SEC536: Adversarial AI - Penetration Testing AI Systems
SEC536Offensive Operations, Artificial Intelligence
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Reports should be submitted by the end of the day on January 5, 2026*. Alternatively, if you'd rather not use the Google form, you can email your answers to SANSHolidayHackChallenge@counterhack.com.
You DO NOT have to answer all questions to be eligible to win a prize. Partial answers with just one or two challenges solved are still eligible to win. All reports must be 75 pages or fewer in length.
From all submitted entries, we'll pick three winners, according to the following plan:
- One random draw answer whose user has clicked on each of the five vendor booths (Google, Microsoft, RSAC, SANS.edu, and Holiday Hack Swag Store):
- A Holiday Hack Challenge T-Shirt
- The best technical answer:
- One Subscription (six months) To SANS Skill Quest by Netwars
- The most creative (while technically correct) answer:
- One Subscription (six months) To SANS Skill Quest by Netwars
- The best overall answer, our GRAND PRIZE WINNER:
- One SANS OnDemand Training Course**
Remember, even if you can't answer one or more of the questions, please do submit an answer of any kind to be entered in our random draw. Seriously, if you get 50%, 80%, or 98% of the answers, you'll still be eligible to win.
The very best overall answer earns our Grand Prize - a complimentary SANS OnDemand course of your choice! The winner will choose from any of SANS' 30+ Online Courses, and will complete SANS training at their own pace from anywhere on the internet.
Feel free to post partial or full answers or write-ups publicly any time after November 26, 2025 so that others can learn from your work and build their own skills. Also, DO NOT ASSUME any posted write-ups are correct answers or that they even will be submitted by their authors in the competition. Even if you think your own answer or write-up doesn’t stack up against something that’s been posted, send it in any way by January 5, 2026 for a chance to win!
Happy Holidays!
- Counter Hack and Friends
* Any time zone on planet Earth will do.
** SANS will choose only one winner for the Grand Prize. These prizes are not transferable to another person or event and do not include a certification attempt. Only one course will be awarded per category, regardless of how many people contributed to a winning submission. No substitutions are allowed. For any of these prizes, SANS is not responsible for lost, late, or unintelligible entries, lost connections, miscommunications, failed transmissions, reindeer attacks, or other technical difficulties or failures.
Now Open!
Listen to Ed Skoudis, Chief Holiday Officer, in the Welcome and Game Orientation video to make the most of this cyber range. Join us on Discord to chat with other players, share tips, and connect. Follow us on X for the latest updates. And if you're up for it, enter the contest for a chance to win one of the coveted Holiday Hack Challenge prizes!
Holiday Hack Merch
Show your Holiday Hack spirit with exclusive HHC merch! From festive gear to collectible pieces inspired by this year’s challenge, our limited-edition items are perfect for players, fans, and holiday hackers everywhere. Grab your favorites and bring the magic of HHC with you all year long!
Holiday Hack Challenge 2025 | Revenge of the Gnome(s)
