Growth Hacking Melbourne
Join Melbourne's Growth Hacking Events & Communities

The Blockchain Backdoor: How Attackers Subverted the WordPress Supply Chain
Fri, May 29, 8:30 AM**The Blockchain Backdoor: How Attackers Used ENS to Subvert the WordPress Supply Chain** - **Aadam Shaik and Rohit Hande** What happens when the "Kill Switch" is decentralized? In early 2026, a sophisticated threat actor acquired a portfolio of over 30 WordPress plugins, including the popular "Accordion and Accordion Slider," to execute a massive supply chain attack. While the initial vector was a traditional acquisition-turned-backdoor, the true innovation lay in the Command & Control (C2) infrastructure. This talk deconstructs how attackers utilized the Ethereum Name Service (ENS) to create unblockable, dynamic C2 resolution. By querying public Ethereum RPC endpoints directly from server-side PHP, the malware bypassed traditional DNS-based security perimeters and neutralized standard domain takedown strategies. **Location** Room 080.02.002 at RMIT (Building 80) - 445 Swanston St, Melbourne **Discord** [Discord Event Info](https://discord.com/events/1347056412529791047/1477841544907325591) **Streaming** If you can't attend the event in person the talks will be streamed in the "ruxmon-stream" voice channel in the Ruxcon Discord in the day of the event! (join now by clicking here: [https://discord.gg/g2CpEbkXmM](https://discord.gg/g2CpEbkXmM)

Building the wrong things faster. AI and the Build Trap
Tue, May 26, 8:00 AM**đ˘ Hosted at:** Fabric Group **đ Building the Wrong Thing Faster: AI and the Build Trap** AI has dramatically compressed the time it takes to build software. But it hasn't stopped us building products that nobody wants. If anything, it's accelerated the problem - to the point we've invented a new word for the output: ***slop***. Drawing on observations from Brendan's consulting work and conversations with friends at ***Google, Meta and Spotify***, He'll explore how this ***isn't really a new problem*** and why now, more than ever, we need human centricity, sound product strategy and product discovery. **đ¤ Speakers:** ***Brendan Marsh*** is a Product & Org Advisor and Director at ***Organa***, where he helps organisations improve product strategy, org design and execution at scale. He previously served as ***Chief Product Officer*** of a mental health non-profit and spent five years at ***Spotify*** during its hyper-growth phase, first as an ***Agile Coach*** supporting innovation and product discovery teams and later as a ***Product Manager*** responsible for the Mac and Windows clients (40M+ MAU). ***Ruben Cardoso*** is the ***Head of Product & Design*** at ***Fabric Group***. An experienced UX/UI designer specialising in product design and delivery, with a strong track record running discovery-to-delivery cycles for large enterprise clients. ***Dzmitry Yaltykhau*** is the ***Delivery Practice Lead*** at ***Fabric Group.*** Leads large-scale product design and delivery programs end-to-end from presales through discovery, build and rollout while driving best practices, coaching and AI-accelerated ways of working across the team. **đ Agenda:** Arrival and light refreshments Featured Talk Panel discussion with contributions from Fabric and the audience

Coffee Catchup - Burwood East â
Sun, Jun 7, 1:30 AM* **What Weâre About** You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with, so join us â and be part of a community that rises above circumstances and creates opportunities. Inspire and be inspired by those who make things happen. It's a relaxed, organic space to connect with like-minded people and networkâgenuinely talking, learning from each other, and connecting over shared interests. * **What to Expect** Casual Meetups: We gather semi-regularly at a local cafĂŠ to chat about everything from stepping outside your comfort zone to business ideas, creative projects, and building a life aligned with your purpose. Itâs relaxed, easy, and welcomingâno need to have anything âfigured out.â An Easy-Going Space: We keep things simple and low-pressure. Once everyone arrives, we ease in with some light conversation and naturally break into smaller groups. Networking: Feel free to introduce yourself or let people know what you're working on if you feel like it. And if anyone wants to quickly shout out what theyâre working on or looking for before we settle in, go for itâitâs a great way to spark new conversations. * **Host Support** If youâd like a one-on-one chat with me about your business, just tap me on the shoulder. Iâll be floating around and happy to make time for you. **Quick note for the day:** Depending on the weather, we might go for a walk too. Just remember to wear comfy shoes đ đ đĽž:) âIf you're running late, drop me a quick message as we might leave the cafe for a walk within the last 30-45 minutes. đ đââď¸ đââď¸

General session
Tue, May 26, 8:45 AMVisitors and newcomers are very welcome, please see https://hackmelbourne.com/newcomer-faq/ for more details. COVIDSafe restrictions are also in place, please see https://hackmelbourne.com/covid-19-restrictions/ for the latest. Short walk from Glenferrie train station. Car parking at Hawthorn town hall. Bring a laptop and a project you are working on. There is also a number of group projects that you are welcome to join in. We have starter kits for Arduino, a couple of 3D printers, various tools and equipment available for use. Typically our sessions run from 6:45pm till later in the evening (depending on our members' availability to close) but if you're new please come early.

