12 years of TOG – Holiday Hack Challenge Redo (part 1)

So, as promised we are going to start SANS Holiday Hack Challenge Redo run by Counter Hack Team. We will start with the latest 2020 challenge . You will need a valid email to create user account, which is instant. You can start straight away on your own or watch a couple helpful videos.

The first video that I would like talk about, it’s Ed Skoudis 2020 Hack Challenge Intro. Video is a great overview of this year challenge.

Second video is aimed at Hack Challenge first timers, it’s walk through the login page and the starting interface.

And don’t forget to join discussion later today at a dedicated Discord Channel https://discord.gg/MqCQkSzG. We start at 5pm today 🙂

This month we are going to focus on 2 objectives.

To help with starting the first objective you can watch this video:

Or read this article with helpful techniques. The online photo editor can be found here.

Watch the video below for the start of the second objective overview:

See you at Discord after 5pm GMT today, we will try to finish Objectives 1 &2 together.

12 years of TOG – a perfect time to do some hacking :-)

For the last five years I was getting more and more anxious the closer it was till the end of the year. Why so? The answer is very simple – the SANS Hack Challenge (https://holidayhackchallenge.com/2020/index.html) run online by Counter Hack Team (https://www.counterhack.com/expert-pen-testers). I have learnt plenty and had an immeasurable amount of fun while solving hacking challenges. This winter I found myself helping others with their tasks by giving hints and I discovered that I have learnt even more. The best part was seeing others to grow and to learn how to beat the tasks.

Unfortunately, SANS hack challenge is only once a year and I didn’t always managed to find enough spare time to solve all the puzzles. Luckily, there is a way to fix that.

So, this year to celebrate 12th birthday of Tog, there will be a pleasant surprise. A walk through a past SANS Holiday Challenges. We will start on the 23rd of January, all info will be posted online. So, keep an eye on our website and reserve time between 5 pm and 7 pm on the day to join the discussion on a dedicated Discord channel https://discord.gg/322Kw4bkQK.

What’s happening in Tog in May

Wave Hackers experimental music group.
Seb’s amazing experimental audio research and performance group, a place for artists, dreamers, geeks, hackers, nerds, outcasts, weirdos, rebels and scientists to experiment and create. Circuit bending, instrument design and creation. Everyone welcome, no experience necessary – learn and share but most importantly enjoy yourself. Hosted by Seb every first and third Friday of the month, 3rd and 17th May, from 7 to 10 pm. Let us know you’re coming on meetup.

Electronics and Micro Controller Night: If you hanker to harness the awesome power of electricity and light up a few LEDs or crank a dynamo, Electronics and Micro Controller night is for you. Every second Monday, Gary will guide you into the electronics room where there is a dizzying variety of electronic components to help out beginners and the more experienced alike. You can buy basic kits and we’ll show you what to do with them. Runs Monday 6th and 20th May, starting at 7 pm and finishing at 9 pm. Vital that you bring your own laptop, we don’t have a supply.

CAD Night: Krzysztof and Louise are your guides for 3D printing and laser cutting night, every second Wednesday, in May the 1st, 15th and 29th, from 7 pm to 9 pm. We have a working Prusa Mk 3 3D printer, and a Lasersaur for laser cutting. Please bring your own laptop.

Ray got a little carried away last Open Social night…

Open Social: If you want to see where all these mind-bogglingly fascinating projects take place, come along to our Open Social night on Saturday 18th May from 7 pm until late or later. No need to be a member, just turn up. Food and drink contributions welcome. We will probably roll out the near-legendary pizza oven, weather permitting.

Craft Night: Lots of tools and materials here for dedicated and beginner crafters: this includes, but is not limited to, embroidery, sewing, knitting, screen printing, crochet, drawing, painting, woodwork. Bring your own project along or start one from scratch, there is a wealth of talent and experience on hand to help you get started or navigate the tricky bits. Every other Wednesday, the 1st, 15th and 29th May, starting at 7 pm.

Lock Picking: Ever-popular lock-picking night happens on Mondays, in May on the 13th and 27th, from 7 pm until 9 pm. We have a large selection of padlocks, practice locks, handcuffs and other parts, tools are supplied (and can be bought). Conor hosts and oozes enthusiasm and expertise.

Coding: Same night as Lock Picking, bring your laptop and work on your side project or ask for help with a programming problem. Alternate Mondays, the 1st, 15th and 29th May. Please bring your own laptop, we don’t provide the hardware.

The Science Fiction Book Club: This month we’re reading Fifth Head of Cerberus, by Gene Wolfe. It’s a book club, you know how they work; come along, argue, eat cake. Highly recommended that you read the book first, though. Wednesday 29th May, from 7 pm onwards.

