Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

The GCHQ Challenge

Posted by emmett on from the okay-now-where's-my-bond-girl dept.

James writes "The UK's GCHQ has set a challenge for visitors to their website. They have broken up a secret message and hidden it around their site... if you can figure it out, then they say you could be suited to a job as a spy!" I wonder if you automatically get an Aston Martin and a Walther PPK.

10 of 218 comments (clear)

  1. GIFS by Signal+11 · · Score: 3

    It's likely hidden inside a .gif or .jpeg on the least-significant bit. Take each bit, put them in groups of 8 (usually) or 16 to form bytes. Then it's simply a matter of determining if it's noise or actual data. I will assume they made it fairly easy. Grab a mirroring utility, and a quick C program combined with linux' find utility should make this contest a snap. Assuming, of course, I'm right. =) If this was meant for the general public and not geeks, mirror the site and start a greppin' for html comment tags and ALT tags.

  2. Slashdot like distributed.net? by generic · · Score: 3

    I wonder if slashdot can be used as like a 500,000 nerd clustered code breaking computer? Think about it 500,000 people with backgrounds in everything from math, programming, physics chemistry etc.. Have all of them look at one problem like a puzzle and report their findings on a forum.

    --
    Microsoft aggravates my tourettes syndrome.
  3. Pay scales....? by dr_labrat · · Score: 3

    How the hell did bond get all those cool tuxedoes and gamble so much.....

    Did you check out the pay scales...? £24k per *annum*....

    Christ.... No wonder the british empire is in the state it is.

    Either that or they have been on a pay freeze since the sixties... In which case supervillans have the edge now then.....

    --
    The secret of success is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake those, you've got it made. (Marx)
  4. Here's one - if anyone's interested by wangi · · Score: 3
    http://www.gchq.gov.uk/careers/job6.html contains a passage of morse on the 2nd line:
    --- .-- .- .--. .--.
    That translates to OWAPP...
    1. Re:Here's one - if anyone's interested by aibrahim · · Score: 3

      Easier to read if you view source.

      That is how I found it.

      --

      Don't post innacurate information
      If you do, I swear by my pretty floral bonnet I will end you.
    2. Re:Here's one - if anyone's interested by Kintanon · · Score: 3

      The answer is 'You found it now apply for a job!'
      Slashdot them.


      Kintanon

      --
      Check out JoshJitsu.info for Brazilian Ji
    3. Re:Here's one - if anyone's interested by aibrahim · · Score: 5

      WELLD
      ONE!N
      OWAPP
      LYFOR
      AJOB!

      WELL DONE NOW! APPLY FOR A JOB!

      --

      Don't post innacurate information
      If you do, I swear by my pretty floral bonnet I will end you.
  5. Not a PPK by razzmataz · · Score: 3

    The British Secret Service doesn't use the PPK any more, they use the HK VP-70M. Seen a recent Bond movie lately? The pistol Bond now has is a VP-70M, not a PPK. But then again, this is a nitpick, and not relevant.

    --
    Ungh
  6. Summary - The Collected Slashdot Wisdom Solution by Seth+Finkelstein · · Score: 4
    Here's a summary of The Collected Slashdot Wisdom:

    Solution:

    WELLD
    ONE-N
    OWAPP
    LYFOR
    AJOB!

    http://www.gchq.gov.uk/careers/job5.html
    Source comment on top, "23 05 12 12 04"
    WELLD

    http://www.gchq.gov.uk/careers/index.html
    go to linguists
    http://www.gchq.gov.uk/careers/jobs10.html
    alt tag for "salary" is "OHE - H" (typo?)

    http://www.gchq.gov.uk/careers/job6.html
    graphic has Morse code:
    http://www.gchq.gov.uk/images/job6.gif
    Morse: dashdashdash dotdashdash dotdash dotdashdashdot dotdashdashdot
    OWAPP

    http://www.gchq.gov.uk/about/technology.html
    hidden by coloring, easily seen by view-source
    01001100 01011001 01000110 01001111 01010010
    LYFOR

    http://www.gchq.gov.uk/apply/index.html or
    http://www.gchq.gov.uk/apply/gchq_top_bar.htm
    mouse over logo, which is
    http://www.gchq.gov.uk/images/ajob.gif
    "AJOB!"

  7. POSITION VACANCY : James Bond by RuntimeError · · Score: 4
    We are looking for suitable commited and hardworking candidates for the post of James Bond, 007.

    Minimum Qualifications

    1. Ability to bed three women during one assignment - Preference for Big Breasted Blonde Bimbos an advantage.
    2. Ability get out of seemingly deadly but ludicrously simple situations.
    3. Accept the existence of Cold war, KGB and the Soviet Empire.
    4. Quick wit, but half will do (apologies to R)

      Dress Code: Tuxedo

      Please email your application to m@mi5.mil.uk