Application Security

The TAICO team is happy to announce our next meetup at the Adaptavist office in Toronto. Much thanks to [Adaptavist](https://www.adaptavist.com/) for hosting! **Wayfinding** * *Please be careful when using maps features on phones, some people have been redirected to a completely wrong address. The event is near Winners on Front St, which is just south, across the street, from Berczy Park (where the dog fountain is) so if you are not near that area, you are in the wrong place.* **Registration and Event Details** Our goal is to bring artificial intelligence and cybersecurity together. To do that, we need to explore what's happening in AI and what's happening in cybersecurity, and where the two intersect and collide. We're also working to understand how we solve problems in these areas, what that looks like, and how Canada can and will participate. With that in mind, we're pleased to announce our speaker and the agenda for our next meeting! **Sponsors** And thanks to our host, [Adaptavist](https://www.adaptavist.com/)! **Notes** * *Unfortunately, we won't have pizza at this meetup due to a gap in sponsorship. We're actively working on securing sponsors for future events.* **Agenda** **Doors Open: 5:30PM** **Event Start: 6:00PM** * 👋 **Welcome and introductions** * 🙏 **Thank you to our amazing hosts and sponsors!** 🎉 * 🎙️ **Speakers** 🎤 **Speaker #1: Curtis Collicutt** *Title: Stegalographer* *Abstract:* ***They said never write your own encryption. They didn’t say anything about steganography!*** *What if the best place to hide a secret message was in something so boring that nobody would ever look twice at it? Stegalographer is a tool that embeds data in legitimate-looking application logs by encoding information in the choices that generate the logs, rather than encrypting them. The template used, the number of trailing spaces, whether the log says 'error' or 'failure', and even the microsecond variations in timestamps can all carry hidden bits. The output isn't logs with secrets stuffed inside, but real log structure with your data silently riding along.* *This talk will explain how Stegalographer works, from analysing existing logs to extract templates (using the Drain algorithm from log analytics research), to the encoding process that turns your message into a stream of plausible entries. We will explore practical use cases such as covert channels in penetration testing, watermarking logs to trace leaks and censorship-resistant publishing disguised as 'sample data'. However, we will also be honest about the limitations: this is steganography, not encryption, and statistical analysis can potentially detect anomalies at scale. Whether you're interested in security research or information theory or privacy, or want to know more about building security tools, come and see how the most mundane part of any system can become a covert communication channel.* *We'll also touch on the experience of building security tools like this one using AI-assisted programming tools like Claude Code.* 🎤 **Speaker #2: Ads Dawson** Title: *Q&A with Ads Dawson* *Ads Dawson is an Offensive security engineer, penetration tester and red teamer with over thirteen years of experience breaking, testing, and securing applications and infrastructure across startups and large enterprises. Skilled in web application security, DevSecOps, and large-scale hybrid cloud environments, with a strong focus on offensive engineering, red team operations, and vulnerability research. Active bug bounty hunter and researcher in AI and LLM security, specializing in uncovering and mitigating attack vectors such as prompt injection, unrestricted model inference, and backdoor attacks. Experienced in leading incident response and simulating advanced adversaries to expose weaknesses before real attackers do.* *He works with organizations like OWASP and was Technical Lead for [OWASP’s Top 10 for LLM Applications](https://owasp.org/www-project-top-10-for-large-language-model-applications/assets/PDF/OWASP-Top-10-for-LLMs-v2025.pdf).* *This is your chance to ask Ads anything you want about AI and cybersecurity so come armed with your questions!* **⚡ Lightning Talks and Demos** Lightning Talks - 5 to 10 minutes long 1. Elshad Humbatli - Repo Health software project 2. **You?** \- Please reach out if you'd like to do a lightning talk or demo Please reach out to us if you'd like to present at the meetup. We are looking for people to talk about what they are working on, what they are building and learning, and are open to any level of experience and technical depth. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, we want to hear from you! We're all just out here building and learning. 👋 **See You There!** Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you at the meetup!

PLEASE CONTACT Jason at 905-308-4100 FOR DETAILS.

