Every year in December, several platforms organize cybersecurity and hacking events (educational purposes only). These events are free and offer a great opportunity to learn, practice your hacking skills, and even win prizes (from merch and swag to real gadgets and gear).
Below is a curated list of the main free cybersecurity holiday events for this season:
| Event Name | Focus Area | Start Date | End Date | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TryHackMe – Advent of Cyber (AoC) | General | Dec 1, 2025 | Dec 24, 2025 | Advent of Cyber |
| ⮑ Advent of Cyber (AoC) Side Quest | General | Dec 1, 2025 | Dec 24, 2025 | Advent of Cyber Side Quest |
| pwn.college – Advent of Pwn | Binary Exploitation (Pwn) | Dec 1, 2025 | Dec 12, 2025 | Advent of PWN |
| SANS – Holiday Hack Challenge (HHC) | General | Nov 5, 2025 | Jan 5, 2026 | Holiday Hack Challenge |
| Root-Me – Root-XMAS | General | Dec 1, 2025 | Dec 24, 2025 | Root-XMAS |
| Cyberstudents - Advent of CTF | General | Dec 1, 2025 | Dec 25, 2025 | Advent of CTF |
| OSINT4Fun - Advent of OSINT | OSINT | Dec 1, 2025 | Dec 24, 2025 | Advent of OSINT |
| STAR Labs - Hex Advent | General | Dec 1, 2025 | Dec 31, 2025 | Hex Advent |
| Flagvent | General | Dec 1, 2025 | Dec 24, 2025 | Flagvent |