About us
SecTalks is the largest non-profit security community that expands across multiple continents. SecTalks hosts free monthly sessions on technical security topics, and practical security challenges. We have a mix of sessions for both beginners and seasoned professionals.
What happens at a SecTalks Gold Coast?
Knowledge sharing, practical hands-on learning and networking. We arrange an informal catch-up where someone will present on an infosec related topic.
We welcome learning from all areas of security, including:
Penetration Testing, Red Teaming, Social Engineering, Phishing, Exploit development, Security Automation, DevSecOps/ SecDevOps / Secure Development, Application Security, Security Architecture, Cloud Security, Security Operations, SIEM, Incident Response, Threat Hunting, Forensics, Network Security, Governance, Risk Management, Compliance and more.
Who is the Meetup for?
Anyone interested in infosec. Experienced professionals through to newbies.
It is not a place to come loaded with business cards and looking to sell services or products.
How does SecTalks Gold Coast operate?
Volunteers (@Codingo Michael Skelton, @CyberSecRicki Ricki Burke) run it for the benefit of local people coming together to share ideas, learn and network. Be patient with us :)
Upcoming events
3
SecTalks Gold Coast 3x2 - March 2026 - Cyber Risk Management with Ash Baskaran
Cohort Innovation Space, 16 Nexus Way, Southport, QL, AUGold Coast SecTalks for March is Tuesday, 3rd March, 2026, at COHORT Innovation Space.
Cyber Risk Management: Governance, Assurance and Monitoring Capabilities
Guest speaker Ashokraj Baskaran will speak about how cyber risk can be managed in a structured, measurable and auditable way using practical risk and governance tools. The focus will be on
- maintaining a cyber risk register to identify, assess and track risks.
- applying structured root cause analysis to security incidents and control failures.
- managing documentation, evidence, change control for governance and audits.
- monitoring cyber risk through vulnerability management and GRC tools to track exposure, remediation progress, and control effectiveness over time.
These practices align with ISO/IEC 27001 and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, ensuring cyber risks are consistently identified, treated, monitored and continuously improved.
Ash is an emerging cybersecurity GRC professional with a strong background in risk assessments, root cause analysis and audit compliance - applying ISO and NIST-aligned methods to cyber risk management.
Drinks are provided by our sponsor, Solis, and pizza is provided by Cyber Audit Team. As usual, our venue is sponsored by COHORT.
GC SecTalks maintains a strict Code of Conduct.
31 attendeesSecTalks Gold Coast 3x3 - April 2026 - DPRK Contagious Interview Explained
Cohort Innovation Space, 16 Nexus Way, Southport, QL, AUGold Coast SecTalks for April is Tuesday, 7th of April, 2026, at COHORT Innovation Space.
DPRK Contagious Interview Explained
OG speaker Paul McCarty will give us a sneak peek of his new research-based presentation, "DPRK "Contagious Interview" Explained". Contagious Interview is the North Korean DPRK threat campaign that has been ongoing since 2023. This campaign targets software engineers on LinkedIn, Fiverr, Upwork, and other platforms that offer high-paying developer jobs. As part of the job interview, a recruiter asks the developer to download source code from GitHub and identify issues in it, which is a very common occurrence in real job interviews.
Unfortunately, the jobs and the recruiter are fake, but the malware hidden in the source code is very real.Paul McCarty is well known to the SecTalks group as he's one of the founding members. You can find Paul on LinkedIn or GitHub.
Drinks are provided by our sponsor, Solis, and pizza is provided by Cyber Audit Team. As usual, our venue is sponsored by COHORT.
GC SecTalks maintains a strict Code of Conduct.
21 attendeesSecTalks Gold Coast 3x4 - May 2026 - Code, Bugs & Bots with Az
Cohort Innovation Space, 16 Nexus Way, Southport, QL, AUGold Coast SecTalks for May is Tuesday, 5th May, 2026, at COHORT Innovation Space.
Code, Bugs & Bots: AI vs Humans in Code Review
Code review is one of the most critical steps in securing software—but traditional manual reviews can be time-consuming, inconsistent, and prone to human error. In this one-hour technical session, we’ll explore how AI-assisted code review tools can complement manual processes, helping identify vulnerabilities, enforce coding standards, and catch subtle security flaws faster.
The session will cover:- Manual Code Review Best Practices: How to spot security vulnerabilities, common pitfalls, and maintain code quality.
- AI in Code Review: How modern AI tools work—static analysis, pattern recognition, anomaly detection, and predictive vulnerability spotting.
- Integrating AI and Human Review: Where AI shines, where human judgement is critical, and how to avoid overreliance.
- Real-World Examples: Demonstrations of AI identifying vulnerabilities that manual reviews might miss, plus lessons learned.
- Practical Takeaways: Tips for adopting AI-assisted review in DevSecOps workflows, balancing speed, accuracy, and security compliance.
By the end of this session, attendees will understand the strengths and limitations of AI in code review, how to implement it alongside manual processes, and how it can improve security outcomes without replacing critical human insight.
Az is an accomplished information security professional specialising in helping businesses implement and audit ISO 27001 and ACSC frameworks using Microsoft 365 tools. As both an auditor and implementor, Az leverages her expertise to ensure organisations achieve robust security compliance and governance. In addition to her professional practice, Az is a passionate educator, having taught at the University of the Sunshine Coast and facilitated courses on Cyber Security Governance, Policy, Ethics, and Law at University of Queensland. Her love for teaching and delivering content is evident in her engaging and insightful instruction. Az's industry engagement includes participating in the prestigious RSA CISO Bootcamp last year and presenting at notable conferences such as the AISA Conference in Melbourne (2023) and Canberra (2024). She was an inaugural chapter lead for Australian Women in Security Network (AWSN) for Sunshine Coast Chapter. Her contributions to these events underscore her commitment to advancing the field of information security.
Drinks are provided by our sponsor, Solis, and pizza is provided by Cyber Audit Team. As usual, our venue is sponsored by COHORT.
GC SecTalks maintains a strict Code of Conduct.
6 attendees
Past events
39
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