What Hardening Project does

Hardening Project (ハードニングプロジェクト) is a volunteer-run, community-driven cybersecurity initiative founded in 2012 and organized under the WASForum (Web Application Security Forum). It operates as a nonprofit project without a fixed physical office, run by an execution committee whose members are drawn from Japanese universities, security vendors, and government research institutes — including NAIST, NICT, NEC, IIJ, LAC, FFRI Security, OWASP Japan, Asterisk Research, Tricorder, and SoftBank. The project has held more than 20 competitions across Japan since 2012 and is supported by both public-sector bodies (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Digital Agency, NICT) and a stable roster of private-sector vendor sponsors.

The core offering is the Hardening Competition, an 8-hour team-based event in which participants defend simulated e-commerce business environments against continuous cyberattacks orchestrated by Kuromame 6, the project's fictional APT adversary team. Evaluation spans both technical countermeasures and business-level decision-making (procurement, communication, resource allocation). The competition environment runs on NICT's StarBED testbed infrastructure, and the MarketPlace mechanism allows vendor sponsors to deploy real security products that competing teams can procure during the event, creating a realistic procurement-under-pressure scenario. The portfolio extends to the annual Hardening Designers Conference (a 3-day online conference combining hands-on threat-hunting workshops, Tech Showcases, and deep-dive sessions), Micro Hardening V3 (a 45-minute condensed defense exercise that integrates generative AI as both investigator and team-member agent), Kuromame 6 Hands-On threat-hunting workshops, and Hardening Quarter (a community-organized competition promotion season).

Revenue is generated primarily through individual conference participation fees (ranging from JPY 2,400 to JPY 25,000 depending on tier) and corporate sponsorship, largely in the form of vendor products, personnel time, and venue support. No revenue figures are publicly disclosed and no funding rounds exist. Customer-facing segments include security engineers and IT practitioners, business continuity decision-makers, students and early-career professionals, and security vendors participating in MarketPlace. The project has received the 2022 Good Design Award, the 2022 JNSA Special Prize, and the 2025 Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Encouragement Award for Cybersecurity, and its HARDENING Manifesto carries 188+ public signatories.

Name

Hardening Project

Legal name

Web Application Security Forum (WASForum) - Hardening Project

Website

https://wasforum.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Hardening Project is a volunteer-run Japanese cybersecurity initiative, founded in 2012 under WASForum, that organizes 8-hour team-based hardening competitions and conferences. It trains security engineers, business professionals, students, and vendors by defending simulated e-commerce environments against the Kuromame 6 adversary team on NICT's StarBED testbed.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Training and Competition Services

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)

akta.pro primary industry

Incident Reporting, Response & Cyber Hygiene Drills (EDABAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cybersecurity Technical Skills (Security Engineering, SOC, Pen Testing) (EDABAFAF), Cybersecurity (General) (EDAOAIAB)

Keywords

• Cybersecurity competitions
• Incident response training
• Security hardening events
• Cyber defense workshops
• Enterprise security training

Headquarters

HQ city

N/A (Volunteer-based)

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Event Participation Fees: Revenue is generated through participant registration fees for conferences and events (e.g., Hardening Designers Conference). The project is volunteer-run and relies heavily on sponsorships and organizational support from partner companies and government bodies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hardening Project organizes team-based cybersecurity hardening competitions where participants defend simulated e-commerce business environments against continuous cyberattacks over 8-hour periods, combining technical countermeasures with business decision-making evaluation. The initiative also runs an annual 3-day online Hardening Designers Conference with hands-on workshops, plus condensed Micro Hardening exercises and the MarketPlace vendor procurement system, all built on NICT's StarBED testbed infrastructure.

Product overview

Hardening Project (ハードニングプロジェクト) is a volunteer-run cybersecurity hardening initiative that organizes practical security competitions, conferences, and training events. The core offering is the Hardening Competition (ハードニング競技会) — an 8-hour team-based event where participants defend simulated e-commerce business environments against attacks from the fictional APT group Kuromame 6, combining technical hardening with business judgment. The project portfolio includes: the annual Hardening Designers Conference (a 3-day online conference with Kuromame 6 hands-on workshops, Tech Showcases, and deep-dive sessions); Micro Hardening V3 (a 45-minute condensed defense exercise with generative AI integration); the Marketplace (a vendor participation mechanism for the competition); and Hardening Quarter (a community competition promotion season). Events run annually with themes such as Invisible Divide (2025) and Agentic Collapse (2026). The project was founded in 2012 and has held over 20 events, receiving the 2022 Good Design Award, the 2022 JNSA Special Award, and the 2025 Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Encouragement Award for Cybersecurity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hardening Project (Annual Competition)
• Hardening Designers Conference

