Community
Hacktoria
Anonymous operators
Free, story-driven OSINT challenges with fictional targets on real-world data, about fifty of them across geolocation, forensics, maritime, social, and logic, plus a Discord with a 24/7 challenge and scheduled events into late 2026.
Hacktoria publishes downloadable contracts: narrative cases rated easy to hard, tagged by discipline, that use real tools and real places with fictional people. Badges and experience points live in the Discord, which also runs a permanent community challenge and dated events. Because the targets are fictional, it is safe practice with no real-person risk.
Worth it if
- You want practice that is safe, varied, and gamified
- CTF flags bore you and you like a story
- You want a friendly server with a permanent challenge to dip into
Skip it if
- You want real-case ethics training; targets are fictional by design
- You need to know who runs it; operators stay anonymous
What is inside
- 01
Contracts
Downloadable narrative challenges with difficulty ratings and discipline tags.
- 02
Discord
Badges and XP, a Card Brag channel, a 24/7 community challenge, and help.
- 03
Events
Scheduled Discord events, listed from 2022 through late 2026.
What you will be able to do
- Work a multi-step case across disciplines without risking a real person
- Build geolocation and forensics skills through variety
- Track your own progress with badges
How current it is
Active, with an event scheduled for 17 October 2026 and regular contract additions.
- Updated
- Events scheduled through October 2026
- Maintained
- Actively maintained
How to get the most from it
- 01
Start with easy contracts in two disciplines
One geolocation, one social. Then climb.
- 02
Use the Discord for hints, not answers
The community will nudge; it will not solve.
Strengths
- Safe and fictional
- Varied disciplines
- Active events
Limitations
- Anonymous operators
- No real-case ethics
- Rules not public
Pair it with
FAQ
Questions, answered
Are the targets real people?
No. Personas are fictional, layered over real places and data, which is what makes it safe to practise on.
Does it cost anything?
No. Contracts and events are free.
Learned the method? Practise it on real data
The resources above teach the craft. When you want to run real lookups across breach, people, domain, and crypto sources without opening a dozen vendor accounts, that is what SearchIn is for.
- Free account, no card
- Credits never expire
- Refund unused balance in 7 days