Track 01 - Winter Ovah-land (Feat Ninjula)
Track 02 - The Times - They are AI-changing (Feat Joshua Skoudis)
Track 03 - I (happily) melt with you (Feat Ninjula)
Track 04 - I (angrily) melt with you (Feat Ninjula)
Track 05 - Hazy Shade of Holiday Hack (Feat Joshua Skoudis)
Track 06 - Goa Frosty Go (Feat Ninjula)
Track 07 - Frozen HHC (Feat Joshua Skoudis)
Track 08 - Cold as Holiday Hack (Feat Joshua Skoudis)
Holiday Hack Challenge 2024 | Snow-maggedon
Track 01 - Sweet Home Arctic Circle (Feat. Josh Skoudis)
Track 02 - Air Noises Whilst Toiling (Feat. Ninjula)
Track 03 - Christmas Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Feat. Josh Skoudis)
Track 04 - Takin’ Care of Christmas (Feat. Ninjula)
Track 05 - Elves are Elves (Feat. Ninjula)
Track 06 - Stuck in the Middle of Christmas (Feat. Josh Skoudis)
Track 07 - Christmas Eve of Destruction - Wonderful World (Feat. Josh Skoudis)
Track 08 - Sound of Christmas (Feat. Ninjula)
Holiday Hack Challenge 2023 | 6 Geese a Lei'ing
Track 01 - 2023 A Holiday Odyssey Sprachs Du Christmas (feat. Ninjula)
Track 02 - Mele Kalikimaka HHC Style (feat. Ninjula)
Track 03 - Tainted Winter Snow (feat. Josh Skoudis)
Track 04 - 99 Schneebälle (feat. Ninjula)
Track 05 - Rock Me Santa Claus (feat. Josh Skoudis & Ninjula)
Track 06 - Santa Jaws (we're gonna need a bigger sleigh) (feat. Ninjula)
Track 07 - Coming to Tizown (feat. Ninjula)
Track 08 - Jangle Bells (feat. Ninjula)
Track 09 - Do You Hear What I Hear (feat. Ninjula)
Holiday Hack Challenge 2022 | 5 Golden Rings
Track 01 - Mr Magi (feat. Frankie Cicala)
Track 02 - Deck The Halls (feat. Frankie Cicala & Bernie Dippolito)
Track 03 - We Wish You a Merry Christmas (feat. Frankie Cicala & Bernie Dippolito)
Track 04 - The Christmas Song (feat. Frankie Cicala & Vance Villastrigo)
Track 05 - B-ROF (feat. Josh Skoudis)
Track 06 - Come On Steal The Toys (feat. Josh Skoudis)
Track 07 - Christmas Crazy (feat. Ninjula)
Track 08 - Return of the Song of the Spire but with More Santa (feat. Ninjula)
Track 09 - These Are a Few of MFTs (feat. Ninjula)
Track 10 - Somewhere Over the Rainbow (feat. Ninjula & Mary Ellen Kennel)
Holiday Hack Challenge 2021 | 4 Calling Birds
Track 01 - I Love Winter Snow (feat. Josh Skoudis)
Track 02 - All Your Christmas (feat. Ninjula)
Track 03 - Chill, You Cherry Old Chaps (feat. Ninjula)
Track 04 - Do You Hear What I Hear (feat. Ninjula)
Track 05 - Hall of the Mountain King (feat. Ninjula)
Track 06 - I'd Prefer a Semi-aquatic Mamal for Christmas (feat. Ninjula)
Track 07 - Viva Frost Vegas (feat. Ninjula)
Track 08 - Wyatt Kristmas (feat. Ninjula)
Track 09 - Goody Two Shoes (feat. Ninjula & Josh Skoudis)
Holiday Hack Challenge 2020 | 3 French Hens
Track 01 - Falling (feat. Dual Core)
Track 02 - I'm The Real Santa (feat. Josh Skoudis)
Track 03 - Is That You Santa Clause (feat. Josh Skoudis & Devin Kelly)
Track 04 - I Wish I Could Be Santa Claus (feat. Mary Ellen Kennel)
Track 05 - Girl Form Ipanema (feat. Ninjula)
Track 06 - I Could Be Santa (feat. Ninjula)
Track 07 - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claw (feat. Ninjula)
Track 08 - Need a Little Xmas (feat. Ninjula)
Track 09 - Santa Claws Is Back in Town (feat. Ninjula)
Track 10 - You're a Maen One, Mr Grinch (feat. Ninjula)
Holiday Hack Challenge 2019 | 2 Turtle Doves
Track 01 - Tis Not The Season (feat. Dual Core) [Instrumental]
Track 02 - Tis Not The Season (feat. Dual Core)
