Cloud Security

Hey AWS Security fam 👋 A new year, a new meetup, and plenty to look forward to. January is here — and we are kicking off 2026 with fresh stories, new faces, and another night of security and cloud in action at the AWS Singapore office. **Our goal remains the same: bring security and cloud practitioners together.** Security is wide; cloud teams move fast. Let us meet in the middle — share what is working, what is painful, and how we can ship safer, faster. Want to speak next time? We are lining up lightning talks and deep dives for upcoming meetups — 30-minute sessions, interactive by design. New voices welcome: operators, builders, blue/red/purple teamers, platform folks. If you have shipped it, broken it, or fixed it, we want to hear it. (Ping the organizers / DM us after you RSVP.) 🎤 **Speakers** ✅ **Building and Securing Systems at Scale - Lessons from Cybersecurity Practice** 📌 *Gaurav Keerthi – CEO, StrongKeep* Gaurav will share lessons from building and securing systems at scale, drawing from his experience across national digital infrastructure and his current work in cybersecurity. He will reflect on real world security challenges, how cloud has shaped security decisions, and what practitioners should focus on as systems grow in complexity. ✅ **AI Security Operations: AWS Frontier Agents + Custom Agent Development with Bedrock AgentCore and Kiro** 📌 *Loi Liang Yang – Principal Security Specialist Technical Account Manager, Amazon Web Services (AWS)* Loi explores how teams can deploy enterprise AI security using two complementary approaches on AWS. He will show how ready to use AWS AI Investigative, DevOps, and Security Agents can be enabled quickly for autonomous threat detection, while custom agents built with Bedrock AgentCore and Kiro handle unique security needs. You will see how combining managed and custom agents enables scalable, practical AI powered security operations that actually work in real environments. ✅ **Accidentally Exposed MCP Servers: Lessons From a Real Incident** 📌 *Mayank Nauni – Cybersecurity Researcher* Mayank shares findings from a real investigation into Model Context Protocol servers unintentionally exposed to the public internet. He will explain how these exposures happen, what internal context can leak, and why this matters even outside traditional OT environments. The session concludes with practical steps to secure MCP on AWS, including private VPC deployments, identity controls, and continuous posture checks. 🧭 **Event Details** 📅 Date: Thursday, 15th January 2026 🕡 Time: 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM 📍 Venue: AWS Singapore, 2 Central Blvd, IOI Central Boulevard East Towers, Level 5 🛂 **Registration & Check-in (Important)** Watch for an email titled: AWS Security User Group Singapore: Registration Confirmed for AWS Security Meetup – January 2026 Show this email at Level 1 Concierge to access Level 5 for verification. Walk-ins: Only if capacity allows. Confirmed registrations get priority. No confirmation email = walk-in; entry not guaranteed. 🙌 **What to Expect (and why it’s worth your evening)** * 30-minute interactive sessions — no death-by-slides * Live Q&A & show-and-tell — bring questions, tooling, and war stories * Security × Cloud crossover — incident learnings, IaC guardrails, identity, data protection, cost/risk trade-offs 🍕 **Agenda & Housekeeping** 6:30 PM — Pizza & drinks (vegetarian + halal options) Talks — Start right after dinner Networking — Meet builders, defenders, and platform folks 📸 Photos/recordings may be used for future promo Pro tip: Arrive early to skip queues and snag a good seat 🎁 Swag & promo codes — stay till the end for giveaways