### The Hip Haus presents: [Professionals Networking Event](https://thehiphaus.com "https://thehiphaus.com")! Hosted at Mademoiselle ### \*\*\*\* What is The Hip Haus? \*\*\*\*The Hip Haus is an organization that exists to empower young and experienced professionals alike in the GTA and help the growth of local business. As professionals (especially post pandemic world) it is sometimes difficult to network with other like minded individuals, get good career advice or simply make connections with others you may be able to help or get help from. The Hip Haus is committed to providing social gatherings in an atmosphere where such networking can take place. \*\*\*\* Who Should Attend? \*\*\*\*The Hip Haus events are ***19+***. The focus however is the growth and development of professionals in the GTA. It doesn’t matter if you are a business owner, have a job, are looking for a job, recently graduated university/college, still in university/college, looking for others to launch a new idea or just want to meet other professionals, our events are for you. Remember that Industry is Industry. One is not better than the other to The Hip Haus. We are expecting a diverse range of industry professionals. Our events in clude professionals from Tech & AI to Entrepreneurs, Musicians, Artists, Bankers, I.T Professionals, Accountants, Investors, Advertising/Marketing Professionals, Bloggers, Authors, Lawyers, Doctors, Dentists (This List Can Clearly Go On). ALL ARE WELCOME! \*\*\*\* What to Expect at Our Events? \*\*\*\*Bring Business cards or have your LinkedIn QR code at the ready. Networking! That is the key to these events. Sure it can be a great place to hang out and have a beer with a few friends but it is important to come with an open mind to meet new people and make new connections. Build your network of friends/colleagues/advisors to help yourself as well as them. The Hip Haus wants the professionals of the GTA to come together to help foster personal and professional development. \*\*\*\* Dress Code! \*\*\*\*This is a tricky one. There is NO strict dress code but remember this; you are meeting professionals in an informal manner and we all know first impressions last forever. Come dressed in a way that would allow you to be comfortable and professional according to your industry. Consider This…would a professional musician/artist necessarily dress the same as an investment banker at work? Be who you are or who you want to be. #YoungProfessionalsNetworking #ProfessionalsNetworking #EntrepreneurNetworking #FounderEvents #FounderNetworking #AINetworkingToronto #TechNetworkingEvents #YoungProfessionalsAI #EntrepreneursAI #AIandTechToronto #NetworkingEventsGTA #IssabellsToronto **\*\* Let's Get Social!\*\*** WEB: [www.thehiphaus.com](http://www.thehiphaus.com/ "http://www.thehiphaus.com/") [INSTAGRAM](m/thehiphaus/ "m/thehiphaus/") \| [FACEBOOK](https://www.facebook.com/thehiphaus "https://www.facebook.com/thehiphaus") \| [TWITTER](https://twitter.com/thehiphaus "https://twitter.com/thehiphaus")

In 2026 you need to do more than build and hope they will come - you need a repeatable growth engine. Join Startup Grind Toronto at The Village Hive, Yonge and Eglinton for a deep-dive into the playbooks driving customer acquisition today. What we’ll cover: What’s actually delivering ROI right now. Tactical growth for startups without a VC-sized budget. Turning cold leads into loyal users. The Agenda: 6:00 PM: Doors Open & Pre-Panel Networking 7:00 PM: Expert Panel & Audience Q&A 7:45 PM: The Mixer (Drinks, snacks, and curated networking) Who should attend? Founders, funders and growth operators looking for actionable tactics and high-level connections in the Toronto ecosystem. Join us to fuel your growth. Special Thanks to Our Event Sponsor We are excited to welcome SwiftAds.io as our official event sponsor. SwiftAds is an AI-powered marketing copilot designed specifically for startups and agencies. By automating the heavy lifting of ad creation and campaign optimization, SwiftAds helps founders scale their growth without the overhead of a traditional agency. About Our Venue Partner The Village Hive is a community-driven coworking and event space for founders and startups. With three GTA locations (Markham, North York, and Midtown), they offer memberships, professional offices, and meeting spaces designed to spark collaboration and support business growth at every stage. Agenda --- Moderators Ankur Sethi - Winner Capital (Founder and General Partner) Ankur Sethi is the Founder and General Partner of Winner Capital, a Toronto-based early-stage venture fund backing the next generation of North American consumer technology companies. He has over 17 years of experience as a consumer tech operator, having built and scaled three companies from inception to $100M+ in revenue, with one reaching a valuation above $2B. His investment the… Daria Tilikanova - Winner Capital (Startup Coach and Mentor) Daria Tilikanova is a business and startup coach who helps founders and service-based entrepreneurs build scalable businesses with clear strategy, strong positioning, and predictable revenue systems. Originally from Russia, she founded and sold two education companies before moving to Canada, where she shifted into full-time mentoring for early-stage and growing foun… Host Lydia Emanuel - Startup Grind Toronto (Events Lead) --- Global Partner Carta (http://www.carta.com/launch?utm_campaign=20240423-nam-general-smb-startup_grind_partnership&utm_medium=social&utm_source=startup_grind) Carta helps people manage equity, build businesses, and invest in the companies of tomorrow. Carta Launch is the only free cap table product, helping new founders get started. The company is trusted by more than 40,000 companies, over 7,000 funds and SPVs, and over two million equity holders to manage cap tables, compensation, valuations, liquidity, and more. For more information, visit carta.com. Partners Winner Capital (https://winner.capital) Winner Capital is an early stage to growth stage syndicate fund investing across North America The Village Hive (https://www.thevillagehive.ca/) The Village Hive is a premier coworking and event space designed for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and remote teams who value community over cubicles. Offering a mix of flexible hot desks, private offices, and professional meeting rooms, the Hive provides a high-energy environment that fosters collaboration and growth. --- Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. We host monthly events in more than 600 cities and 125+ countries featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators and investors who share personal stories and lessons learned on the road to building great companies. Our monthly fireside chat interviews, startup mixers and annual conferences provide ample opportunities to connect with amazing startups and the people behind them, tap into a strong support network, form meaningful connections and gain inspiration for the startup journey ahead. For more information visit StartupGrind.com or follow us on twitter @StartupGrind. --- Complete your event RSVP here: https://www.startupgrind.com/events/details/startup-grind-toronto-presents-growth-decoded-winning-customers-in-2026-panel-discussion-amp-mixer/.

