Every activity on HackerDNA contributes to your score. Choose your path and start earning.
Learning cybersecurity through practice
HackerDNA is a hands-on cybersecurity platform where you develop real hacking skills through practical challenges. You'll work on vulnerable systems called labs, where your goal is to find hidden "flags" (text strings that prove you successfully exploited a vulnerability).
Each lab simulates a real-world scenario. You'll apply techniques like web exploitation, privilege escalation, network penetration, and more to find vulnerabilities and capture flags.
Points measure your achievements. Every flag you capture, every challenge you solve, and every course you complete earns you points. Harder tasks give more points, reflecting the skill required.
Your total points determine your ranking among all users worldwide. The leaderboard creates healthy competition and gives you a clear benchmark of your progress in the cybersecurity field.
Points aren't just numbers. They represent skills you've mastered. Each point earned means a vulnerability exploited, a concept understood, or a technique applied successfully.
🎯 Bottom Line: Hack labs, capture flags, earn points, climb rankings, and build genuine cybersecurity expertise.
Complete labs and find flags to earn points
Be the first to pwn new releases
Race against time! The first hacker to find each flag on a newly released lab earns a 40% bonus of the base flag value.
Share your solutions and earn points - Most users don't know about this!
Unlock a steady stream of points by documenting your lab solutions. After completing a lab, write a detailed walkthrough explaining your methodology, tools used, and key findings. When approved by our team, you'll earn points for every writeup!
Deepen your knowledge, earn points
Complete course chapters to build comprehensive understanding of cybersecurity concepts. Each chapter completion adds to your score!
Your ranking is determined by your total points. Updated hourly to reflect real-time progress.
Your global ranking is determined by your total points compared to all other users. The more you hack, the higher you climb. Rankings update every hour to reflect the latest standings.
As you accumulate points, you'll progress through skill ranks. Each rank uses a quadratic progression system, making higher ranks progressively harder and more prestigious to achieve.
Learn from top-ranked hackers and optimize your path to the leaderboard.
Build a daily practice routine. Regular engagement maintains your streak and keeps skills sharp. Even 30 minutes a day compounds over time.
Check Next Releases to know when new labs drop. Set reminders and be ready to race - first blood bonuses add up fast.
Document your solutions after completing labs. Teaching others reinforces your learning, builds your reputation, and earns you points!
Don't just hack labs - complete courses too. Understanding the theory behind attacks makes you a better hacker and earns steady points.
Master one difficulty level before moving up. Medium and Hard labs offer more points, but rushing them wastes time. Build systematically.
Challenges are fast solves with instant gratification. Perfect for maintaining momentum when you're short on time.
Every flag found, every challenge solved, every course completed brings you closer to the top. Start your journey today.
Choose how you want to get started
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