GCHQ challenges code breakers via social networks

[Sp32]

UK intelligence agency GCHQ has launched a code cracking competition to help attract new talent.
The organisation has invited potential applicants to solve a visual code posted at an unbranded standalone website.

The challenge will also be "seeded" to social media sites, blogs and forums.
A spokesman said the campaign aimed to raise the profile of GCHQ to an audience that would otherwise be difficult to reach.

"The target audience for this particular campaign is one that may not typically be attracted to traditional advertising methods and may be unaware that GCHQ is recruiting for these kinds of roles," the spokesman said.

"Their skills may be ideally suited to our work and yet they may not understand how they could apply them to a working environment, particularly one where they have the opportunity to contribute so much."
GCHQ said that once the code was cracked individuals would be presented with a keyword to enter into a form field. They would then be redirected to the agency's recruitment website.
The organisation said it was not worried that the problem's answer might be spread around the internet.

It said it would still benefit because the resulting discussion would "generate future recruitment enquiries".

However, it added that anyone who had previously hacked illegally would be ineligible. The agency's website also states that applicants must be British citizens.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15968878

Sp32 Reviewed by Sp32 on 1st Dec 2011. GCHQ challenges code breakers via social networks UK intelligence agency GCHQ has launched a code cracking competition to help attract new talent. The organisation has invited potential applicants to solve a visual code posted at an unbranded standalone website. The challenge will also be "seeded" to social media sites, blogs and forums. A spokesman said the campaign aimed to raise the profile of GCHQ to an audience that would otherwise be difficult to reach. "The target audience for this particular Rating: 5

[Nitish]

has the competition ended already? it says 0 hours 0 min 0 sec remaining

[Sp32]

It's only just been posted on the bbc website so I doubt it, not sure why it says that.

[Loonycgb2]

It was sorta easy :/ i had a hard time... Too bad it ended already...

Part 1 = The png cyber.png has a base64 encoded code included in the png header to part 2

Part 2 = Use the encoded base64 from part 1 and code a simple code to be able to compile part 2's code so you can run the app and have it tell you part 3 url...

Part 3 = Mind fuck i cant get this bitch i havent cracked in a while