Move strengthens Hack The Box’s Enterprise, AI, and Blue Team Cybersecurity Upskilling Ecosystem

Hack The Box (HTB), a global leader in gamified cybersecurity skills development, today announced that it has acquired LetsDefend, a pioneering blue team upskilling platform known for its hands-on SOC simulations and growing community members. The combination of Hack The Box and LetsDefend will offer hands-on labs, real-world simulations, and cross-role skill development to empower enterprises, governments, MSSPs, and academic institutions to continuously benchmark, upskill, and certify their cyber workforce. This unified approach will drive more predictable security outcomes, reduce risk, and create high-performing cyber teams for organizations.

This strategic acquisition unites two of cybersecurity’s most vibrant communities and product offerings into one powerful ecosystem, advancing how organizations and individuals develop their cybersecurity knowledge and preparedness. With access to an expanded offering of full-spectrum, hands-on cyber defense upskilling, both red and blue teams will benefit from deeply integrated attack-and-defend scenarios, increased learning paths, and a collaborative ecosystem designed to enhance technical depth and operational readiness.

“Today’s cyber threats demand that security professionals upskill in a holistic, predictive way,” said Haris Pylarinos, Founder & CEO at Hack The Box. “Together with LetsDefend, we will provide a one-stop platform where aspiring penetration testers and SOC analysts can learn side by side, effectively gamifying the entire cyber kill chain. This collaboration delivers to our community and organizations an unparalleled environment to prepare for and overcome real-world cyber warfare.”

LetsDefend, founded in 2021, has quickly grown into a go-to platform for blue team practitioners, boasting a community of over 320,000 users across 150+ countries. Its cloud-based virtual SOC enables users to experience being a security analyst in a safe, educational environment.

“By accelerating LetsDefend’s vision with our in-house AI, we’re turning a virtual SOC experience into a living range where learners face the same AI-related tactics adversaries use,” said Gerasimos Marketos, Chief Product Officer at Hack The Box. “The data backs it up: recent HTB competitions show AI agents and LLM-assisted operations can rival top human teams. This isn’t a threat to learners; it’s a head start.”

The acquisition comes at a critical time, when organizations are seeking more cohesive cybersecurity workforce development options. Security leaders are increasingly consolidating point solutions in favor of platforms that deliver measurable readiness across both defense and offense. The rise of AI in security operations and a growing talent crisis underscore the need for efficient upskilling methods that prepare professionals to perform on day one.

The combined user base, now one of the largest in the cybersecurity space, will enjoy cross-platform features and challenges. Hack The Box will also expand community events, virtual meetups, and CTF competitions to include both offensive and defensive elements, reflecting its comprehensive methodology.

About Hack The Box

Hack The Box is the No. 1 cybersecurity readiness and upskilling platform, which combines hands-on offensive and defensive labs, AI-enhanced intelligence, and the power of community to help individuals and teams master cybersecurity and accelerate operational readiness. Launched in 2017, Hack The Box is renowned for its gamified labs and challenges that teach both offensive security (penetration testing, red teaming) and defensive security skills. The platform unites a global community of over 3.7 million members and is trusted by enterprises, governments, and universities. Hack The Box offers an all-in-one solution for continuous learning, certifications, and even talent sourcing, making it a pillar for cyber workforce development. For more information, visit hackthebox.com.

About LetsDefend

LetsDefend is an interactive blue team upskilling platform that provides a simulated SOC environment for users to gain practical experience in cybersecurity defense. LetsDefend platform allows aspiring and current security analysts to investigate realistic cyber incidents – from phishing emails and malware infections to network intrusions – in a guided, gamified manner. With 320,000 community members, LetsDefend has become a preferred tool for developing job-ready SOC analysts and incident responders. Organizations and educators use LetsDefend to upskill teams on threat detection, digital forensics, and incident response without the risk of real-world damage. For more information, visit LetsDefend.

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“This collaboration delivers to our community and organizations an unparalleled environment to prepare for and overcome real-world cyber warfare.”