A Hacker Holiday Gift Guide: 2025 Edition

TL;DR: Looking for gifts hackers truly want? This guide features hardware-hacking tools, lab essentials, smart training picks, and the best books for leveling up skills. From Flipper Zero and Proxmark3 to Shodan, HTB, UNIX history, and vulnerability-research must-reads, we’ve got recommendations for every kind of security tinkerer.

The gear, books, and brain-fuel your favorite hacker actually wants.

As another year of bug hunts, late-night CTFs, and supply-chain shenanigans wraps up, it’s time to appreciate that special someone in your life: the hacker who can’t resist taking things apart “just to see how they work.” And with lingering Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals still rolling into December, thanks for flagging @BaddK!) it’s also the perfect moment to snag the gear or training you’ve been waiting to justify. Vendors are still slashing prices on online courses, certifications, cybersecurity books, hardware bundles, and even professional services, so your holiday shopping might double as a strategic lab investment.

Whether you're shopping for a seasoned Red Teamer, a budding security researcher, or you’re just treating yourself (we won’t judge), we’ve rounded up this year’s best gear, gadgets, and reads to keep curiosity running hot and your lab running even hotter.

Tech

iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit

Recommended by: Tom Hudson

A must-have “repair-and-dismantle” kit. From opening laptops and tearing down routers to safely prying open hardware during security experiments, this toolkit quickly becomes the kind of practical gift that proves indispensable once you start tinkering. (A)

Flipper Zero

Recommended by: Luis de la Rosa, Matt Scheurer, Barrett Darnell

Pocket-sized and deceptively innocuous, this “cyber-dolphin” is a multi-tool for hardware hackers, pen testers, and embedded-system tinkerers. It supports RFID/NFC, Sub-1 GHz radio, IR, GPIO, and more. Need to emulate a badge, test wireless remote protocols, or experiment with embedded electronics on the go? Flipper makes that easier than ever. (B)

GaN Super-Fast Charger

Recommended by: Matt Scheurer

When you’re juggling laptops, phones, wireless tools, and Wi-Fi dev boards, a compact high-wattage GaN charger becomes more than a convenience. It quickly turns into a necessity for power-hungry gear in the field or on the go. (C)

Proxmark3 RDV4.01

Recommended by: Brandon Kovacs

For folks serious about RFID/NFC, access-control research, or physical-security testing, Proxmark3 remains a top-tier tool. It excels at reading, emulating, and analyzing RFID/NFC systems. Pairing this with a Flipper, or using it on its own, is a strong move for hardware-level hacking. (D)

Hak5 Pineapple Pager

Recommended by: Phillip Wylie, @KillerMech

For those interested in Wi-Fi pentesting, social-engineering, or network reconnaissance, the Pineapple Pager continues to hold its place in the toolkit. It offers a practical way to experiment with network auditing and wireless-security assessments. (E)

Bodno Magicard

Recommended by: Brandon Kovacs

A great addition for anyone exploring RFID, identity systems, or access-control manipulation. It is useful for testing and experimenting with smart cards, credential-based systems, and related workflows. (F)

Lock Pick Set

Recommended by: Matthew Rutledge

A practical and surprisingly fun gift for anyone interested in physical security. It gives hackers a hands-on way to understand bypass techniques, practice fine motor skills, and explore the fundamentals of locksport in a safe and legal context. It also reinforces an important lesson: not all vulnerabilities live in software. (G)

Tulip Creative Computer

Recommended by: @ThatGuyOverThere

A reliable lower-profile machine for tinkering, coding, reversing, or hardware interfacing without risking your main workstation. It is also a great fit for the friend who is both a hacker and a musician, since it doubles as an affordable and portable Python-focused device for music projects, writing, and light coding. Perfect as a dedicated sandbox or budget-friendly lab laptop. (H)

Books & Education

Subscriptions to Specialized Search Engines (Shodan, Gray Hat Warfare, etc.)

Recommended by: Barrett Darnell

Access to niche search engines is like handing a hacker a treasure map. These tools reveal exposed devices, misconfigurations, open ports, and interesting targets, making them excellent for pen-testing practice, bug hunting, or ongoing research.

Hack The Box Academy & HTB BlackSky Pro Labs

Recommended by: Savannah Lazzara (@lazzslayer)

These interactive platforms provide hands-on environments for learning offensive security, exploitation techniques, and real-world hacking scenarios. They make outstanding gifts for anyone looking to build practical skills in a safe, structured way.

JavaScript for Hackers (or Hacker-Focused JS Books/Courses)

Recommended by: Matthew Rutledge

Because so many attack surfaces involve the web, JavaScript remains essential for hackers. A well-chosen JS book or course, especially one designed with penetration testing in mind, can be a highly valuable addition to any hacker’s learning path.

From Day Zero to Zero Day – Vulnerability Research Book by Eugene “Spaceraccoon” Lim

Recommended by: Jon Williams

One of the most relevant contemporary books for aspiring vulnerability researchers. It covers target selection, code review, binary analysis, fuzzing, and building proof-of-concept exploits. Whether you are new to vulnerability research or refining your approach, this book offers clear and useful guidance.

Other Classic and Foundational Works

Recommended by: Tom Hudson, Matt Scheurer, Liam Somerville (@liamsomerville)

Explore the history of computing, hacking culture, and early breakthroughs through a curated list of foundational texts. Books documenting the evolution of systems, from early UNIX stories to modern computing milestones, provide meaningful context and perspective.

• UNIX: A History and a Memoir by Brian Kernighan offers a thoughtful and accessible look at the origins of UNIX and the people who shaped it, making it an essential read for anyone who wants to understand how modern computing came to be.
• The Before Times, a master list of influential books on computing history, is a valuable resource for readers who want a broader view of the milestones, personalities, and ideas that shaped the field.
• For those interested in reverse engineering, the upcoming new edition of The Ghidra Book (Kara Nance and Chris Eagle) is poised to remain one of the clearest pathways into serious static analysis

Whether the goal is leveling up skills, deepening understanding, or simply scratching that “but why does it work like that?” itch, these reads and resources offer the kind of enrichment that lasts far beyond the holiday season.

Choosing a gift for a hacker isn’t about price or polish. It is about fueling their curiosity. From RF toys to history books, exploit labs to teardown tools, the best gifts spark experimentation, inspire learning, and maybe even lead to the next great discovery (or at least a very interesting weekend project).