Quantifiable outcome

• The Good Design Award 2022 recognized the project's 10-year track record of 20+ events and its impact on strengthening Japan's cybersecurity resilience through cross-industry collaboration.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

34 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• NICT - National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (情報通信研究機構)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNICT provides the StarBED testbed infrastructure on which the competition environments are built. NICT researchers (宮地利幸, 安田真悟, 三輪信介) serve on the execution committee, and NICT's CYNEX initiative co-supports the project.
• Digital Agency (デジタル庁)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital Agency is listed as a co-supporting organization for the 2025 annual plan, reflecting government-level endorsement of the cybersecurity training initiative.
• JNSA - Japan Network Security Association (日本ネットワークセキュリティ協会)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJNSA is a co-supporting organization and awarded Hardening Project the JNSA Award Special Prize in 2022. JNSA is Japan's largest information security industry association.
• JPCERT/CC - JPCERT Coordination Center (株式会社JPCERTコーディネーションセンター)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a co-supporting organization. Staff members participate in conference sessions as speakers on threat intelligence and incident response topics.
• OWASP JapancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOWASP Japan is listed as a co-supporting organization and co-hosts events such as WASNight with Hardening Project. Execution committee members (中野渡敬教, 岡田良太郎, 上野宣) are active in OWASP Japan.
• ISC2 Japan ChapterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a co-supporting organization for the 2025 annual plan, providing professional certification recognition for competition participants.
• NEC CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEC provides both personnel (淵上真一 on execution committee, NEC cybersecurity staff as speakers) and products via the MarketPlace system. NEC has been a consistent supporter since 2017, deploying WAF and other security products during competitions.
• GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae (GMOサイバーセキュリティbyイエラエ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive MarketPlace participant providing cybersecurity services and products during competitions. Speaker at conferences on SOC operations and attack defense. Supported the project since 2017.
• Sky Corporation (Ｓｋｙ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in MarketPlace and provides speakers at conferences. Employees have participated in competitions and share experiences at events.
• Cisco Systems Japan (シスコシステムズ合同会社)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCisco has participated in MarketPlace since 2017, providing network security products including Cisco Firepower and Cisco AMP. Won MVV (Most Valuable Vendor) Award. Staff attend in person at StarBED to configure physical appliances.
• LAC (株式会社ラック)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLAC has participated since the project's inception (Hardening Zero, 2012). Staff member 柳澤伸幸 serves on the execution committee. LAC provides cybersecurity expertise and MarketPlace participation.
• Kobe Digital Labo (神戸デジタル・ラボ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates as MarketPlace vendor and speaker. Endorsed the Good Design Award 2022. President 永吉一郎 expressed strong support for the project's contribution to Japanese cybersecurity.
• Fortinet Japan (フォーティネットジャパン)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in MarketPlace, providing network security products during competitions. Endorsed the Good Design Award 2022 and continues to support the project.
• FFRI Security (株式会社FFRIセキュリティ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecution committee member 中西克彦 is from FFRI. The company provides speakers at conferences and participates in MarketPlace.
• Asterisk Research (株式会社アスタリスク・リサーチ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecution committee member 岡田良太郎 is from Asterisk Research. Active in both OWASP Japan and Hardening Project leadership.
• SB克服 Japan (サイボウズ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates as MarketPlace vendor and endorser. Endorsed the Good Design Award 2022, highlighting the project's contribution to cross-functional team-based security training.
• Tricorder (株式会社トライコーダ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecution committee member 上野宣 is from Tricorder. Company provides security expertise and participates in conferences.
• Kawaguchi Design (株式会社川口設計)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecution committee member 川口洋 is from Kawaguchi Design. He created the Micro Hardening format and leads the Kuromame 6 adversary team.
• Global Security Experts (グローバルセキュリティエキスパート)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates as MarketPlace vendor and endorser. Endorsed the Good Design Award 2022.
• SCSK Security (SCSKセキュリティ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as co-supporting organization. Endorsed the Minister's Encouragement Award 2025, noting the project's importance for cybersecurity skill development.
• SoftBank (ソフトバンク)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecution committee member 松下めぐみ is from SoftBank. Company participates as supporter and endorser of awards.
• NAIST - Nara Institute of Science and Technology (奈良先端科学技術大学院大学)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecution committee chair 門林雄基 is a professor at NAIST. NAIST provides academic leadership and research support to the project.
• IIJ - Internet Initiative Japan (株式会社インターネットイニシアティブ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecution committee member 根岸征史 is from IIJ. IIJ provides network infrastructure expertise and conference speakers. Endorsed the Good Design Award 2022.
• NTT DOCOMO Business (NTTpdocomoビジネス)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a co-supporting organization since 2023.
• Barracuda Networks JapancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in MarketPlace with WAF and other security products. Staff members have been involved since 2017. Executive 大越多造 endorsed the Good Design Award 2022.
• CTC (伊藤忠テクノソリューションズ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a co-supporting organization and endorser of the project.
• GSXminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates as sponsor and endorser, aligning with their mission to improve Japanese corporate cybersecurity self-defense capabilities.
• Ogiso System Research (株式会社オージス総研)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a co-supporting organization.
• CYNEX (NICT), StarBED Technology CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCYNEX (cybersecurity human resource development initiative under NICT) co-supports the project. StarBED Technology Center (Hokuriku) is the testbed platform used to build competition environments.
• Rakuten Group (楽天グループ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a co-supporting organization since 2023. Senior Executive Officer 福本佳成 endorsed the project.
• LINE Yahoo (LY Corporation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a co-supporting organization since 2023.
• Fore-Z (フォアーゼット)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a co-supporting organization since 2023.
• JGC (日揮ホールディングス)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a co-supporting organization since 2023.
• Nikko IT Systems (日揮ソリューション)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a co-supporting organization since 2023.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SANS Institute: The largest global cybersecurity training and certification body, running hands-on cyber ranges, conferences (e.g., SANS Events), and penetration-testing/SOC courses. Comparable to Hardening Project in delivering immersive defensive and offensive security training, though SANS is a paid commercial incumbent with a broader portfolio.
• DEF CON / Black Hat: Iconic global cybersecurity conferences that host Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions and hands-on villages (hardware hacking, ICS, etc.). Comparable to Hardening Project as community-run practitioner events with embedded attack-defense competitions, though DEF CON/Black Hat are US-based, for-profit conference operators with global scale.
• Offensive Security: Provider of the OSCP certification and associated hands-on penetration testing labs and challenges. Comparable to Hardening Project in offering practitioner-grade hands-on cybersecurity challenges tied to industry credentials, though Offensive Security is a paid commercial training and certification vendor.
• EC-Council: Global cybersecurity certification body (CEH, CHFI, etc.) with hands-on iLabs and events. Comparable to Hardening Project in delivering practitioner-focused cybersecurity training and recognized credentials, though EC-Council is a paid commercial certification vendor.
• Trend Micro (Japan): Global cybersecurity vendor with significant Japan presence, offering training, partner programs, and CTF-style events (e.g., Trend Micro CTF). Comparable in hosting cybersecurity competitions and training for the Japanese practitioner community, though Trend Micro is a global commercial security vendor.

