Flare Launches Darkroom, a Free Immersive Training Lab for Dark Web Intelligence

New Flare Academy experience lets security practitioners investigate underground forums, trace stolen identities and interact with AI-powered threat actors

MONTREAL, Aug. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Flare, the leader in identity-first cyber threat intelligence (CTI), today announced the public launch of Darkroom by Flare Academy, a free, interactive training experience that gives security practitioners, analysts, and students hands-on exposure to the underground ecosystems they defend against.

Most defenders learn about the dark web through reports, redacted screenshots, and post-incident analysis. Darkroom instead places learners inside a purpose-built virtual environment where they can investigate forum conversations, browse stealer log archives, analyze breach data, and trace compromised identities.

The four-hour, self-paced experience draws on the environments and criminal tradecraft that Flare researchers navigate every day. Participants explore dark web forums, initial access broker listings, ransomware-as-a-service operations, infostealer malware, stolen credential distribution, cryptocurrency tracing, threat-actor attribution, and pre-breach intelligence.

“Cyber threat intelligence is most valuable when defenders understand how attackers actually operate and how seemingly disconnected exposures come together before a breach,” said Eric Clay, Head of Research at Flare. “Darkroom gives the security community a practical way to build that understanding through an experience grounded in real-world tradecraft.”

Darkroom also features AI-powered threat-actor personas that respond to participants’ decisions, allowing the experience to adapt beyond a traditional scripted exercise. Learners who pass the assessment can earn a Flare Academy certification, continuing professional education credits, and a digital badge.

Flare will also bring Darkroom to DEF CON 34 for a live event on August 6 in Las Vegas from 5 - 9 p.m. PT. The experience will combine guided instruction with an interactive capture-the-flag competition featuring realistic underground forums, breach data and AI-powered threat actors. Participants should bring their own laptops.

Darkroom is available for free through the Flare Discord community. To access Darkroom, visit flare.io/darkroom.

About Flare

Flare is the platform that hundreds of organizations around the globe select to end the risk of account takeover, ransomware attacks and data breaches caused by human and non-human identity compromise. As the leader in identity-first Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI), Flare helps detect high-risk identity exposures with the largest collection of stealer logs, criminal forums, and identity exposures in the industry. For more information, visit the website or start a free trial to experience the platform firsthand. Join our Discord community and explore Flare Academy to stay up-to-date on the latest in threat intelligence.

Media Contact
Geena Pickering
Look Left Marketing
flare@lookleftmarketing.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Darkroom by Flare Academy?
A: Darkroom is a free, interactive dark web intelligence training experience from Flare Academy. It gives security practitioners, analysts, and students hands-on exposure to the underground environments and criminal tradecraft defenders typically encounter only through reports, screenshots, or post-incident analysis. The four-hour, self-paced course takes place in a purpose-built virtual environment.

Q: What will participants learn in Darkroom?
A: Participants will explore dark web forums, initial access broker listings, ransomware-as-a-service operations, stealer log archives, stolen credential distribution, and cryptocurrency tracing. The course also covers threat-actor attribution, underground communication techniques, and pre-breach intelligence, including how to identify and prioritize exposures before attackers can use them.

Q: How do I access Darkroom?
A: Darkroom is available free through the Flare Discord community. To get started, visit flare.io/darkroom, join the community and follow the registration process to access the training lab, course content and challenges. Participants can complete the course at their own pace and earn a Flare Academy certification, continuing professional education credits and a digital badge after passing the assessment.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

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