S4E22: Omkhar Arasaratnam - OSS and OpenSSF

Resilient Cyber

You are now at the Open Source Security Foundation - but you have a ton of experience (even as a former IBMer) from Google, to JPMorgan, and financial institutions through architecture, management, and engineering. Can you talk a little bit about your leadership journey?
Let's dig into OpenSSF a bit more - we're only seeing an increase in software supply chain attacks - what is driving the OpenSSF and any particular threats you're concerned with at the moment?
We know the OpenSSF has focused heavily on securing OSS and the ecosystem and even launched the OSS Security Mobilization Plan. Are you able to talk a bit about that plan and what it hopes to accomplish?
OpenSSF is obviously one of several organizations such as OWASP and others helping to provide valuable resources to the industry to tackle these challenges. Are you able to speak about any active collaborations with other organizations or institutions, academia etc. or how organizations can look to collaborate with the OpenSSF?
You are also a Fellow at the Center for Cybersecurity at the NYU Tandon school. Both Chris and I are also Fellows (at different organizations) - can you talk a little bit about what a Fellow does and how you got involved?
Where can organizations really start though? With so many vulnerabilities, libraries, dependencies, and managing software and infrastructure, it is incredibly cumbersome for organizations to get a handle to what to work on first. Where do software teams start?
Coming off of Father's Day, I noticed your LinkedIn tagline leads with Dad and Husband. How have you found success in balancing those critical roles and responsibilities while still pursuing your professional endeavors and aspirations?
What does cyber resiliency mean to you?