**Hosted by AWS User Group Singapore x AWS Security Users Group Singapore** Hey AWS Community, A new year is here, and so is our first meetup of 2026. Expect new speakers, practical security insights, and plenty of energy at the AWS Singapore office. This meetup brings together both security and cloud practitioners. Security is broad. Cloud moves fast. Let us meet in the middle, share what works, what breaks, and how we can build safer and faster on AWS. Whether you work in development, operations, architecture, or security, you will walk away with ideas you can apply the next day. 📅 **Date:** Thursday, 15th January 2026 🕡 **Time:** 6.30pm – 9.00pm 📍 **Location:** AWS Singapore; 2 Central Blvd, IOI Central Boulevard East Towers, Level 5 🎤 **Speakers** ✅ **Building and Securing Systems at Scale - Lessons from Cybersecurity Practice** 📌 *Gaurav Keerthi – CEO, StrongKeep* Gaurav will share lessons from building and securing systems at scale, drawing from his experience across national digital infrastructure and his current work in cybersecurity. He will reflect on real world security challenges, how cloud has shaped security decisions, and what practitioners should focus on as systems grow in complexity. ✅ **AI Security Operations: AWS Frontier Agents + Custom Agent Development with Bedrock AgentCore and Kiro** 📌 *Loi Liang Yang – Principal Security Specialist Technical Account Manager, Amazon Web Services (AWS)* Loi explores how teams can deploy enterprise AI security using two complementary approaches on AWS. He will show how ready to use AWS AI Investigative, DevOps, and Security Agents can be enabled quickly for autonomous threat detection, while custom agents built with Bedrock AgentCore and Kiro handle unique security needs. You will see how combining managed and custom agents enables scalable, practical AI powered security operations that actually work in real environments. ✅ **Accidentally Exposed MCP Servers: Lessons From a Real Incident** 📌 *Mayank Nauni – Cybersecurity Researcher* Mayank shares findings from a real investigation into Model Context Protocol servers unintentionally exposed to the public internet. He will explain how these exposures happen, what internal context can leak, and why this matters even outside traditional OT environments. The session concludes with practical steps to secure MCP on AWS, including private VPC deployments, identity controls, and continuous posture checks. 🚨 **IMPORTANT – REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED VIA THE AWS SECURITY MEETUP PAGE** 👉 **Please RSVP here:** 🔗 [https://www.meetup.com/aws-security-users-group-singapore/events/312353393/](https://www.meetup.com/aws-security-users-group-singapore/events/312353393/) 📌 This event is hosted under the **AWS Security Users Group Singapore**. 📩 All attendees **must register** via the link above to receive a confirmation email and secure access to the venue. ❗ Registrations on other meetup pages will **not** be considered valid. 📸 Kindly note that photographs and recordings captured during the event will be used for future promotional purposes. 🍕 **Agenda & Housekeeping** 💡 Pro Tip: Arrive early to avoid queues and secure your seat for the sharing sessions! 🍕 Pizza Time: Dinner starts at 6.30pm, enjoy pizza and drinks before the talks begin. 🎤 Talks start around 7.00pm 🍻 Post-Event Networking: Stick around to meet fellow builders, practitioners, and experts. 🎁 Swag & Promo Codes: AWS swag and giveaways await those who stay till the end! 🔗 Connect with us: Meetup: [AWS Security Users Group Singapore](https://www.meetup.com/aws-security-users-group-singapore/) Meetup: [AWS User Group Singapore](https://www.meetup.com/aws-sg/) LinkedIn: [AWS User Group Singapore](https://www.linkedin.com/company/aws-user-group-singapore/) Discord: [https://discord.com/invite/nkZagBG](https://discord.com/invite/nkZagBG) 📬 Enquiries: [aws.usergroup.singapore@gmail.com](mailto:aws.usergroup.singapore@gmail.com)

We start 2026 with an evening that covers a range of topics at the frontier of AI - and please note that the topics below are "subject to change" depending on new model releases, etc... Talks: **"Nested Learning; mHC/Engram and Sub-1bit Compression" - Martin Andrews** In his talk, Martin will outline several interesting recent works: (a) Nested Learning from Google (which follows on from their TITANS paper at NeurIPS); (b) mHC and Engram from DeepSeek, which may be foreshadowing an upcoming release; and (c) "LittleBit: Ultra Low-Bit Quantization" which had flown under the radar until NeurIPS itself... The goal is to explain a little of both the "why" and the "what" behind this research. **"The Big Shift: From "Bigger Models" to "Smarter Systems"" - Sam Witteveen** In this talk, Sam will go through some of the papers and topics covered at NeurIPS and in general research over the past few months that cover how in the race for AGI, research is moving to Agentic Systems rather than just Big Models **"EmergentDB: What if Your Database Learned Like an LLM?" - Rach Pradhan** In his lightning talk, Rach will describe his highly-rated entry into the recent DeepMind Gemini Hackathon held in Singapore. His "EmergentDB" is a proof-of-concept vector database that uses MAP-Elites (Quality Diversity) to automatically discover optimal index configurations. Instead of hand-tuning HNSW parameters or guessing at partition counts, the idea is that the database evolves configurations specific to your data with impressive speedups over alternatives. **FOOD UPDATE :** Google has told us that **there WILL BE** pizza at the event **ALSO:** Sign-ups are on **MeetUp** this time! Registration here should be FREE - if MeetUp requires you to sign up for a subscription somehow, let us know! (We haven't heard of this happening for registrations via their mobile app, FWIW). \-\-\- Talks will start at 7:10pm (entry at 6:45pm) and end at around 9:00pm, at which point attendees can come up to the front for a bit of a chat with each other, and the speakers. As always, we're actively looking for more speakers - both '30 minutes long-form', and lightning talks. For the lightning talks, we welcome folks to come and talk about something cool they've done with keras, PyTorch, JAX and/or Deep Learning for 5-10mins (so, if you have slides, then #max=10). We believe that the key ingredient for the success of a Lightning Talk is simply the cool/interesting factor. It doesn't matter whether you're an expert or an enthusiastic beginner: Given the responses we have had to previous talks, we're sure there are lots of people who would love to hear what you've been playing with. If you're interested in talking, please just introduce yourself to Martin at one of the events.

