Tog Hackerspace at Security BSides Dublin 2025 – Come Pick Some Locks with Us!

We’re excited to announce that Tog Hackerspace is once again a Community Sponsor of Security BSides Dublin, taking place on Saturday, 24th May 2025, in Trinity Business School.

Security BSides Dublin is an annual information security conference run by a passionate community of volunteers. It provides a platform for infosec professionals, enthusiasts, and hobbyists to come together and share their knowledge in a relaxed, inclusive environment. Talks and workshops will explore everything from ethical hacking and digital forensics to cryptography and social engineering.

As part of our involvement this year, Tog will be hosting a lockpicking table at the event. Whether you’re brand new to physical security or a seasoned picker, drop by our table and try your hand at opening various locks with specially designed tools. Our members will be on hand to guide you through the process and talk about the fascinating overlap between lockpicking and digital security.

We’ll also be sharing more about what Tog Hackerspace has to offer—from electronics nights and coding workshops to 3D printing, laser cutting, and hardware hacking. It’s a great chance to meet our members, learn about upcoming events, and see how you can get involved in Dublin’s maker and hacker community.

See you on May 24th at Trinity!

For more info on the event, visit https://www.bsidesdub.ie

Lockpicking At Octocon

Octocon, the National Irish Science Fiction Convention, is a weekend celebration of our favourite stories from books, comics, TV, films and games; from science fiction, fantasy, horror and beyond; attracting artists, writers, film-makers and fans from across the human sphere of influence.

Octocon is going hybrid again on October 5th and 6th at the Gibson Hotel, Dublin and Online, with the programme streamed from Dublin as well as online-only. As well as all our usual panel discussions, workshops, talks and readings, we’ll also be giving you the chance to join in hosted chats with other fans on specific topics, or sit down in a small group to talk to one of our attending creators.

We will have two Lockpicking sessions at Octocon this year. Both will take place on Saturday 5th of October from 3 pm to 4:30 pm split into two 45-minute sessions.

Lock Picking Without A Keyhole

One of our members came to lockpicking night with a problem. Their 1980s pride and joy motor had a passenger door locked. So easy to open? Well, there was also the problem that this door has no keyhole. Not wanting to break the lock and damage the car, the member took it to Conor the host of our lockpicking group night. After a little study and poking around with the mechanism, the door opened to many happy faces.

If you are interested in exploring the world of lockpicking, please drop by our bi-weekly Thursday night sessions.

Lockpicking Night at Tog

We host a Lockpicking night every two weeks on a Thursday evening from 7 pm in our space. Join us as we teach the various methods of picking and bypassing common locks in Ireland.

We have all the all equipment and tools to get you started on the night. The intent for the night is to have all lock enthusiasts together to pick locks, show new tools, techniques and make lockpicking more social. Only so much can be done stuck in the workshop, office, or sitting on the couch. Feel free to come along for even just an hour.

Check out our meetup page to know which Thursday it’s on. https://www.meetup.com/Tog-Dublin-Hackerspace/

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.