TryHackMe’s Advent of Cyber 2024 is a free month-long training event built around daily beginner-friendly cyber challenges, walkthrough videos, and a prize draw worth more than $100,000. The official Advent of Cyber 2024 room shows the event covers practical topics such as penetration testing, cloud security, log analysis, DFIR, and web application testing. For newcomers, the immediate takeaway is simple: join the room, use the provided lab environment, and practice only inside TryHackMe’s controlled machines or your own isolated VM.
What is Advent of Cyber?
Advent of Cyber is TryHackMe’s seasonal hands-on learning event. Each day leading up to Christmas, participants get a new bite-sized challenge tied to a themed storyline featuring McSkidy, Glitch, and Mayor Malware. The format is intentionally approachable: each task includes guided instructions, practical exercises, and supporting videos from well-known security creators.
The event is available to all TryHackMe users at no cost, which makes it one of the easier entry points for people who want to move from reading about cybersecurity into actually using tools, inspecting evidence, and solving lab scenarios.
What You’ll Learn in Advent of Cyber 2024
Advent of Cyber covers a wide range of cybersecurity topics, so there is something useful for beginners, students, and early-career practitioners. The official event materials highlight areas such as:
Penetration Testing
- Penetration testing methodologies and tools
- Finding and exploiting system vulnerabilities
- Privilege escalation and persistence techniques
- Reporting and remediation recommendations
Cloud Security
- Configuring and securing cloud services like AWS and Azure
- Identifying misconfigurations leading to data leaks
- Container security and orchestration with Kubernetes
- Compliance requirements and cloud security best practices
Log Analysis
- Centralized logging and event management
- Detecting anomalies and suspicious activities
- Using SIEM tools like Splunk and ELK Stack
- Developing correlation rules and security alerts
Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR)
- Collecting and preserving digital evidence
- Analyzing memory dumps, disk images, and network artifacts
- Reconstructing incident timelines
- Rapid incident response and identifying compromised hosts
Web Application Pentesting
- Understanding web application architecture and technologies
- Identifying and exploiting common vulnerabilities such as SQL injection and XSS
- Testing authentication and session management
- API security and application logic flaws
By the end of the event, participants are expected to have touched multiple practical security domains rather than only reading summaries or theory.
Key Features of Advent of Cyber 2024
- Daily interactive cybersecurity challenges for beginners
- A free entry point for all TryHackMe users
- Step-by-step videos and written walkthroughs
- More than $100,000 in prizes, according to TryHackMe’s official announcement
- A certificate and badge for users who complete the event
- An optional Side Quest for participants who want a harder track
Who Is This For?
Advent of Cyber 2024 is most useful for:
- Beginners who want a structured and low-friction way to start practicing cybersecurity skills;
- Students who need guided exposure to several technical domains without building a full lab from scratch;
- Career changers who want practical material they can discuss in interviews or add to a learning portfolio;
- Teams and managers who want a lightweight seasonal training activity with measurable progress inside TryHackMe.
Quick Start Guide
- Sign up for TryHackMe or log in to an existing account.
- Open the Advent of Cyber 2024 room and join it.
- Unlock new challenges daily starting on December 1.
- Read the task instructions carefully before starting each lab.
- Use the built-in AttackBox or the event VM where appropriate.
- Review the accompanying videos and written walkthroughs when you get stuck.
- Complete the tasks consistently if you want the best chance at the prize draw and completion badge.
What to Do / Safe Participation Guidance
Because Advent of Cyber teaches practical offensive and defensive techniques, participants should follow a few basic rules:
- Stay inside the official lab scope: run tools only against the TryHackMe machines or your own isolated test systems.
- Use a separate VM or browser profile if you want to keep training activity away from your everyday workstation.
- Do not reuse production credentials in training environments.
- Keep notes on what you learned, what commands worked, and which topics need follow-up study.
- Validate understanding with repetition: replay the rooms or related TryHackMe content instead of treating the event as a one-time prize hunt.
Advent of Cyber 2024 works best when it is used as a hands-on learning routine rather than just a holiday promotion. The official room and event announcement make clear that the value is in consistent daily practice across multiple security domains. If you want the event to improve real-world capability, complete the labs methodically, work only in approved environments, and treat each challenge as a chance to build repeatable technical habits.
