Tag Archive for: sans

The SANS Holiday Hack Challenge is back! • The Register


Webinar Whether you are considering a career in cyber security or you already work in the industry, the 2023 SANS Holiday Hack Challenge is a great way of combining festive fun and learning. Who knows, the skills you acquire this holiday season might even help you foil a nefarious hacker at Yuletide next year.

That’s important because some reports reckon that Christmas and New Year is one of the most dangerous times of the year for cyber attacks, as cyber criminals ramp up their effort to exploit workers rushing to meet holiday deadlines and spend more time shopping on the internet during work hours. Phishing scams related to fake charity campaigns, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, and credential stuffing incidents that take advantage of staff Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) fatigue are all favourite seasonal scams for example.

Learning how to combat those threats is essential for the cyber security practitioner. The SANS Holiday Hack Challenge is designed for everyone – regardless of skill set or experience level – and offers a prize at the end of the competition for the best of the best entries. This year’s event – Holiday Hack Challenge 2023: A Holiday Odyssey – involves tasks that cover everything from AI-assisted cybersecurity, offense, defense, and AI voice cloning to cloud and web application security, threat hunting, phishing analysis, and the identification of vulnerabilities in space mission software packages.

You can join the fun here. You’ll see a YouTube video presented by Ed Skoudis, Director of the Holiday Hack Challenge, which gives you a sneak peek as to what expect while offering some ideas, tips, and tricks that could help you win the competition. There are also some festive, cyber security-themed tunes and beats to sing along with to get you in the mood.

Click here to start playing now.

Sponsored by SANS.

Source…

What Are the Best Cyber Security Certifications For 2021? (Entry Level)



The SANS 2022 Holiday Hack Challenge, The Year’s Most Awaited Cybersecurity Tradition, Opens to Players of All Skill Levels


Protect the North Pole from Threats and Earn Your Place on Santa’s Nice List – Then Join Santa at KringleCon, a Virtual Conference featuring Cybersecurity Experts

BETHESDA, Md., Dec. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The SANS Institute (SANS) has officially opened its 21st annual Holiday Hack Challenge! Participants can join Santa to save the holiday season from treachery by recovering five precious rings, each ring representing a different quest to defeat cybersecurity obstacles and change the course of the future. This free, hands-on cybersecurity challenge is open to all skill levels and ages, where players will have their skills tested by a holiday supervillain with the potential to win prizes ranging from cybersecurity goodies to the grand prize of a free SANS online training course.

John the SANS 2022 Holiday Hack Challenge

SANS 2022 Holiday Hack Challenge, The Year’s Most Awaited Cybersecurity Tradition, Opens to Players of All Skill Levels

“We are thrilled to present another year of the SANS Holiday Hack Challenge,” said Ed Skoudis, President of the SANS Technology Institute college and SANS Chief Holiday Officer. “We’ve been saving the holidays with the cybersecurity community since 2002, and this year, we hope even more players will join the fight in this playful way to advance critical skills and cyber capabilities across the globe.”

More than 17,000 players participated in 2021, and this year’s Holiday Hack Challenge is expected to reach even more cybersecurity professionals and students. The collaborative virtual game allows players to create customized avatars and join up with teammates, friends, and players worldwide in this one-of-a-kind shared virtual experience to explore the North Pole while advancing their cybersecurity skills across cloud security, forensics, offensive and defensive security, and more.

“Our cybersecurity elves narrowly saved the season last year, protecting Santa and the North Pole from danger, and we all thought the holidays would be safe for years to come,” said Mr. Skoudis. “We have discovered that evil still lurks across the icy terrain, so we must call on our cybersecurity community, from elementary students to seasoned professionals, to join us in this mission to save the…

Source…

How To Pass a SANS Cyber Security Exam in 5 DAYS (No books…)