Secret Agents Hold Code-Breaking Contest 228
Spudley writes "I just heard on the BBC that the British Government's not-so-secret code breaking organisation, GCHQ, has launched a little Christmas crypto challenge for all you budding secret agents. Should be fun to try it out... even if you're not brave enough to actually send in an entry."
The answer... (Score:5, Funny)
If so, what is the question? (Score:2)
Re:The answer... (Score:2, Funny)
All you need to do is to hack into their system and look for the right answer. No need to break the code in contest.
Applied Cryptography (Score:3, Informative)
Read Bruce Schneier's Applied Cryptography, and then do all of the sample problems in the book.
Edgar Poe - The Gold Bug (Score:3, Interesting)
Or better yet read Edgar Poe's The Gold Bug [eserver.org] and follow the recipe
Here Legrand, having re-heated the parchment, submitted It my inspection. The following characters were rudely traced, in a red tint, between the death's-head and the goat:
53++!305))6*;4826)4+.)4+);806*;48!8`60))85;]8*:+ *8 !83(88)5*!;
46(;88*96*?;8)*+(;485);5*!2:*+(;4956*2(5*-4)8`8* ; 4069285);)6
!8)4++;1(+9;48081;8:8+1;48!85;4)485!528806*81(+9
4;48)4+;161;:188;+?;
"And you really solved it?"
"Readily; I have solved
Re:The answer... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:The answer... (Score:2)
Re:The answer... (Score:2)
There's one famous name that fits that. (hint A=O - not that that gives much away since there's not much that can go before a ')
Re:The answer... (Score:2)
Re:The answer... (Score:2)
Until you start looking at some African names.
Re:The answer... (Score:2)
J.
Re:The answer... (Score:2)
This shows that the substitution is not the same for each one, and is not even the same substitution rotated by a number of letters.
This is not easy!
J.
Re:The penguins talk to you, they only steal my be (Score:4, Funny)
Re:The penguins talk to you, they only steal my be (Score:2)
Re:The penguins talk to you, they only steal my be (Score:2)
Re:The penguins talk to you, they only steal my be (Score:2)
Re:The answer... (Score:2, Informative)
Answer: (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Answer: (Score:5, Funny)
Uh... (Score:5, Funny)
that page just looks like a few columns of perl code to me.
Re:Uh... (Score:5, Funny)
egassem (Score:3, Funny)
Re:egassem (Score:3, Funny)
GCHQ (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:GCHQ (Score:2)
Re:GCHQ (Score:2)
Re:GCHQ (Score:2)
Re:GCHQ (Score:5, Funny)
Re:GCHQ (Score:2)
Re:GCHQ (Score:2, Funny)
errr, (Score:2)
Re:errr, (Score:2)
Re:GCHQ (Score:2)
Anyone grepped the logs recently?
Re:GCHQ (Score:2)
Hooptie
Re:GCHQ (Score:2)
The GCHQ is just a cover organization for the Krispy Kreme world headquarters!
Re:GCHQ (Score:2)
FCKGW (Score:2)
dkeys gotpu blish edwit hnobo dynot
icing
Re:GCHQ (Score:2)
Re:GCHQ (Score:2)
Re:GCHQ (Score:2)
Re:GCHQ (Score:2)
Re:GCHQ (Score:3, Interesting)
What makes you think that the people who come up with the terrorist-attacks are "uneducated"?
Re:GCHQ (Score:2)
Re:GCHQ (Score:2)
He seriously damaged US economy, he killed thousands of people, he caused serious restriction in liberties of Americans, because of him, USA wastes billions upon billion of dollars on "war against terrorism".
Depending on his goals, yes.
OBL is educated. In fact, he's educated by the CIA. He knows what he's doing.
Re:GCHQ (Score:2)
I think making the assumption that the terrorists aren't particularly educated is dangerous, but to answer your question, GCHQ is quite well known within Britain. Most people are aware of what it is and what it sod.es
Answer? (Score:3, Funny)
I see how it works... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I see how it works... (Score:2)
Re:I see how it works... (Score:2)
Re:I see how it works... (Score:2)
No, if you want to be a British spy, you should go here [mi5.gov.uk].
Job Opportunity? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Job Opportunity? (Score:2)
Don't enter if you're an American (Score:5, Funny)
1) You're too smart for the good of the country and
2) You're disloyal enough to cozy up to a foreign spy agency.
Can you say "do-not-fly list"? Thought so.
Re:Don't enter if you're an American (Score:5, Funny)
Do-not-flih...
Doughnut fly...
Do-nut-fly...
Duh-not-fluh...
Apparently not.
Re:Don't enter if you're an American (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Don't enter if you're an American (Score:2)
Time flies like an arrow...fruit flies like a banana...
Damned if I know what to do about a doughnut fly, though. Do they come in chocolate glazed?
Re:Don't enter if you're an American (Score:3, Insightful)
All members of Moveon.Org please report to Guantanemo Bay!
interesting "puzzle" at most (Score:4, Interesting)
While this is a nice puzzle and certainly I couldn't solve it in the 2 mins I was staring at it this has nothing todo with modern crypto. Have an AES breaking contest if you want to promote real research.
Tom
Re:interesting "puzzle" at most (Score:5, Interesting)
Reminds me a bit of the CIA Homepage for Kids [cia.gov], but not nearly as weird.