The Reading Room
Sun, May 31, 2:00 AMStep into the room, not just to read, but to experience what happens when curious, learning minds gather in the same space. Thereâs something unexpectedly powerful about people arriving with different ideas, perspectives, and questions, then discovering what unfolds when they pause, explore, and reflect together. This isnât a traditional book clubâthereâs no assigned reading, no pressure to performâjust a simple rhythm: 60-Minute Flow: **đ 0:00â0:15 \| Arrive & Introductions** **đ 0:15â0:30 \| Quiet Reading Time** Settle in with your book, article, or notes. Highlight something that stands outâa line, an idea, or even something you disagree with. This is your space to explore. **đŹ 0:30â0:45 \| Sharing & Insights** We come back together to share what we picked up. It can be a quote, a question, a new perspectiveâanything that sparked your thinking. Expect a mix of ideas and thoughtful discussions. **đ¤ 0:45â1:00 \| Open Networking** A wrap with relaxed conversation. Swap recommendations, continue discussions, or simply connect with others

June Community Night - Leon Poggioli and Sanam Makadia + Peter Lake
Tue, Jun 2, 7:30 AMHello friends, This month we will (finally!) be an entirely standalone community event, not for profit and volunteer run. We have booked a large event space in the Multicultural Hub across from Vic Market. Pizza and beverages will be graciously funded this month by Dragos, but we would really love to see other food and beverage sponsors in the future. **We can also really use additional volunteers to watch the door, help carry in food and drinks, or help with set up or clean up. Please send us a message if you're able to help.** This event will survive if people are involved and want to make it survive! Cheers, Lesley **Talk 1: A practical methodology to secure critical infrastructure** OT Cybersecurity is current in a âperfect storm scenarioâ. This is due to: â Increased OT automation â Increased regulation â OT cyber maturity lags IT cyber maturity â OT cyber risk impacts safety and production While many large organisations are well-resourced with dedicated teams, smaller organisations who arenât able to appoint a dedicated OT Cybersecurity leader often struggle to deliver an effective OT Cybersecurity uplift program. This talk outlines why practical, lightweight approaches to complicated scenarios suit most critical infrastructure organisations and how such an approach would work in practice. **Speaker:** Leon Poggioli is the founder of NetSeg, an advisory organisation focused on consulting around OT Cybersecurity Strategy and Program Development. He founded NetSeg after recognising that many organisations with OT Cybersecurity obligations donât have the necessary knowledge and experience to drive a program which requires different capabilities and stakeholders than IT Cybersecurity programs require. OT Cybersecurity is in a âperfect stormâ - with increased OT automation and connectivity increasing the attack surface, increased regulations, not to mention the fact that any organisation with an OT network likely relies on that network to conduct their core business! Before founding NetSeg, Leon was the Australia New Zealand Country Manager for Claroty, one of the Gartner leaders for CPS (Cyberphysical Systems) Protection Platforms, and worked with a wide range of Australian and New Zealand organisations to drive their programs using Clarotyâs technology. Leon also has a YouTube channel @NetSeg_IO where he shares short-form videos on a range of OT Cybersecurity topics. He has also been featured several times on Australian television and talkback radio. **Talk 2: Managing a Crisis in Critical Infrastructure -** **Incident Command System** Critical infrastructure is increasingly exposed to cyber-physical threats impacting essential services like energy, water, and transportation. This session introduces ICS4ICS, a proven incident response framework adapted for Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Operational Technology (OT). It enables IT, OT, and cybersecurity teams to collaborate with clear roles, shared language, and coordinated response during high-impact incidents. Attendees will gain practical insights into managing cyber incidents that can escalate into physical disruptions, improving resilience and response effectiveness. Designed for cyber, natural, and accidental events, ICS4ICS supports cross-sector and public-private coordination. **Speakers:** Sanam Makadia ⢠Cyber Security Architect and Advisor ⢠Thought leader and advisor with more than 2 decades of experience in design, consulting, architecture, Risk and Governance ⢠Interest in topics such as Cyber strategy, GRC, operational technology/industrial control systems (OT/ICS) and robotics & artificial intelligence (AI) Peter Lake ⢠Cybersecurity Strategy Lead and CTF coach ⢠Passionate about capacity building for neurodivergent young people, coaching, and building Cybersecurity career pathways. ⢠Keen interest in critical infrastructure, space cyber awareness, incident response and management.
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