Jack is back! SANS 2021 Holiday Hack Challenge brings exciting cyber challenges

The annual Holiday Hack Challenge from the SANS Institute (SANS) is now open for participation. The 2021 Holiday Hack Challenge is a free online global cybersecurity game in which players of all skill levels take part in hands-on cyber challenges to help Santa Claus defeat cyber villains like Jack Frost and save the holiday season from disaster.

“We are excited to present the 2021 SANS Holiday Hack Challenge, our annual gift to the cybersecurity community since 2002,” said Ed Skoudis, President of SANS Technology Institute and SANS Chief Holiday Officer.

He added, “Jack Frost is back this year – he barely escaped justice on a technicality in 2020 – and so we need everyone’s help to thwart Jack’s nefarious plot.” 

“The SANS Holiday Hack Challenge is a series of challenges that you can use to develop your cybersecurity skills, featuring a mix of cyber defense, offense, digital forensics, incident response, blue team, cloud security, and more. All of the elements combine to create an interactive, social, video-game aspect where players can work together in a virtual world to solve challenges and explore the North Pole,” said Mr. Skoudis.

He added, “And a bonus for players is thesoundtrack featuring some great custom holiday hacking music for you to enjoy while you play.”

Last year’s SANS Holiday Hack Challenge drew over 19,000 participants, and this year’s event is likely to attract even more students and cybersecurity professionals. Participants from all across the world are invited to join Santa Claus, his elves, and the Four Calling Birds in addressing the myriad cybersecurity challenges that Santa is confronted with. The challenges are created for players of all skill levels, from novice to expert, from elementary kids to cybersecurity professionals, and are a fun method for everyone to improve their cyber skills. Several players will earn cybersecurity prizes, and the grand prize winner will receive a free SANS online training course.

The Holiday Hack Challenge will be held in conjunction with KringleCon 2021, a virtual conference hosted by Santa at the North Pole that will feature a series of fascinating talks from cybersecurity industry experts discussing the latest information security topics, with some of those talks even assisting players in completing this year’s Holiday Hack challenges. Both of these events take place in December and early January.