Track 03 - Chim Chimabunga (feat. Josh Skoudis)
Track 04 - Everybody Wants to Look a Lot Like Christmas (feat. Ninjula)
Track 05 - Here Comes Santa (feat. Ninjula)
Track 06 - Holly Jolly Xmas (feat. Ninjula)
Track 07 - Jinglebell Rock (feat. Ninjula)
Track 08 - Let it Snow (feat. Ninjula)
Track 09 - Merry Little Xmas (feat. Ninjula)
Track 10 - Need a Little Xmas (no fireworks) (feat. Ninjula)
Track 11 - Need a Little Xmas (fireworks) (feat. Ninjula)
Track 12 - Supa Cali Fragile Lipstick (feat. Ninjula)
Holiday Hack Challenge 2018 | KringleCon
Track 01 - Christmas in Hollis (feat. Keith Myers & Ninjula)
Track 02 - Dreidel (feat. Keith Myers & Ninjula)
Track 03 - Let it Snow (feat. Keith Myers & Ninjula)
Track 04 - Ode to Joy (feat. Keith Myers & Ninjula)
Track 05 - Winter Wonderland (feat. Keith Myers & Ninjula)
Track 06 - Brandenburgh #3 (feat. Ninjula)
Track 07 - Jingle Bells (feat. Zippi Abramson & Josh Skoudis)
Holiday Hack Challenge 2017 | Wintered
Track 01 - Most Wonderful (feat. Dual Core)
Track 02 - Deck Tha Hallz (feat. Keith Myers & Ninjula)
Track 03 - Dreidel (feat. Keith Myers & Ninjula)
Track 04 - OZ Medely (feat. Keith Myers & Ninjula)
Track 05 - Run Rudolph (feat. Keith Myers & Ninjula)
Producer:
Ed Skoudis
Challenge Wrangler:
Mark Devito
World Builder Builder:
Evan Booth
World Builders:
Evan Booth
Thomas Bouve
Kyle Parrish
Eric Pursley
World Wranglers:
Jared Folkins
Story Concept:
Ed Skoudis
Narrative and Dialogue:
Kyle Parrish
Eric Pursley
AI Wranglers:
Tooling: Evan Booth
Dialog Creation: Kyle Parrish and Eric Pursley
NPC Voice Tooling and Creation: Thomas Bouve
Programming:
Evan Booth
Mark Devito
Chris Davis
Chris Elgee
Jared Folkins
Charlie Goldner
Janusz Jasinski
Kevin McFarland
Kyle Parrish
System Builds and Administration:
Jared Folkins
Artwork:
Evan Booth
Chris Davis
Tatyana Goldman
Eric Pursley
Voice Artists:
Paul Beckett
Jason Blanchard
Evan Booth
Thomas Bouve
Chris Davis
Mark Devito
Chris Elgee
Jared Folkins
Charlie Goldner
Tom Hessman
Janusz Jasinski
Kevin McFarland
Torkel Opsahl
Christopher Parrish
Karolee Parrish
Kyle Parrish
Eric Pursley
Challenge Development:
Paul Beckett
Evan Booth
Thomas Bouve
Chris Davis
Mark Devito
Chris Elgee
Jared Folkins
Charlie Goldner
Vlad Grigorescu
Nick Harbour
Tom Hessman
Janusz Jasinski
Kevin McFarland
Torkel Opsahl
Kyle Parrish
Eric Pursley
Brian Weiblinger
Josh “The Microsoft One” Wright
Sound Design:
Eric Pursley
Soundtrack:
Ninjula, Ed Skoudis, and Josh Skoudis
Concierge Wranglers:
Patrick Chapman
Lynn Schifano
Discord Coordinator (Dis-Coordinator?):
Kyle Parrish
Swag Designer and Implementer:
Chloe Drage
Testing and Feedback:
Evan Booth
Thomas Bouve
George Callow
Chris Davis
Mark Devito
Michael Dopheide
Chris Elgee
Jared Folkins
Vlad Grigorescu
Tom Hessman
Janusz Jasinski
Phoebe Jasinska
Joshua Jasinski
Chet Kess
Kevin McFarland
Sam Oehlert
Eric Pursley
Lynn Schifano
Ed Skoudis
Product Marketing Manager:
Bel Valente Lucas
Social Media Manager:
Debra Gawet
Elizabeth Glomb
Rosie Smith
Press Release:
Jennifer Elston
Email Communications:
Tober Corrigan
Sid Haase
Laura O’Connor
JR Santiaguel
Lacee Santos
SANS HHC Website Design:
Lynnie Brewer
Field Marketing:
Stephanie Andrews
Helen Boyle
Beth Broerman
Chris Chapman
Jacob Hill
Rebecca Nguyen
Jenifer White
Coin Design:
Chloe Drage
Sponsors:
Google (Platinum)
Microsoft (Gold)
RSA Conference (Silver)
Extra Special Thanks To...
The SANS Institute
