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Posted: 01-12-2011 08:50 Post subject: GCHQ Recruiting

Fancy a new career?

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 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.

The move was hinted at two months ago when Prime Minister David Cameron presented his government's response to the Intelligence and Security Committee's annual report.
The document noted the committee had concerns about GCHQ's "inability to retain a suitable cadre of internet specialists" to respond to cyber threats.
It said that the Cabinet Office supported "initiatives such as the Cyber Security Challenge, which promotes careers in cyber security via annual competitions and events".

Following this the government announced last week that it would set up a specialist department within GCHQ.
The Joint Cyber Unit will concentrate on tackling the growing threat of cyber attacks from organised criminals, terrorists, hostile states and hacktivists.

GCHQ claimed that this was the first time this sort of challenge had ever been conducted by an organisation to target these sorts of skills.

However, the agency has used unusual recruitment methods in the past.
In 2009, it placed video content, themes and downloadable pictures on the Xbox Live network which appeared during Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed and other video games.
Two years earlier, it targeted gamers by placing digital posters in online titles including Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas and Splinter Cell Double Agent.

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

Posted: 01-12-2011 11:12 Post subject:

I've had a look at it, it's hexadecimal code (base 16) but they don't look like ascii values for text.

Anyone got any ideas?

Collectively we could all have a go.

Posted: 01-12-2011 12:55 Post subject:

What would happen if someone blags the answer but is in actual fact really thick?

Posted: 01-12-2011 14:26 Post subject:

Posted: 01-12-2011 15:39 Post subject:

Posted: 02-12-2011 11:37 Post subject:

Looks like a hex core dump to me. Cracked dozens of 'em back in the day. Stick it in a hex editor and convert to ascii (or ansi) as a first step. (It may not be either of those codes but you'll see patterns better).

But I don't want a job with them (location, not politics) so I can't be bothered myself.

Posted: 02-12-2011 19:11 Post subject:

I have applied for the job! i didn't actually complete the puzzle, i was linked the webpage after that and went through the application.

I gave a false address but my real mobile number and email cause i figured they would have that anyway, said ye i am a UK citizen , as where my parents and i have just had an email back saying thank you for your application, we will be in touch!! (unlike the Scottish football association when i applied for the Scotland job) Twisted Evil

Posted: 05-12-2011 01:38 Post subject:

Posted: 05-12-2011 06:57 Post subject:

I think providing false information to the security services is probably not a good idea.

Posted: 05-12-2011 08:57 Post subject:

Posted: 05-12-2011 23:25 Post subject:

I suppose you´ve seen that the page you were meant to get to only when you had cracked the code, could actually be found in a google search.

http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2011/12/02/simple-google-search-unlocks-gchq-code-cracking-competition/

Posted: 06-12-2011 10:08 Post subject:

Perhaps that's actually the intelligence test?

Posted: 06-12-2011 14:38 Post subject:

Posted: 06-12-2011 16:11 Post subject:

More likely a classic case of a British balls up. All, no doubt, to the tune of oodles of tax-payers money to create an on-line thingy that can be easily hacked...

Posted: 06-12-2011 16:24 Post subject: Re: GCHQ Recruiting