Wikipedia Editing: Want to be part of the world’s biggest collaborative venture? Bring along a laptop, and Rebecca will show you how to become a Wikipedia editor. This all happens on the last Wednesdayof the month, May 29th starting at 7 pm.

Team Bodge Wednesday afternoons you will find Team Bodge in the space, taking broken stuff apart, shaking heads sadly and making those noises you hear from emergency plumbers before expertly restoring everything to a better-than-new working state. That’s the advertising blurb anyway. From 3.30 pm onwards, bring along your non-working components and faulty parts, and James and Brendan will be happy to help and offer advice, tools, expertise and the occasional spare part. Members only, check the mailing list for time and date confirmation.

Tog Events in April

Wave Hackers experimental music group.
An experimental audio research & performance group, a place for artists, dreamers, geeks, hackers, nerds, outcasts, weirdos, rebels and scientists to experiment and create. Everything from circuit bending to instrument design and creation. Everyone welcome no matter experience. Come learn and share but most importantly have fun. Hosted by Seb, Friday 19th April, from 7 to 10 pm. Let us know you’re coming on meetup.

The return of the singer/songwriter

Open Social: We open the doors to all-comers once a month for our Open Social event. This month it’s on Saturday 20th April, from 7 pm until the last one leaves. Come and see what happens in Dublin’s only hackerspace. Contributions of food and drink are always welcome. Club Bodge are threatening cheese and wine (bought, not made).

Lock Picking: Conor runs lock picking nights every other Monday, you never know when you may have put your skills into practice… We open padlocks, mostly taken from the Halfpenny Bridge, handcuffs, and various other locks, all without the original keys. Intrigued? Come along to lock-picking on Monday 1st, Monday 15th, and Monday 29th April, starting at 7 pm. Tools provided, and there are some for sale.

Craft Night: The Crafters are an eclectic bunch, engaging in embroidery, sewing, knitting, screen printing, crochet, drawing, painting, and other craft skills. You can bring a project along, start one from scratch, we have materials, tools and supplies to help you out. Every other Wednesday, this month on the 3rd and 17th April. 7 pm start.

Electronics and Micro Controller Night: Gary runs Electronics and Micro Controller night, every Monday that isn’t a Lock-Picking night. We have an electronics room with a dizzying variety of equipment and bits and pieces to get you started if you’re a beginner. Basic kits for sale and lots of expertise on offer. This month’s evenings will be on Monday 8th and the 22nd April, starting at 7 pm and finishing at 9 pm. We don’t supply laptops, so bring your own.

CAD Night: Krzysztof and Louise host the 3D printing and laser cutting night, every second Wednesday (coincides with Craft Night), in April the 3rd, 17th, from 7 pm to 9 pm. We have a working Prusa Mk 3 3D printer, and a Lasersaur for laser cutting. Recommended that you bring your own laptop.

Coding: If you’re looking for a space to work on your own side project, or if you need help with some programming problem, come along to coding nights on alternate Mondays, the 1st, 15th and 29th April. Please bring your own laptop, we don’t provide the hardware.

The Science Fiction Book Club: While you are waiting for the future to arrive, why not be amazed at what others have imagined it will be like? This month we are reading a (non-Culture) novel by Iain M. Banks, Against A Dark Background. We’ll be eating cake and discussing it on Wednesday April 24th, at 7.30 pm.

Wikipedia Editing: Rebecca will instruct on how to become a Wikipedia editor, this happens every last Wednesday of the month, April 24th starting at 7 pm. You can’t edit without a computer, though, so please bring a laptop.

Team Bodge are in the space most Wednesday afternoons, from 3.30 pm until they run out of steam. Bring along your broken or faulty gadgets or computers – or anything else you’d like fixed – and James and Brendan will help you out, with advice, tools, expertise and the occasional spare part. Members only, check the mailing list for time and date confirmation.

What’s going on in Tog in March?

Open Social: The monthly highlight of Tog’s social calendar is happening on Saturday 16th March, from 7 pm until the last one leaves. Open to all, come and see what’s going on in Dublin’s only hackerspace. Contributions of food and drink are always welcome.

Lock Picking: Conor runs the popular lock picking nights, learn a useful skill and help to preserve historic monuments by opening padlocks taken from the Halfpenny Bridge. We also open other locks without using keys, if you want to find out how come along to lock-picking on Monday 4th and 18th March, starting at 7 pm. Tools are provided and are for sale.

Craft Night: Bring along a crafting project or start a new one, anything from embroidery, knitting, sewing, crochet to drawing and painting and t-shirt printing. We have sewing machines and craft supplies to get you started, learn a new skill or share your know-how with the group. This happens every second Wednesday, on the 6th and 20th March. 7 pm start.

