Cybersecurity insights, tutorials, and best practices
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The SANS Holiday Hack Challenge is a free December CTF for all levels. How it works, what 2025 looked like, 2026 dates, prizes, and a 6-week prep plan...
CyberDefenders explained: how its blue team labs work, what is free vs Pro, how to solve your first lab, whether CCDL1 is worth it, and the best alter...
VulnHub explained for beginners: is it still active, how to set up VirtualBox and Kali safely, the 5 best first machines to root, and free browser alt...
CyberPatriot explained for students and new coaches: how rounds and scoring work, CyberPatriot 19 dates and fees, what images test, and a 4-week prep ...
The National Cyber League explained for beginners: NCL registration, Fall 2026 dates, the 9 challenge categories, scoring, and a 3-week prep plan. Sta...
HackThisSite is a free hacking playground online since 2003. See how its missions work, what each Basic mission teaches, and how to play it with moder...
Root-Me is a free, non-profit hacking platform with 600+ challenges. See how it works, which 10 challenges to solve first, and the traps that stall be...
CyberStart and CyberStart America shut down in 2024. Here are the 7 best CyberStart alternatives for students, teachers, and JROTC teams. Find your ne...
The best hacking games for beginners: 6 Steam games and 9 free platforms, ranked by whether the skills carry over to real CTFs. Find your first one to...
CTF competitions explained: the three formats, how to read CTFtime, five events worth a beginner's first weekend, and how to prep. Enter your first on...
How to use CyberChef: the four panes, your first recipe, the Magic operation, XOR Brute Force and the decoding chains that solve most CTF crypto puzzl...
The 6 CTF categories: web, crypto, forensics, reversing, pwn and OSINT. What each type of CTF challenge looks like, worked examples, tools and where t...
MetaCTF is now SkillBit. See what changed, how the free monthly Flash CTF works, what SkillBit Labs costs in 2026, and the tools to capture your first...
Learn how to use OverTheWire wargames to build cybersecurity skills. This complete guide covers Bandit, Natas, and more with tips for beginners in 202...
The CTF tools that actually solve challenges, sorted by category: web, crypto, forensics, stego, reversing, pwn and OSINT, with first commands and a K...
PicoCTF is Carnegie Mellon's free CTF, now part of CyLab Security Academy. Where to log in, picoCTF 2026 dates and rules, and which challenges to solv...
CTF for beginners: what Capture The Flag is, two worked first flags, the best free beginner CTF challenges, a starter toolkit and a 4-week plan to fol...