SANS Institute Holiday Hack Challenge World Turns Ten with Bite-Size Challenges and Streamlined Play for Learners at Every Level

SANS Institute today launched the 10th-anniversary edition of the Holiday Hack Challenge, the free global cybersecurity game that has trained and entertained hundreds of thousands of players worldwide. This year’s release reimagines the game for modern learners, introducing fast micro-challenges, in-depth capstone puzzles, a CTF-only mode for streamlined play, and a throwback to the original living 8-bit neighborhood from 2015.

“Holiday Hack has always been joyful, practical, and open to everyone,” said Ed Skoudis, SANS Institute Faculty Fellow, President of the SANS Technology Institute, and creator of Holiday Hack. “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.”

The 2025 Holiday Hack Challenge meets players where they are. Most objectives are micro-challenges that can be solved quickly, perfect for quick skill-building or classroom use. The capstone “big boss” puzzles also provide deeper, multi-hour challenges.”

For those who prefer a direct competition, CTF-only mode lets players skip the storyline and focus purely on technical challenges. Official answers and walkthroughs will be published before the game window closes, helping classes, study cohorts, and solo players complete the experience at their own pace.

“Short, focused practice builds momentum,” added Skoudis. “Micro-challenges deliver quick wins, while capstones encourage critical thinking and we like to think that balance is where the real learning happens.”

The 2025 story returns to the familiar neighborhood first seen in the original 2015 “Gnome in Your Home” era of Holiday Hack. This time, nefarious gnomes are on the move, quietly collecting refrigerator parts and cooling systems for reasons no one fully understands. Locals whisper about an unseen force who seems unusually comfortable in subzero conditions. The game’s world is full of subtle clues, snow-covered surprises, and a sense that something - or someone - is stirring beneath the frost.

Throughout the experience, a holographic Santa can be summoned from the player badge to provide gentle hints, guidance, and cheer without spoiling the fun.

“Our world is whimsical on the surface and deeply technical underneath,” said Skoudis. “Come for the music and mystery, or switch to CTF-only mode and directly do the challenges. However you play, you leave with real, job-ready skills!”

Skills You’ll Practice

Holiday Hack Challenge 2025 features hands-on objectives in some of the most in-demand cybersecurity domains, including:

• Post-quantum cryptography and modern crypto analysis
• Forensics analysis and timeline reconstruction
• Java deserialization and exploitation
• Reverse engineering malware
• Web application penetration testing
• Linux privilege escalation
• Defanging indicators of compromise (IOCs)
• Professional conduct in penetration testing, including a new scenario on how to escalate properly within scope

“This year is about relevance,” said Skoudis. “From post-quantum to practical judgment in penetration testing, the challenges mirror what security teams face right now.”

The Holiday Hack Challenge 2025 opened today, November 5, 2025. Registration details, cohort facilitation resources, and educator guides are available here.