Beginners don’t have to start here…

Electronics and Micro Controller Night: Anything electronic, micro and controllable… so that’s Arduinos, Galileos, Raspberry Pis, BeagleBones, whatever you have that you want to play with or that you need help with. If you’re a beginner, we have basic kits to get you started. Runs on non-lock-picking Mondays, the 11th and 25th March. Bring your own laptop, we don’t have spares. Starts at 7 pm, finishes at 9 pm.

CAD Night: Work on 3D printing or laser cutting on our Lasersaur. Declan and Louise host and advise, every other Wednesday, 7 to 9 pm: this month, the 6th and 20th March. Please bring ideas and your own laptop.

Coding: If you’re looking for a space to work on your own side project, or if you need help with some programming problem, come along to coding nights on alternate Mondays, the 4th and 18th March. Please bring your own laptop, we don’t provide the hardware.

The Science Fiction Book Club: After a few months sniggering at what authors in bygone times thought the future would be like, we have decided to go bang up to date with a novel whose first English publication was last year, Ball Lightning by Liu Cixin. Bonus points if you read it in the original Chinese (although you will be expected to criticise the translation…) Wednesday 27th March, 7.30 pm.

Wikipedia Editing: Rebecca will instruct on how to become a Wikipedia editor, this happens every last Wednesday of the month, March 27th. Essential that you bring a laptop.

Science Hack Day Dublin 2019: We are super excited to be hosting Science Hack Day Dublin 2019. It’s an entirely free-to-attend and volunteer-organised event. A 36-hour hackathon that brings together designers, coders, scientists, engineers and makers. It is a social event with creativity and love of science at its heart. Taking place during on Saturday 9th / Sunday 10th March coinciding with Engineers Week.

St Patrick’s Festival Village: Jeffrey and volunteers will be at a stand in the Science Foundation Ireland Science Zone, part of the Merrion Square Festival Village. Come along to see examples of what we do. Monday March 19th, visit https://www.irishcentral.com/travel/travel-tips/dublins-st-patricks-five-day-family-festival-2019 for more details.

Kino Spraoi: Jules hosts a five-day film-making session in Tog around St Patrick’s Day weekend (Thursday 14th to Monday 18th March), in the form of an extended hackathon for films, broken into two rounds, with a warm-up day on Thursday. 25 euro per round (i.e. 50 euro for the entire session), guest speakers, screening nights on Thursday 14th, Saturday 16th and Monday 18th March.

Dublin Service Design Jam: This will be a 24+ hour make/build/prototype re/act & fix-a-thon session: we will brainstorm and pitch ideas, team up and build prototypes, then test them out. At the end there will be demos, prizes and pizza! Jules is hosting, for further details see https://www.meetup.com/Tog-Dublin-Hackerspace/events/258769258/?rv=ea1_v2&_xtd=gatlbWFpbF9jbGlja9oAJGY2MGFkYzk3LTc2MWUtNDg4My05NzAyLWViMDRlMTQwZGUyYg

Team Bodge are in the space most Wednesday afternoons, from 3.30 pm until Craft night starts. Bring along your broken or faulty gadgets or computers – or anything else you’d like fixed – and James and Brendan will help you out, with advice, tools, expertise and the occasional spare part. Members only, check the mailing list for time and date confirmation.

What’s happening in Tog in February

Open Social: We open to the general public once a month, in February it’s Saturday 16th, from 7-ish until the last one leaves. Want to know a little more about what we do? Want to join in? Come along, bring yourself, food, drink, ideas, chat.

Lock Picking: Our regular lock-picking night runs every other Monday, come along and learn how to pick a padlock. Or handcuffs, should you need. No questions asked. This month, lock-picking is on the 4th and 18th February, starting at 7 pm. Tools provided.

Craft Night: Craft night involves knitting, sewing, crochet, embroidery, CAD and 3D printing, all under one roof, all at the same time. Or anything else in the craft line that you’d like to do. Every second Wednesday, this month that’s the 6th and 20th February. 7 pm start.

Electronics and Micro Controller Night: Anything electronic, micro and hackable. All levels from beginners to experts, we have basic kits to get you started. Every Monday when there’s no lock-picking, the 11th and 25th February. Bring your own laptop. Starts at 7 pm.

Coding: Runs on the same Mondays as lock-picking, the 4th and 18th at 7pm. Come down and work on a project or help others with theirs. Laptop of your own pretty much essential, and bring your own side project.

Wikipedia Editing: is a great chance to learn how to edit Wikipedia, every last Wednesday of the month (27th February). Bring your laptop, there may be pizza! 7pm onwards.

The Science Fiction Book Club This month’s epic blockbuster is The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester. It’s short. If you think too short, come and rant about it. If you think mercifully short, come and rant about it. Wednesday 27th February, 7.30 pm.