Direct peers

• OWASP Foundation: The global open-source web application security community, already a partner of Hardening Project, with training chapters (including OWASP Japan), conferences, and the OWASP Top 10 as a learning framework. Comparable as a community-driven web-security awareness/training ecosystem, though OWASP operates globally with regional chapters.
• Hack The Box: A global cybersecurity training and competition platform offering hands-on labs, CTF-style challenges, and enterprise team training. Comparable to Hardening Project in emphasizing hands-on offensive and defensive challenges with ranked competition formats, though Hack The Box is a commercial SaaS serving a global audience.
• TryHackMe: A hands-on cybersecurity training platform with guided rooms and adversarial scenarios aimed at practitioners and beginners. Comparable to Hardening Project as a hands-on, scenario-driven cybersecurity skill-development platform, though TryHackMe is a UK SaaS with subscription-based monetization.

Emerging players

• Secure Code Warrior: A hands-on developer security training platform with tournament-style competitions and labs. Comparable to Hardening Project in emphasizing scenario-driven, hands-on security skill development with competitive formats, though Secure Code Warrior focuses specifically on developer-level secure coding skills.

Regional players

• NRI Secure Technologies: Japanese cybersecurity services firm offering managed security, consulting, and training programs. Comparable as a Japan-domestic cybersecurity training and awareness provider, though NRI Secure is a commercial services firm serving Japanese enterprise clients rather than a volunteer-run competition organizer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WASForum
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@hardeningproject/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/WASForum

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hardening Project