\*These classes are not a language exchange, but instead are meant to be a step in between so that students feel confident maintaining in depth and grammatically correct oral conversations outside of class\* \***Meetup event numbers only tend to show new students registering and do not include returning students attending class.** **Per class, there is an average of 7 students.** The first 2 classes are free and then only cost between $15 and $35 depending on which type of class you want to continue with\* These French, English (For Spanish and French speakers only), and Spanish classes are primarily meant for adults who are travellers, or who are planning to live in a French, English, or Spanish-speaking country. The classes are primarily oral-based through guided conversations. They will teach you how to handle conversations in situations such as **"Going to the Convenience Store"**, **"Making Plans"**, **"Negotiating Prices"**, and **"Going out for a Drink"**. To ensure that students get used to using the language automatically, students will learn to maintain contextual conversations with timing before moving on to the next lesson. Call (647)787-9953, e-mail us info@monkeylingo.ca, or visit monkeylingo.ca for more information! **Online and private classes are also available!** No other language classes are as conversational as these ones. We guarantee it! Cheap parking can be found using the "Spot Hero" app.

Power grids run on protocols that were never designed to be secure. Modbus doesn't authenticate. MQTT trusts whoever connects. State estimation believes whatever data you feed it. This month, Parham Mohammadi shows what happens when you exploit all of that. **THE TALK** Parham built a full ICS attack simulation lab and ran real attack chains against it. False data injection into state estimation. Modbus register overwrites. MQTT broker takeover. Chained attacks against distributed energy resources. The operator dashboard stayed green the entire time. If Ukraine 2015 and Industroyer taught us anything, it's that this isn't theoretical. **THE SPEAKER** Parham Mohammadi — Postdoctoral Researcher, York University Parham spent six years at York doing his PhD on power systems simulation. The CPPS-SEC Lab he built for this research simulates real ICS attack chains against power grid infrastructure — the same lab he's demoing at this talk. ***ARRIVAL WINDOW — PLEASE READ*** Doors open at 6:15 PM and close at 6:40 PM. Our volunteer at the gate can only let people up during this window. After 6:40 PM, there will be no one downstairs to let you in. Plan accordingly. If you RSVP and can't make it, please update your status so someone on the waitlist can take your spot. Food and drinks sponsored by Stan. **CONNECT** [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/VDy69zgfc3) [Website]( https://defcontoronto.ca) DC416 is Toronto's DEFCON group. If you're into security, you're welcome here.

Hello ClickHouse Enthusiasts! We are excited to be returning to Toronto! You'll have an opportunity to connect with your peers, share industry insights, and learn more about ClickHouse and how folks are using us to solve their big data challenges. **Meetup Details:** * Date: Thursday February 19th, 2025 * Time: 5:30-8pm EST * Location: Spaces Queen West, 180 John Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1X5, Canada The evening will be filled with user presentations, interactive discussions, and the opportunity to network with ClickHouse experts and users. **Agenda:** * 5:30 PM: Arrivals, Check-In and Networking (food and refreshments served) * 6:00 PM Welcome and Introductions * 6:10: Nicolas Joseph - Co Founder, CTO @ FiveOneFour * 6:30: Archie Sarre Wood @ evidence.dev * 6:50: Speaker 3 * 7:00-8:30 PM: Q&A and Networking Space is limited, so register today to confirm your spot! If you’re interested in speaking at a future meetup, please contact zoe.steinkamp@clickhouse.com

