The 10th-anniversary edition reimagines the global cybersecurity game with bite-sized learning, capstone puzzles, and CTF-only mode to train learners of all levels.
The SANS Institute has unveiled the 10th-anniversary edition of its popular Holiday Hack Challenge, a free, festive global cybersecurity game that has helped train and inspire hundreds of thousands of learners worldwide. The 2025 version celebrates a decade of gamified learning with a modern twist — introducing fifteen-minute micro-challenges, in-depth capstone puzzles, and a CTF-only mode that streamlines competitive play for enthusiasts and professionals alike.
“Holiday Hack has always been joyful, practical, and open to everyone,” said Ed Skoudis, SANS Faculty Fellow, President of the SANS Technology Institute, and creator of the Holiday Hack Challenge. “For our tenth year with an in-game world to explore, we focused on flow. You can drop in for a fifteen-minute win on a micro-challenge, then return later for a capstone that stretches your skills. It’s the same big spirit, tuned for how people really learn today.”
“Holiday Hack has always been joyful, practical, and open to everyone.”
– Ed Skoudis, Creator, SANS Holiday Hack Challenge
The revamped Holiday Hack Challenge 2025 meets modern learners where they are — offering quick, accessible micro-challenges ideal for classroom use or short practice sessions, alongside deeper multi-hour puzzles that test persistence and problem-solving. The CTF-only mode allows players to skip the story and jump straight into technical challenges, while official walkthroughs and answers will be published before the game closes, supporting self-paced learning for individuals and teams.
The storyline takes players back to the game’s origins — a nostalgic, 8-bit snow-covered neighborhood from the original 2015 edition, where mischievous gnomes are collecting refrigerator parts for mysterious reasons. Players must navigate clues and decode cyber puzzles to uncover what lurks beneath the frost, aided by an in-game holographic Santa who provides friendly hints without spoiling the fun.
“This year is about relevance,” added Skoudis. “From post-quantum cryptography to professional judgment in penetration testing, the challenges mirror what security teams face right now.”
The 2025 edition features hands-on challenges in cutting-edge areas such as post-quantum cryptography, forensics, Java deserialization, malware reverse engineering, web application testing, and Linux privilege escalation.
By balancing fun and function, the Holiday Hack Challenge continues to embody SANS’ mission: making world-class cybersecurity training accessible, engaging, and meaningful for learners at every level.
