Can you crack GCHQ’s cyber code?
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GCHQ, Britain’s intelligence agency based in Cheltenham, has launched a new recruitment drive aimed at finding the brightest minds in the land. Candidates are invited to crack a code, which can be seen:
The Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) is a British intelligence agency responsible for providing signals intelligence(SIGINT) and information assurance to the British government and armed forces. Based in Cheltenham, it operates under the guidance of the Joint Intelligence Committee.
GCHQ was originally established after the First World War as the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS or GCCS), by which name it was known until 1946. During the Second World War it was located at Bletchley Park.
GCHQ is the responsibility of the UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, but it is not a part of the Foreign Office, and its Director ranks as a Permanent Secretary.
In 2013, GCHQ’s public profile was raised significantly when it was revealed the agency was attempting to collect all online and telephone data in the UK via the Tempora programme.
The code consists of 29 blocks of five letters, which if successfully decoded leads the candidate to an ‘online treasure hunt.’ Successful applicants may be offered a job with GCHQ, although the agency refuses to confirm how many positions are up for grabs.
It’s not a new approach – last year the agency ran a similar campaign which saw 3.2 million visit the GCHQ site. Just 170 of those cracked the code.
A GCHQ spokeswoman said: “The complex codes have been created by a GCHQ team of top mathematicians.
“They set a high bar for recruiting curious, tenacious and creative candidates who have the intellectual ability, though not necessarily the practical experience or qualifications, to join GCHQ and support the Government’s national cyber security agenda.
“Today’s tough but engaging challenge is aimed at people who love problem solving and computer technology.”
