Software Engineering Events in Cork

Running since June 2013, every month we have 1-2 talks focused on Security or Technology - followed by socialising with like minded people

• You can find out exactly what to expect about the night and the venue on the What We're About section of our Meetup page. Past talk details can be found the "Past Events" section.
• All people with any sort of an interest or level of knowledge in Security, Hacking and Emerging Technology are more than welcome to attend and feel free to bring like minded colleagues and friends.

CorkSec is made possible through generous sponsorship from our Platinum Sponsor TrendAI, Gold Sponsor CyberSkills , as well as our Silver and Bronze Sponsors featured prominently on the night.

Doors open at 19:00 with talks starting at 19:15. Talks below

TALK 1: Adopting AI for Threat Defense: What Actually Works (and What’s Still Hype) by Saurabh Khadtare
A lot of people in security are understandably skeptical of “AI” right now. Marketing slides promise fully autonomous SOC's, while real defenders are still drowning in huge alerts and brittle detection logic. At the same time, attackers are already using automation and AI‑adjacent tooling to scale phishing, brute forcing, credential abuse, and exploitation, so a purely manual defensive approach is becoming unrealistic.
In this talk, I’ll share practical lessons from working as a security engineer and Pentester on how AI is actually starting to help with threat defense, and where it absolutely should not be trusted on its own. I’ll break “AI for defense” into three buckets: classical ML/UEBA and anomaly detection, AI‑powered SOC automation for triage and noise reduction, and LLM‑based that help with summarizing incidents, writing queries/rules, and translating technical findings for non‑technical stakeholders. For each bucket, I’ll walk through concrete workflows and examples (using redacted or synthetic data) showing what sucked before, what AI does better, and what still needs a human in the loop.
I’ll also cover the major limitations and risks: hallucinations, weak multi‑step reasoning, prompt injection, and new attack surfaces introduced by LLMs and vendor tools. The goal is to give the audience a realistic blueprint for where AI can safely augment defenders today, and where “AI‑only” approaches are still pure hype.

TALK 2: Breaking the Quantum Future: Can We Shrink Post-Quantum Crypto? - by Parichay Dey
As we advent towards quantum computing, the threat of decryption of data packets travelling through the internet becomes increasingly real. The transition to Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) is already happening, but there’s a massive catch: post-quantum public keys are historically huge, threatening to bloat our network packets and slow down applications. In this talk, we dive into the HQC (Hamming Quasi-Cyclic) cryptosystem—one of the frontline algorithms designed to save us from quantum attacks. I’ll break down my recently published research on using the RMRS framework to aggressively shrink these key sizes, so that it can accommodate our network packets for low end IOT devices. We’ll explore how we can optimize efficiency without accidentally introducing cryptographic vulnerabilities, and look at what this next generation of encryption actually means for standard application security.

Start here for CCNA—learn foundational networking, dive into Cisco tools, and walk away ready to build your own networks.

Group Discounts:

• Save 10% when registering 3 or more participants
• Save 15% when registering 10 or more participants

• Duration: 1 Full Day (8 Hours)
• Delivery Mode: Classroom (In-Person)
• Language: English
• Credits: 8 PDUs / Training Hours
• Certification: Course Completion Certificate
• Refreshments: Lunch, snacks, and beverages provided

Course Overview:

The Networking Fundamentals - CCNA course is designed to help you grasp essential networking concepts and get started on your Cisco CCNA certification journey. This practical, hands-on course introduces core topics like routing, switching, VLANs, and basic security—aligned with CCNA exam objectives to build a strong foundation for further certification or IT networking roles.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, you will:

• Understand foundational networking principles and models
• Navigate Cisco IOS and configure basic network settings
• Perform IP addressing and subnetting with confidence
• Set up basic VLANs and switching configurations
• Recognize the importance of security and routing in Cisco networks
• Get a clear understanding of CCNA exam components and next steps

Target Audience:

IT professionals, network engineers, and certification aspirants.

Why is it the Right Fit for You?

If you're looking to break into the world of Cisco networking or prepare for your CCNA certification, this course is your launchpad. Designed for both beginners and experienced professionals, it distills complex topics into relatable concepts with hands-on practice. Whether you're seeking career advancement, certification, or foundational knowledge, this course gives you the confidence and practical skill set to manage and troubleshoot Cisco networks effectively.

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Circuits and their Applications. An IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society seminar for 3rd and 4th year Electronic Engineering students.

Join industry leaders to explore how tech, talent and transformation are shaping the future of Ireland’s life sciences sector.

This Tech Industry Alliance conference “Tech, Talent & Transformation: Advancing Excellence in Life Sciences,” will bring together industry leaders, technology innovators, educators, policymakers, and workforce development experts to explore how Ireland can continue to strengthen its position as a global life sciences powerhouse.

Taking place on 24 September at the Clayton Hotel Cork City, the event will focus on the practical actions needed to build a world-class talent pipeline, accelerate digital transformation, and enhance Ireland’s competitiveness in an increasingly technology-driven sector.

Through keynote presentations, industry case studies, expert panels, and thought-provoking discussions, delegates will examine how AI, automation, smart manufacturing, and data are reshaping operations and influencing the workforce of the future.

The programme will address key challenges including skills shortages, industry-academic collaboration, attracting and retaining talent, upskilling existing teams, and preparing for the next generation of roles in biopharma and medtech.

Featuring leading voices from industry, academia, and skills agencies, the conference will provide practical insights, real-world examples, and a clear roadmap for advancing excellence in Ireland’s life sciences ecosystem through technology, talent, and transformation.