Join us for a stress free and chill jog at Marina Bay Sands! Unwind and take this chance to start the week on a great note - while enjoying beautiful views. While there are many running groups and clubs, I struggled to find one that is not as competitive or intense, one that is suitable for people who just want to incorporate some movement into their week - without feeling like they have to be fit and regular to join. I chose to start a ladies group first as running speeds usually differ between guys and ladies - I also want to keep it comfortable & simple for now. 🗓Date: 17th January Thursday, 7PM 📍Meeting Point: TBA via Telegram 🏃‍♀️Running Route: Art Science Museum > Past Flower Done & Cloud Forest > Marina Barrage, and back. (Approx. 3KM, 45 Minutes) Thereafter, we can go grab a drink together and chill, or you can head back to rest. Free and easy !

## Details **♟️ Geek Out, Stress Out 🎯** Ready to flex that board game brain? This night is for the seasoned gamers, the engine-builders, the tableau tacticians, and the worker placement pros. We're diving into the deeper end of the tabletop pool—**strategy games that challenge, engage, and maybe even melt your brain (in a good way).** Whether you're plotting your next move in a Euro classic or trying out a hot new release, this is your space to **go big on games** and connect with fellow strategy lovers. Bring your A-game, bring your favorite titles to share, and let’s get into the good stuff. **Venue:** Geekster **Time:** 7pm to 11pm (Every Thu) **Address:** 100 Lorong 23 Geylang #03-02 S388398 (Near to Aljunied MRT, take the shorter path at Atrix Bulding) **Fee:** Option A: Roll 2 dice and the sum will be the entry fee Option B: S$8 per entry Both options come with ONE complimentary drink **🎲 Play Arena Rules 🎲** 1️⃣ Max capacity: 30 people (excluding Geekster). RSVP is first come, first served. If you can’t make it, please de-RSVP so others on the waitlist can join. ✅🔄 2️⃣ Be respectful—no excessive noise or aggressive behavior. 🚫🎭 3️⃣ You’re welcome to bring your own games! Just make sure they’re ***clean*** and ***mold-free***. Comment below with what you're bringing. 😊🎲 4️⃣ Handle all games with care. Damage to Geekster’s games may incur a replacement fee. 💸⚠️ 5️⃣ No outside food or drinks (except plain water). Keep food and drinks away from games. 🚱🍔 6️⃣ Feeling unwell? Please stay home. Hosts may deny entry if needed. 🤒❌ 7️⃣ Keep an eye on your belongings; management isn’t responsible for lost items. 🎒👀 8️⃣ Theft = police report + permanent ban. 🚔🚨 Please join our **Telegram** group here for more details/updates: [https://t.me/+6r-3vSQcxwNjZjM1](https://t.me/+6r-3vSQcxwNjZjM1) **CONNECT WITH US!** 📌 Follow us on [IG](https://www.instagram.com/geekster.sg/) 📌 Join our newsletter on our [website](https://www.geekster.sg/)

Welcome! Gist below! :-) 1. Bring a book to the meet! 2. Buy a drink (and a bite if you're hungry). 3. Say hi to the folks. 4. Read! 5. We'll do a short round of intros and a short sharing at the end too. :) Come in and find us (we're probably the only reading group)! In the event that the place is full, we'll find a back up nearby. :-) This is a limited seats, small group event, so do try to update your RSVP early if your plans change! Thanks in advance! Nearest MRT: Somerset (NS23)