Let’s do some coding together at a cafe! No more working alone in the weekend. Here, we write code together. And I mean together together. Not occupying-the-same-space-but-separate together. Here’s how it works: Jennifer brings her mobile app project, tells everyone that it is like Pinterest for recipes and she’d like to work on the nav bar. Paul and Chloe think Jennifer's project is fascinating, and they join the group. They gather around Jennifer’s laptop and work on the nav bar for 2 hours. Jennifer is the one typing out the code while Paul and Chloe research, brainstorm, and offer suggestions. If you’re feeling stuck on your own project or need a motivation boost, bring it to mob programming! Want to learn by watching how others code and solve problems? Join someone else’s project at this event! Oh and we love your half-done projects that you are a bit embarrassed to share. Absolutely bring those to the event! **Discord**: We use Discord to share screen & code snippets during the event. Also feel free to share your projects here before the event! https://discord.gg/Da9fZFxPfs **Event policy**: * We have 0 tolerance for harassment. * We don’t allow the projects that are not meant to be shared in public such as school assignments, interview tasks, or trade secrets. * The goal is to write code. We discourage you from pitching business ideas here, doing code reviews, or spending the whole event on planning what to do. * Please buy a drink, and tip the barista well.

Let's meetup for some casual food and drink. Talk some Tech and Business and meet new contacts. Feel free to share the latest projects you are working on. Or just make some new friends to kick back within this great city.

[Summary] This meetup is for those who are interested in code, web development, design, cloud, or AI. All levels are welcome, so feel free to bring your laptop and discuss what you are working on or what you are learning. You can share your projects and ideas with other participants freely. There are outlets and WiFi, drinks are about $5 for tea, they take card only. [Price] Attendance is FREE. But you need to buy something from the venue. [Policies] \- We do not tolerate harassment of our members \- We remind users that that this meetup is intended for networking and hobby development\, and any attempts at using this meetup event as a dating platform will not be not be tolerated Further information: https://torontostack.exchange/

Python Toronto is back! Join us for our first meetup of 2026 in [The Adaptavist Group](https://www.adaptavist.com/) office at **43 Front St. East** on **Thursday Feb, 19th** at **5:30pm**! If you are interested in giving a talk, we'd love to have you! Please fill out this form - [Submit a Python Toronto talk](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfpNKB0Sbs893xp72M4TxmYGrTyLm4Nh1SSXnCqChP9mx6_9A/viewform?usp=header)! Talks are typically short - typically 5 to 10 minutes, and up to 20 minutes if you've really got something say - and on any topic that would be interesting to a room of Python people - this can be a Python library that has helped you, a research paper you've enjoyed, or an interesting application of AI. The Python meetup is a casual, community oriented meetup hosted by companies that use Python in Toronto. Talks are short, informal, and sometimes ad-hoc. Space is limited! Register now to hold your spot! When/Where * **When:** Feb 19th, 5:30pm – 9pm. Doors open at 5:30, talks start around 6. * Come early to enjoy **snacks** and **drinks** provided. * **Address**: [The Adaptavist Group](https://www.adaptavist.com/) \- 43 Front St\. East\, Toronto\, ON\. For more information about our venue sponsor, [The Adaptavist Group](https://www.adaptavist.com/) , please check out their company website - [https://www.theadaptavistgroup.com](https://www.theadaptavistgroup.com) **Code of Conduct** Python Toronto is dedicated to providing a welcoming, harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment of any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for this venue, including talks, workshops, parties, Twitter and other online media. Meetup participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the meetup (without a refund where applicable) at the discretion of the meetup organizers. Please email elaine@eswong.ca to report any issues.

