Christchurch Hacker Conference 2025
New Zealand's community hacker conference in Christchurch: hands-on talks on wireless, EDR evasion, ICS/OT labs, infostealers, phishing and the human side of security.
→ See editor’s top picks at Christchurch Hacker Conference 2025
- This title left intentionally blank — Toni James
In a departure from typical technical presentations, Toni James, a seasoned organizer of CHCon, delivered a deeply personal and reflective talk titled "This title left intentionally blank." This…
- Cyber Mind Tricks — Ant Murray
In the realm of cybersecurity, the conventional wisdom often dictates that a significant breach or a looming threat is the most effective catalyst for driving security investment and behavioral…
- let’s make malware but it might get caught so the malware gets worse — Alex
In this engaging and insightful CHCon talk, security expert Alex, a seasoned Red Team Operator known for his past exploits (including discovering former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott's…
- Beyond 'Don't Be Evil' — Petra Smith
In her powerful CHCon talk, "Beyond 'Don't Be Evil'," Petra Smith delivers a sobering and urgent message about the escalating threat of authoritarianism and how technology, and those who build it…
- Bypassing Wireless Client Isolation — Ben Knight (Zante)
In this insightful CHCon presentation, Ben Knight, also known as Zante, a Senior Security Consultant at Pulse Security, delves into a critical flaw in a widely relied-upon wireless security feature…
- The Tale of the Curiously Empty String — Notnotcharlie
In "The Tale of the Curiously Empty String," Notnotcharlie, a Red Team Operator at GitLab, delivered a compelling talk that masterfully blends narrative storytelling with critical insights into…
- Wireless Pivots: How Trusted Networks Become Invisible Threat Vectors — Toby Reynolds
In his compelling CHCon presentation, "Wireless Pivots: How Trusted Networks Become Invisible Threat Vectors," Toby Reynolds challenges the conventional wisdom in Wi-Fi penetration testing. Rather…
- Ghost on the network: Bypassing EDR — Jess
In this insightful CHCon talk, Jess from Piki Security delved into the often-misunderstood capabilities and limitations of Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) systems. Titled "Ghost on the…
- Infostealers — Will Frame
In this insightful talk from CHCon, Will Frame, a pentester at Bastion Security Group, unravels the escalating threat of infostealers, a rapidly evolving category of malware that has become a…
- Building an ICS/OT Lab — Gavin Dilworth
In this insightful CHCon talk, Gavin Dilworth presents a comprehensive guide and retrospective on the intricate process of building a physical Industrial Control System (ICS) / Operational…
- LOGMQ - Living off the Gartner Magic Quadrant — Denis Andzakovic
In his compelling CHCon talk, "LOGMQ - Living off the Gartner Magic Quadrant," Denis Andzakovic, Principal Security Consultant at Pulse Security, challenges conventional notions of malware by…
- Root, root.... boom — Tokala
In this insightful CHCon presentation, Tokala, a hardware hacking enthusiast, delves into the practicalities of reverse engineering a common, inexpensive Internet of Things (IoT) camera. Titled…
- Digital Sanctuary: Learning Threat-Informed Defence from Nature Conservation — Greg Mason
In his compelling CHCon talk, "Digital Sanctuary: Learning Threat-Informed Defence from Nature Conservation," Greg Mason, a Security Operations Engineer at Contact Energy, draws a profound analogy…
- Whose Responsibility is it Anyway? — Dana Windsor
In an era of rapidly expanding cloud adoption and complex supply chains, the question of cybersecurity responsibility has become increasingly muddled. Dana Windsor, a Senior Security Consultant at…
- A Hacker's Guide to Storytelling: Presenting Research that Resonates — Lukasz Gogolkiewicz
In the dynamic and often complex world of cybersecurity, the ability to effectively communicate research, findings, and solutions is as critical as the technical work itself. Lukasz Gogolkiewicz's…
- How I caught my cyberstalker — Bernie Garnell
Bernie Garnell's CHCon talk, "How I caught my cyberstalker," delivers a deeply personal yet highly technical account of navigating a prolonged cyberstalking ordeal. Far from a mere anecdote…
- Your Priors Are Out To Get You*: Security and Statistics (* P=0.06) — Kate, Lucy
In their CHCon talk, "Your Priors Are Out To Get You: Security and Statistics ( P=0.06)," Kate, Head of Security at TradeMe, and Lucy, Co-president of the New Zealand Association of Scientists…
- Build Your Zombie Survival Kit: Threat-Informed Defence for Real-World Attacks — Kade
In an engaging and highly relevant talk titled "Build Your Zombie Survival Kit: Threat-Informed Defence for Real-World Attacks," Kade, Founder of Arachnne Digital, challenged conventional…
- Floating on Cloud Crime: Subscription-based credential markets on Telegram — Liv Rowley
In "Floating on Cloud Crime: Subscription-based credential markets on Telegram," Liv Rowley shines a light on an evolving and highly accessible facet of the cybercrime ecosystem: the proliferation…
- Hands off my creds: phishing tools vs phishing defenses — Jacob Torrey
In his CHCon talk, "Hands off my creds: phishing tools vs phishing defenses," Jacob Torrey from Canary delivers a compelling and detailed exposition on the relentless cat-and-mouse game between…