OWASP stands for the Open Web Application Security Project. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the security of software and web applications. OWASP provides resources, tools, and guidance to help organizations and individuals understand and mitigate the risks associated with web application security.

The mission of OWASP is to make software security visible, so that individuals and organizations can make informed decisions about their application security needs. OWASP operates as a global community-driven organization, with a vast network of volunteers who contribute to various projects, initiatives, and events.

The primary focus of OWASP is on web application security, covering a wide range of topics such as injection attacks, cross-site scripting (XSS), cross-site request forgery (CSRF), authentication and authorization, session management, secure coding practices, and more.

One of the notable contributions of OWASP is the OWASP Top 10, which is a widely recognized list of the top 10 most critical web application security risks. This list helps organizations prioritize their security efforts and address the most common and impactful vulnerabilities.

OWASP promotes an open and collaborative approach to improving application security, and its resources are freely available to the public. These resources include documentation, guidelines, best practices, security testing tools, and frameworks to help developers, security professionals, and organizations build and maintain secure applications.

Overall, OWASP plays a vital role in raising awareness about web application security and providing valuable resources to enhance the security posture of software and web applications across various industries.