Cyber Advent – a story that began by accident… and grew into something remarkable

It all started on 14 November 2024.
A day like any other – until the moment I posted a spontaneous message on LinkedIn about a new idea called Cyber Advent. At first, it was supposed to be just a handful of December sessions: a small side project, created “after hours” and straight from the heart.

But within just a few hours, something happened that still makes me smile.
It was the beginning of a story I’m sharing today – to invite you to its next chapter: Cyber Advent 2025.

Before we open the first window of this year’s advent calendar, let’s rewind to the day that changed December for hundreds of cybersecurity enthusiasts across Poland.

From a Discord conversation to a nationwide (and now international) initiative

On 26 October 2024, I posted what seemed like a simple question on the 1753c community Discord:

“Christmas is just around the corner – maybe we should do something good? Perhaps a seniors-to-juniors style course, regular sessions, of course pro bono?”

Two people replied – Michał Błaszczak and Krystian Kaczmarek from the Not The Hidden Wiki community – who, as we like to say, agreed to “steal the moon with me”.
Moments later, we were no longer talking about one session a week. Or even two.
The idea grew into something much bigger: daily cybersecurity sessions throughout the entire Advent period, from 1 to 23 December.

And that’s how Cyber Advent 2024 was born – with hundreds of participants and 99% of all sessions recorded and published on the Not The Hidden Wiki YouTube channel, free for everyone. No paywalls. No hidden conditions. Just open knowledge from experts to future experts.

What was meant to be a small side project turned into a fully-fledged programme: 23 days of sessions, every day at 6 p.m.
In 2024 we tackled the fundamentals of cybersecurity:

Deepfakes – threat or opportunity?
Cloud identity and network security
Malware analysis and honeypots
Pentesting and password cracking

Cyber Advent quickly became more than a series of talks

During Cyber Advent 2024, we realised something special was happening.
Daily sessions became a ritual: people put their phones aside, grabbed a cup of tea, sat down in front of their laptops and spent an hour (or more) learning from experts.

The initiative brought together several communities – 1753c, Not The Hidden Wiki, ISSA Polska specialists, Microsoft MVPs and many more.

Cyber Advent became a project beyond divisions. A project proving that cybersecurity is full of people who genuinely want to educate – not for clicks or promotion but because they believe awareness is the strongest form of protection.

Not The Hidden Wiki YouTube channel – where the knowledge lives on

The 2024 sessions became more than just one-off events.
For many people, they turned into their first practical cybersecurity course, available at any time in video form – and the view count keeps growing.

All Cyber Advent 2024 sessions are available on the Not The Hidden Wiki YouTube channel (in polish):

Looking ahead: Cyber Advent 2025

In 2025, we’re taking everything a step further.
This year, we will introduce sessions delivered in English, allowing us to reach a global audience passionate about cybersecurity.

In 2024, speakers often said “yes” immediately, even with busy schedules. Participants returned day after day, saying it was the first time they truly felt cybersecurity was accessible to everyone – not just a niche group of experts.

In 2025 we want to continue this mission while expanding it.

Cyber Advent 2025 means:

daily sessions from 1 to 23 December
talks in both Polish and English
a broad range of cybersecurity topics
speakers who genuinely “make things happen” in the cyber world – no marketing fluff, no empty buzzwords

We’re opening new windows.
New stories.
New inspiration.

A story written by videos, discussions… and emotion

One of the most beautiful parts of Cyber Advent is that, alongside technical content, there’s always a moment of reflection.
In one of the 2024 posts, someone wrote:

“If we approached phishing and scams as seriously as choosing the right Christmas lights, the world would be far safer.”

Because Cyber Advent is also about people – their families, their data, their everyday digital lives.
About talking to parents about online safety.
Teaching children how to use the internet responsibly.
Understanding that education can be a gift – more meaningful than socks or perfume under the Christmas tree.

Cyber Advent 2025 – join us

To participate, all you need to do is:

follow updates on the Not The Hidden Wiki Discord
follow the organisers on LinkedIn
and, in December at 6 p.m. CET, click the same Google Meet link each day: https://meet.google.com/pjk-kunk-dqc to join the sessions

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