SANS Holiday Hack Challenge™ 2025

SANS Holiday Hack Challenge 2025: Revenge of the Gnome(s)

Welcome to this year’s Holiday Hack! The cyber range stays open year-round; however, the contest elements close on January 5, 2026. We’re also bringing back fan-favorite dynamics from last year and cranking up the fun with exciting new twists! Read on!

New Hacks on the Block!

Micro-Challenges: This new dynamic gives you quick wins and big skills. With 15+ bite-sized challenges designed to take 10–15 minutes (or less), micro-challenges help you sharpen your fundamentals fast. They are PERFECT for building confidence, earning fast victories, and keeping that holiday vibe going.

Capstone Challenges: The ultimate test! We’ll host 3 to 4 large, in-depth challenges that bring everything together. Capstones are where the story peaks and your skills shine—epic puzzles built to challenge even the most seasoned players! And, to win, you still need to build your own report to enter the contest.

CTF-Mode: If you want to skip the storyline, online world, and avatars, you have the option of diving straight into the technical action only. CTF-mode lets you focus purely on the challenges. Compete, learn, and test your skills — no (or minimal) sleigh bells attached.

Oldies But Goodies!

Challenge Skipping: Just like last year, each challenge includes a play-through mode that lets you advance the storyline without solving it right away. Skip a challenge, keep the momentum, and come back whenever you’re ready. No pressure—just pure, flexible holiday hacking fun.

Share Solutions: Learn together, level up together... responsibly! After November 26, players are welcome to post walkthroughs, livestreams, and solutions for any challenge. When you share what you’ve learned, you help others grow, inspire collaboration, and strengthen our global cybersecurity community. If you do share, please let folks know that you’ve got some spoilers in there, so they know what they are getting into. And also, remember that you’ll have to create your own unique write-up and submit it to win prizes.

Cohorts: Track your progress on a live scoreboard exclusive to your organization or friend group. Build a cohort, challenge your peers, and see who climbs to the top, all while learning together in a fun, friendly competition that brings the holiday hacking spirit to life.

Enter The Contest for Grand Prizes!

If you'd like to enter the contest for a chance to win a prize, please submit a report with a description of how you solved each objective in the Google form (will be provided here near the submission due date and requires a Google account to access).