yvrTesting - Fuzz Testing: Automated Methods to Find Obscure Defects

OK everyone, it's finally 2026 and that dumster fire that the world affectionately called 2025 is officially behind us. What better way to celebrate this fact than to gather together with our colleagues and chat about testing?

This month we have a treat for you! You know that pretty face that hosts half of our meetups and harangues everyone to eat more Dominoes pizza before they leave? Well, turns out that he's much more than a pretty face, he's also an excellent technical speaker. He's been wanting to talk about Fuzz Testing for a while and a gap in our schedule made this the opportune time.

Fuzz Testing: Automated Methods to Find Obscure Defects
Fuzzing complements your existing testing methodologies and automation frameworks, adding another tool in the toolbox for advanced testing professionals. Come learn about coverage-guided fuzzing techniques and toolchains plus practical web API fuzzing strategies.

Bob will introduce the concept of fuzz testing, when it is an appropriate and productive testing method for improving security & reliability, and discuss his experience with fuzz testing at Sophos. He will also provide some live examples to stimulate the conversation.

Bob's Bio:
More than 25 years ago Bob started the longest con the technical world will ever know. He entered into our industry as developer and wended is way up the developer ladder until he became a Senior Director of Sofware Development at Sophos. Sophos is a global, industry leading cybersecurity firm and Bob manages development teams in Canada and Germany.

But what's the con, you might ask. The con is that Bob is secretly a tester at heart. Achieving repeatable, reliable quality has always been core to his and through his passisionate guidance, his teams' goals. Bob has been involved in yvrTesting since its inception (over a decade ago), and regularly provides a safe, hospitable space for testers to meet and plot their inevitable takeover of the world.

Bob is a passionate and persitent tinkerer and when he's not hiding secret QA plots from his devs, he can be found working on his own fleet of robots that he's training to keep himself safe during the AI apcolypse. (note - Bob said Mike could have fun with his Bio - he might think twice about that next time)

Venue - Sophos offices - NOTE - the meetup is now on the 15th floor