Looking to grow your network, meet like-minded entrepreneurs, or simply unwind with people who get the hustle? Join us for a relaxed evening of our regularly scheduled 3rd Thursdays **business networking in a casual setting**. Drop in, grab some food and drink, and start a conversation. Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, this event is for anyone who values authentic connections over formalities. We can’t wait to meet you, see you there! **Why Attend?** * **Casual, No-Pressure Environment**: No formal speeches or sales pitches—just genuine conversations with fellow entrepreneurs, founders, and business owners. * **Expand Your Network**: Connect with people who understand the challenges and rewards of building a business. Whether you’re looking for collaborations, advice, or just good company, you’ll find it here. * **Share Ideas & Insights**: Got a business challenge or a new idea? Bounce it off others who’ve been there and can offer fresh perspectives. * **Tap into Regional Opportunities**: Our network extends to affiliated chapters in Malaysia, Myanmar, and Taiwan, giving you access to connections across Southeast Asia. * **No-grift Authenticity:** This event has been running since 2002 by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, network with confidence! **Who Should Attend** * Entrepreneurs * Aspiring founders * Freelancers * Investors **Ground Rules** * **Buy your own drink and food:** While there is no entrance fee to attend, it is compulsory for you to buy something from the venue that is hosting us. No ifs or buts. If you are allergic to any and all food and drinks on the menu, buy anything off the menu and gift it to another person. If you already ate or drank before coming, buy a drink and put it in front of you as you will get thirsty during networking. * **No hard selling:** You are free to network and mingle, however you are not free to force others or the organizers to make the other attendees to sit through your pitch. * **Have basic decency and manners:** All kinds of people attends our networking sessions. You may not agree with many of them but that does not give you the right to name-call, insult or harass them because of that.

**⚠️ REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED VIA [THIS SIGN UP FORM (LUMA)](https://luma.com/bwg0i788) ⚠️** — **ABOUT THE RANGE VILLAGE** ​The Range Village is a community driven cyber range interest group aimed to provide community curated Cyber Range content for people who are interested in practicing their cyber skills such as active directory testing, lateral movements, defence evasion, and provisioning of an attack infrastructure. We live in a world where cybersecurity education is within a Google search or a GenAI prompt, but the access to a certain range or resource to practice those skills can be costly to individuals who are not in the position to self-fund a paid cyber range or premium access range. **ABSTRACT** The workshop will cover: 1. ​Introduction to Active Directory 2. Active Directory Attacks 101 **SET UP INSTRUCTIONS FOR PARTICIPANTS** Participants will need to bring their own laptop with a Kali Linux virtual machine **AGENDA** * ​10:30 \| Door opens * ​11:00 \| Workshop starts * ​12:00 \| Mini lunch break * ​12:45 \| Workshop continues * ​13:45 \| End of workshop \- start of hangout * ​16:00 \| End of event **SPONSORS** * VENUE SPONSOR: [CyberSG TIG Collaboration Centre](https://www.linkedin.com/company/cybersg-tig-collaboration-centre/) **LEAD FACILITATOR** **Sim Cher Boon \|** Cher Boon is a Security Engineer at Grab and the Co-Founder of the Range Village community group. He has competed in multiple CTFs, both locally and overseas, spoken at local and overseas conferences on security topics, and now focuses on developing the next generation of cyber talents through guidance and meetups. **IMPORTANT NOTICES** * Code of Conduct: [https://www.div0.sg/code-of-conduct](https://www.div0.sg/code-of-conduct) * Terms of Use & Disclaimer Notice: [https://www.div0.sg/terms-of-use-disclaimer-notice](https://www.div0.sg/terms-of-use-disclaimer-notice)

