal achievements, including an analyst’s academic work gaining commercial listing and another's high-profile media appearance regarding Wikileaks.
## Key Details
- Date: 06 December 2010
- Companies Involved: SensePost
- Category: Company News / Talent Acquisition
## The Story
The article serves as an internal "spotlight" highlighting SensePost's successes as the year concludes. The most significant business development is the recruitment of Daniel Cuthbert and Rogan Dawes to the assessment team, leveraging their strong alignment with the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) community. Other achievements noted include Lead Analyst Glenn Wilkinson's Master's thesis being listed on Amazon and Dominic White’s television interview concerning the Wikileaks coverage.
## Business Impact
### For the Companies Involved (SensePost)
- **Talent:** The addition of Cuthbert and Dawes immediately enhances the technical credibility and service delivery capabilities, especially in web application security, benefiting from their association with OWASP standards.
- **Reputation:** Highlighting expert media appearances (Dominic White) and academic contributions (Glenn Wilkinson) solidifies SensePost's image as a thought leader rather than just a service provider.
### For Competitors
- Competitors now face a higher bar for staffing elite assessment teams, particularly regarding application security expertise where OWASP knowledge is paramount.
### For Customers
- Customers engaging SensePost can expect a higher caliber of security assessment, benefiting from the deep, community-recognized expertise brought by the new hires.
### For the Market
- This signals a trend toward specialized talent acquisition in niche but critical areas like detailed application security testing, driven by increasing enterprise reliance on secure software development.
## Technical Implications
The infusion of two established "staunch OWASP proponents" suggests an immediate focus on reinforcing or standardizing assessment methodologies in line with community best practices (such as the OWASP Top 10, and potentially newer projects applicable at the time). Glenn Wilkinson's thesis topic ("Identification of Hostile Traffic Support Machines") indicates internal focus on advanced traffic analysis or defensive innovation.
## Strategic Analysis
- **Market Positioning:** SensePost is strategically positioning itself at the high-end of the security consulting market, using talent branding (especially OWASP alignment) to differentiate from commoditized security testing firms.
- **Competitive Advantage:** Direct access to highly respected community figures provides a significant competitive moat in securing complex assessment contracts.
- **Challenges:** Integrating prominent external talent quickly and effectively requires strong internal process alignment to maximize the immediate benefit of their expertise.
## Industry Reactions
- **Analyst Opinions:** Industry observers would view this as a significant coup for SensePost, emphasizing that security firms are increasingly competing on the recognizable expertise of their personnel rather than just proprietary tools.
- **Expert Commentary:** Within the application security community, the moves by Cuthbert and Dawes would likely be seen as a validation of SensePost’s technical direction.
- **Market Response:** Contracts requiring high-trust application security audits would likely favor the newly bolstered SensePost team.
## Future Outlook
- Expect SensePost to potentially lead new service offerings or provide enhanced training based on the integrated expertise of their new assessment team members.
- The market should watch how these new hires translate their community standing into tangible, market-leading assessment methodologies offered by the firm.
## For Security Professionals
The hiring activity underscores the persistent high value placed on measurable, community-validated expertise (like OWASP advocacy) in the professional consulting sector. For professionals, this demonstrates that deep community involvement and published academic work directly translate into significant career advancements and hiring leverage.