Hello everyone, I'd like to invite you out to a fun-filled afternoon with this fantastic party social game called **MUSIC BINGO** Everyone can play (It's easy to learn and most of all it's a lot of fun) \*Joined by my other groups too so we can anticipate a fabulous day :) **Where to Meet us?** **Date: Sunday February 22nd** **Arrive between 2:00 pm - 2:30 pm** **Location:** La Carnita - Good Fortune Bar (Main Floor) **Address:** 130 Eglinton Ave. Toronto, ON M4P 2X9 Event Details Below: Sincerely, Steve Flemming (Music Bingo Host) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Details of Event:** **\*MUSIC BINGO\*** **(An Afternoon of Fun, Treats and Great Music!)** -Lots of laughs and thrills in store as we enjoy a terrific afternoon making new friends, singing along (optional) and playing **MUSIC BINGO;** hosted in a super fun designed format :) \*Treats handed out to the winning participants during each round we play \*Invite your friends or come on your own! **Event Fee:** 10 dollars at the door (cash only please) Includes: **Music Bingo,** treats, reserved room/seating, lots of laughs and plenty of fun people to play the game with) \*or e-transfer in advance to **steveflemming11@gmail.com** \-\-\-\-\-\- **Friendly Reminders:** -Please arrive between 2:00 pm and 2:30 pm \*Music Bingo will start shortly after that (Invite your friends out too if you like) **Parking Available:** \*Plenty of free street parking on Eglinton and (Residential area south/east of venue for free) **Close to Subway Station:** \*Also right beside the Yonge/Eglinton subway station

Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/cbus-hug-2026/

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** *Spec-Driven Development with GitHub Spec-Kit: From Intent to Implementation* Spec-driven development flips the traditional workflow on its head: instead of code being the source of truth, the specification becomes the backbone of design, collaboration, and delivery. In this session, we’ll explore how GitHub Spec-Kit enables teams to treat specifications as first-class artifacts—living documents that drive architecture, implementation, and verification. You’ll learn how Spec-Kit helps teams clearly express intent using structured, version-controlled specs that live alongside code. We’ll walk through a practical workflow that starts with defining system behavior and constraints, then progressively refines those specs into testable, automatable outcomes. Along the way, we’ll show how specs can reduce ambiguity, improve cross-functional collaboration, and make design decisions explicit before a single line of production code is written. This talk will cover: --What spec-driven development is (and what it isn’t) --How GitHub Spec-Kit fits into modern developer workflows --Using specs to align product, engineering, and AI-assisted development --Real-world examples of turning specs into implementations with confidence Whether you’re building greenfield systems, integrating AI into your stack, or trying to reduce costly rework, spec-driven development offers a scalable way to move faster without sacrificing clarity. Attendees will leave with concrete patterns and a clear mental model for adopting GitHub Spec-Kit in their own projects. **YouTube Link** TBA

Are you passionate about supporting other men on their mental health journey? We’re building a movement of virtual and in-person men’s groups across Ohio — and we’re looking for group leaders who want to make a real difference with us. As a group leader, you’ll create a safe space where men can connect, reflect, and grow together. Training and support are provided — you just need heart, presence, and a willingness to lead. **Apply now to lead a group in your area:** 👉 https://form.jotform.com/taketimespeakyourmind/sym-group-leader-application Speak Your Mind is a mental health non profit dedicated to bringing our community together to end the isolation that leads to mental struggle and suicide. Learn more about them here: https://linktr.ee/taketimespeakyourmind

In this local meeting, you will discover knowledge that you can use to get over the past. The key to improving your personal motivation, self-confidence, and happiness is to get over your painful memories. When you become free of your past, you will be free from stress, anger, anxiety and depression. Studies show that negative emotions can affect your health. By being free of negative emotions, believe it or not, you will most likely even look younger, feel more energetic, and become healthier! Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there. This group is brought to you by the Dianetics and Scientology life improvement center.

Christians in Tech is a community at the intersection of faith and technology. Our meetups are designed to spark meaningful conversations, promote knowledge sharing, and encourage growth—both in your career and your spiritual walk with God. Whether you're an experienced professional or just starting your tech journey, CIT welcomes you. Our Website [https://linktr.ee/citcbus](https://linktr.ee/citcbus) Sponsors and Partners * Improving (Venue Sponsor) * Bethel World Prayer Center (Fiscal Sponsor) * Fruits & Roots (Coffee Partner)

**NEW LOCATION: Improving Office in Franklinton** Physical location: Improving Office 330 Rush Alley Suite #150 Columbus, OH 43215 Schedule: * 6:00 p.m.: Socialize, eat, and drink. Improving will be providing pizza and beverages. * 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Main meeting and presentation(s). See the handy Parking Map - we recommend street parking. [Street Parking Map](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1u2A4fLNlxwLJn0KA_hKc8bnFlFHLvsHBDh-_8wzX_tk/edit?usp=sharing) We meet on the last Monday of each Month. Presentations are given by members and friends of this group. If you would like to do a presentation (small or large) on a python topic, please contact centralohpython@gmail.com

Bring your work or your hobby, hang out, and code with us. Follow @buckeyecocoa for more information.