Kampung Ravenswood, Singapore's largest BOTC group brings gaming @ Marina One! Whether you are a light social gamer, a strategy gamer or totally new to gaming, enjoy your weekend with friends and enjoy gaming here! This event is focusing on Blood on the Clocktower, a murder mystery social deduction game with a twist. If you're new to the game, our experienced hosts will be guiding you every step of the way. What is Blood On The Clocktower (BOTC)? Watch here: [https://youtu.be/M-aZP47Nm9g?si=GEoGvRoApcY-6Alw](https://youtu.be/M-aZP47Nm9g?si=GEoGvRoApcY-6Alw) BOTC is a social deduction game played in a large group of 7-15 players. Be mentally prepared to engage in chaotic back-and-forth conversations and work together with your team to win the game. Lying in a social deduction game? Who knew... Game review: [https://youtu.be/ImcG8sC7qT4?si=8-eCYYf6Skt-rLzO](https://youtu.be/ImcG8sC7qT4?si=8-eCYYf6Skt-rLzO) Price: FREE! Come down and enjoy. Venue: Marina One, B2 (East Tower), opposite Luckin Coffee. Please contact Momo ([wa.me/6596701344](wa.me/6596701344)) or Muthu ([wa.me/6597125916](wa.me/6597125916)) for assistance.

Register at [bit.ly/gdgsg-jan26](https://bit.ly/gdgsg-jan26) \-\-\- Join us for an exclusive session with Thorsten Schaeff, Developer Relations Engineer at Google DeepMind. This isn't just another overview; it’s your first look at the next generation of multimodal models and the tools that will redefine your development workflow. What to expect: * Meet Gemini 3: Be among the first to explore the capabilities of the latest Gemini 3 family, including the highly anticipated Nano Banana Pro model. * Defy Gravity: Discover Google Antigravity, the new tool designed to remove friction from your build process. * Master the Studio: A guided walkthrough of Google AI Studio to help you prototype faster and smarter. Whether you are an AI researcher or a mobile developer looking to integrate on-device smarts, this session will equip you with the knowledge to accelerate your work. #GoogleDeepMind #GoogleForDevelopers #GDGSingapore

**Creative Movement & Yoga for Kids: Growng Strong, Finding Calm** ***3-part series in Jan & Feb 2026. Designed for 4-9 year olds.*** In each class, your child will explore: 🤸‍♀️Creative movement to spark imagination and connect with their body 🧘‍♀️Yoga poses to build strong bodies 🙂 Breathing exercises to find calm & focus And experience: 💠Games & playful exploration 💠A safe space to build confidence & mind-body awareness Sundays, 11am (50 minutes) 18 Jan 2026 1 Feb 2026 15 Feb 2026 Small class size of usually not more than 6 children. Led by 2 kids yoga teachers [Tammie](https://www.instagram.com/letmybodyspeak___/) & [Karyn](https://www.instagram.com/curiosandyoga) for personalised attention and safety. **Sign up for a single class ($30/child) or all 3 classes ($84/child) (contact us via IG [@creativemovementyoga](https://www.instagram.com/creativemovementyoga/))** **Release and waiver of liability:** By getting a ticket, I consent to my child's voluntary participation in the above-mentioned event conducted by Teacher Tammie and Teacher Karyn ("known as Teacher(s)"). I recognise that it is my responsibility to notify the Teachers of any serious illness or injury that my child has before the yoga workshop. I knowingly, voluntarily, and expressly waive any claim I may have against the Teachers, for injury or damages that my child may sustain because of participating in the event. I, my heirs, or legal representatives, forever release, waive, discharge and covenant not to sue for any injury or death caused by the Teachers' negligence or other acts. **Photography & Videography** We will be taking photos/videos during the workshop. We may use the photos/videos on our website/social media pages or other media forms, for publicity purposes. If you do not consent to this, please inform the teachers before the start of the class, and we will not use the photos/videos that has your child for our future publicity. **Brought to you by [Creative Movement & Yoga](https://www.instagram.com/creativemovementyoga/) \| Teacher Tammie & Teacher Karyn**

