Inside Hack Defender Academy: Gamified Malware Training for Blue Teamers

Ready to level up your defensive cybersecurity skills? In this episode of Simply Defensive, Josh Mason and Wade Wells sit down with Dan Regalado and Belem — the founders of Hack Defender Academy — to explore how they’re using CTF-style challenges, real malware cases, and gamification to prepare the next generation of defenders.

💡 We cover:

• Why gamified, CTF-style learning works better than traditional training
• How Hack Defender Academy helps beginners grow into skilled malware analysts
• The role of AI in threat research — friend, foe, or both?
• The importance of staying hungry and…