**Tired of the endless "swipe" culture? Ready to meet real people in the real world?** 🥂 Walking into a room of strangers can be intimidating—we’ve all been there. That’s why **Liquid Convo** isn’t just another bar night. It’s a curated social community for young professionals in Singapore to find their tribe, share a laugh, and enjoy a wind-down in a space that feels safe and welcoming. Whether you’re looking to expand your "girl tribe," find a new hobby partner, or simply enjoy a great cocktail after work, we’ve got a seat saved for you. ### **✨ Why Join Us?** * **A Curated Crowd:** Specifically for the 22-35 age range. * **Warm Welcomes:** Our hosts act as "social catalysts." If you’re shy or coming alone, just find a host—we’ll introduce you to a friendly group immediately. * **Zero Pressure:** No forced networking or rigid schedules. Just organic conversation and good energy. * **A Safe Space:** We maintain a strict "No-Harassment" environment so you can relax and be yourself. ### **📍 Venue & Details** * **Where:** Koyoi by Kanpai (1 Shenton Way, #01-02, Singapore 068803) — *A chic, cozy spot perfect for conversation.* * **When:** Arrive between 6 PM – 7 PM for the **Early Bird Special** **Admission:** * **Ladies:** FREE (Our gift to you!) * **Gents:** $10 (Payable via Cash/PayNow at the door) ### **🎁 Exclusive Perks for Our Guests** We’ve partnered with Koyoi to bring you some extra love: * **15% OFF Food:** Hungry? Enjoy a discount on the entire food menu all night. * **Ladies' Special:** Arrive early (6 PM – 7 PM) to enjoy **Free Shots** on the house! 🍸 **🤝 Our Community Values (The "Fine Print")** To keep our vibes high and our community safe, we have a **zero-tolerance policy** for solicitation, insurance/MLM pitching, or any form of harassment. If anyone makes you feel uncomfortable, please let an organizer know immediately. We’ve got your back. **💬 FAQs** **"I’m coming alone... is that okay?"** Absolutely! About 70% of our attendees come solo. Our hosts are on-site specifically to help you break the ice and ensure no one is left standing alone. **"What if I don't drink alcohol?"** No problem! Koyoi has a great selection of non-alcoholic beverages and food. It’s about the *convo*, not just the *liquid*. **"How do I stay connected?"** Join our growing community to see photos from past events and chat with people before you even arrive! 👉 **Telegram:** [https://t.me/liquid_convo](https://t.me/liquid_convo) 👉 **Instagram:** [@liquidconvo](https://www.instagram.com/liquidconvo/)

Time for a weekend hike! Great for the mind, body, and soul, it's a chance to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones. We'll hike around Macritchie Reservoir for 11 km, minimising stress and enjoying the benefits. Let's get our hearts pumping while soaking in nature and good company. Date : 17 Jan 2026 (Sat) Meeting Time: 8:30am Meeting point: MacRitchie entrance near washroom Est distance: 11 km Ending Point: MacRitchie entrance Your Community Leader: Alvin Lok Pre-hike checklist: \* Eat a light breakfast. \* Bring plenty of water and snacks. Bad weather contingency plan: \* Waterproof your belongings and bring rain gear (rain cover, jacket, poncho, or umbrella). \* Hiking poles (optional). What is a Community Leader? A "community leader" volunteer is someone who takes on a proactive role in organizing, guiding, and inspiring others within our community. Their efforts are geared towards benefiting our community who share our common interests in hiking and socialising. Their motivation stems from a desire to contribute to the well-being of our community. So let's appreciate them. Be nice and turn up punctual! Please read this #1 - This is a number-controlled event. Please come only if you are on the attending list. #2 - We will move out at 0835hrs sharp. We are not able to wait for late-comers. #3 - As this is a limited number event, please check your calendar and make sure you can come before you RSVP. Do not change your attendance at the last minute and deny someone else who genuinely wishes to come.

## Learn Infrastructure-as-Code (the FUN Way) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: Azure CBUS × Columbus HashiCorp User Group × DevOps Columbus** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint Azure CBUS, Columbus HashiCorp User Group, and DevOps Columbus meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. ### What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time ### Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐 Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/

## Learn Infrastructure-as-Code (the FUN Way) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: Azure CBUS × Columbus HashiCorp User Group** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint Azure CBUS and Columbus HashiCorp User Group meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. ### What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time ### Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐 Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/cbus-hug-2026/

On Thursday, January 15, 2026, we will meet at the Slingshot offices at 700 N Hurstbourne Pkwy. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m., and the presentations will begin sharply at 6:30 p.m. Along with an excellent presentation, TEKsystems will provide food. Be sure to RSVP so we know how much food is needed. Afterward, we will go to Brick House Tavern for drinks and food to continue the conversation. The session will also be broadcast at https://twitch.tv/TaleLearnCode. ### Enhancing Cloud Network Security When setting up cloud network security, it is crucial to implement a multi-layered security approach to protect your infrastructure and data. This involves configuring network security groups to control inbound and outbound traffic, ensuring that only legitimate traffic is allowed. Utilizing a centralized firewall for network security policies and threat protection is also essential. Leveraging native security features for continuous monitoring, threat detection, and security analytics can significantly enhance your security posture. By adhering to best practices and regularly reviewing and updating security configurations, organizations can maintain a robust and resilient network security posture in any cloud environment. This talk will give you an in-depth insight into implementing Azure network solutions that significantly strengthen network security posture. Attendees will learn about the critical role of Network Security Groups (NSGs) in controlling traffic to and from Azure resources, ensuring only legitimate traffic is allowed. The utilization of Azure Firewall for centralized network security policies and comprehensive threat protection will also be covered. The session will place strong emphasis on advanced network architecture designs such as micro-segmentation, which creates isolated network segments, significantly reducing the attack surface and limiting lateral movement within the network. By incorporating these sophisticated architecture designs and adhering to best practices, participants will gain invaluable knowledge on how to robustly secure their Azure environments, ultimately enhancing the overall security framework and resilience of their infrastructure.

## Details \#\# Learn Infrastructure\-as\-Code \(the FUN Way\) — Through Minecraft 🎮☁️ **Joint Meetup: DevOps Columbus - Azure CBUS - Columbus HashiCorp User Group** What if learning Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code didn’t feel like a whitepaper… but more like a game? Join us for a joint DevOps Columbus, Azure CBUS and Columbus HashiCorp User Group meetup where **Mark Tinderholt** \(Principal Architect\, Microsoft Azure \| HashiCorp Ambassador \| “The Azure Terraformer”\) shows how **Minecraft** can be used as a surprisingly powerful way to understand real-world Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. In this session, Mark will demonstrate how Terraform and Azure can be used to provision, configure, and manage Minecraft servers—while teaching the same patterns you’d use for production cloud infrastructure. \#\#\# What we’ll cover * Infrastructure-as-Code fundamentals using **Terraform** * Provisioning real infrastructure on **Azure** * Applying **IaC best practices** (immutability, repeatability, versioning) * How playful environments like Minecraft make complex concepts *click* * Why learning through experimentation beats click-ops every time \#\#\# Who should attend * Developers, platform engineers, and cloud engineers * Terraform users (new or experienced) * Anyone curious about Infrastructure-as-Code but tired of boring examples * Minecraft fans who want to see it used in a totally unexpected way No prior Minecraft experience required—just curiosity and a willingness to learn infrastructure the fun way. Come for the blocks, stay for the Terraform. 🧱➡️📐

**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 **Abstract** GitHub Copilot is rapidly changing how developers write, understand, and maintain code. Powered by generative AI and deeply integrated into modern development environments, Copilot acts as an intelligent coding assistant, helping developers move faster while maintaining quality and focus. In this session, we’ll explore what GitHub Copilot is, how it works, and where it fits into a real-world developer workflow. We’ll break down what Copilot can (and cannot) do, where it can be used, and how licensing differs for individuals and organizations. Most importantly, this talk goes beyond theory with a live, hands-on demo showcasing Copilot inside the IDE and on GitHub, demonstrating how it can assist with code generation, refactoring, learning new APIs, and accelerating day-to-day development tasks. Designed for developers, technical leads, and engineering managers, this session provides a practical introduction to AI-assisted development, highlights best practices for getting value from Copilot, and closes with guidance on how to continue learning and evolving alongside this rapidly advancing tool. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how GitHub Copilot can enhance productivity, improve developer experience, and fit into modern software teams today, not someday. **YouTube Link** TBA

2026 may be the last year many developers write code by hand. We need coding agents to solve complex problems in production codebases, but vibe coding alone won’t get us there. Vibe coding is all gas, no brakes. It burns up the context window until the agent slips on its own slop. You can go fast at first, but the more you stuff into the context window, the more tangled its outputs get. While the industry is rapidly increasing code generation speed, we still have to understand, review, merge, and maintain what gets shipped. This talk featuring Michael Geiger will outline how coding agents (Claude Code + Gas Town) work and a framework for orchestrating them to solve complicated problems in complex codebases. It’s about steering the model: doing the research to align intent, planning the approach up front, implementing in parallel steps, and breaking early. Human judgment still matters, but it should be spent on high-leverage decisions: what to build, what to forbid, and “what is quality?”, not cleaning up slop. Attendees will leave with a checklist to identify workflow and environment gaps that hold agents back, so you and your team can ship higher-quality software starting tomorrow.

Meet in the Maple Grove Picnic area. If trail conditions are poor, we will use the Multipurpose Path.