Re:interesting "puzzle" at most (Score:2)
TJPGGNCJJOTJPMZTZJPOFDY (yeah it's encrypted, enjoy the easy answer).
Re:interesting "puzzle" at most (Score:2)
Re:interesting "puzzle" at most (Score:4, Insightful)
They want to know that you are capable of thinking for yourself: maybe you know nothing about the differences between Blofish and AES. That doesn't matter. What does matter is you have a problem and can find a way to solve it.
The connection between the two columns... (Score:3, Funny)
It says... (Score:3, Funny)
Quick Robin! (Score:3, Funny)
Automated entry submission system (Score:5, Funny)
GCHQ has launched a little Christmas crypto challenge for all you budding secret agents. To submit your entry to the challenge, just pick up your phone, call your mother, and tell her your solution!
ok learn from history... (Score:5, Informative)
Each of the six extracts is encrypted with a simple substitution cipher. In the first extract, this is a straightforward shift: P=A, Q=B, R=C etc.
In extracts two to six, the ciphertext alphabet is formed by taking a keyword, removing those letters that occur more than once in the keyword, and then adding all remaining letters in alphabetical order. For example, in extract two, the keyword is MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE. By taking out those letters that are repeated in the keyword, we are left with: MURDESINTHOG. We then add all unused letters in alphabetical order to give us: MURDESINTHOGABCFJKLPQVWXYZ.
Finally, the alphabet is shifted to give the keyword PUZZLE as the encryption of A in each alphabet in turn (as read down the left hand side of the grid).
1) And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho."
Joshua chapter 2. The Bible, c.550 BC. (An early reference to intelligence gathering.)
2) Many years ago I contracted an intimacy with a Mr. William Legrand. He was of an ancient Huguenot family, and had once been wealthy; but a series of misfortunes had reduced him to want.
Edgar Allan Poe, Tales of Mystery and Imagination: The Gold Bug. The Dollar Newspaper, Philadelphia, 1843. (The first extensive treatment of cryptanalysis in fiction.)
Keyword: MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE (another famous short story by Poe).
3) Holmes had been seated for some hours in silence with his long, thin back curved over a chemical vessel in which he was brewing a particularly malodorous product.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Dancing Men, The Strand Magazine, 1903. (Another fictional example of a substitution cipher.)
Keyword: MYCROFT HOLMES (Sherlock Holmes's brother).
4) The American handed Leamas another cup of coffee and said, "Why don't you go back and sleep? We can ring you if he shows up."
John Le Carre, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. Victor Gollancz, 1963. (The third in the series of books featuring George Smiley, one of the best known fictional agents.)
Keyword: GEORGE SMILEY (main character in this series of books).
5) An Act to make provision about the Secret Intelligence Service and the Government Communications Headquarters, including provision for the issue of warrants and authorisations
(The Act of Parliament allowing GCHQ to operate, and defining its accountability to Parliament and the public.)
Keyword: ELIZABETH THE SECOND (signatory of the Act), Intelligence Services Act 1994.
6) On the morning of Wednesday, 15 October 1586, Queen Mary entered the crowded courtroom at Fotheringhay Castle. (Some editions of this book list the day as Saturday)
Simon Singh, The Code Book. Fourth Estate, 1999. (Singh's book is a recent tour de force on the subject of cryptography.)
Keyword: FOURTH ESTATE (publisher).
Re:ok learn from history... (Score:3, Insightful)
http://www.etraininglog.com/forums/viewtop
Part 1 solved (Score:4, Funny)
They all have very strange sounding names.
Re:Part 1 solved (Score:2)
Tools... (Score:2, Interesting)
frequency analyzer [thepen.com]
caesar cipher cracker [sentex.net]
some other tools also available here [pintday.org]
Re:Tools... (Score:2)
Huh? (Score:3, Insightful)
What's brave got to do with it? Is this more tinfoilhatism? I think it's a fun idea.
Books? No -- I want a glass cutting laser watch! (Score:5, Funny)
From the challenge page:
Screw that. If a bunch of secret agents are running a contest, I expect to win at least a friggin' mini-missile launching pen or some C4 toothpaste w/ detonator toothbrush.
Wait -- maybe the books are hollowed out and contain flasks that convert into single-shot 9mm pistols!
Too bad I can't even balance my checkbook, let alone compete in this contest. If you win, let us know if the books including an expandable titanium katana sword bookmark.
IronChefMorimoto
Re:Books? No -- I want a glass cutting laser watch (Score:2)
Pfft! Keep your toys. I want to win the date with a sexy Russian agent.
Hey, I spent my formative years with James Bond films. I know how to show a sexy Russian agents a good time as long as she doesn't mind if the Aston Martin is a rental.
Re:Books? No -- I want a glass cutting laser watch (Score:2, Funny)
I wouldn't. More than likely Bond has already had a date with her, and I don't want to be diagnosed with diseases Bond1 -Bond18 [ianfleming.org]. Better to have a cool gadget in my book -- if You Only Live Twice [imdb.com] I'm not going to waste one of my lives suffering with venerial diseases.
I am not a mama's boy! (Score:3, Interesting)
She did work in the aerospace industry before retiring, though. Hmm...
Another good thing about the article was I didn't know Singh had a new book coming out. Cool. I keep "The Code Book" here at work and it's been beaten up through many borrowings by coworkers.
part three? Easy... (Score:2)
Heh... Those wild-n'-crazy guys at the GCHQ. What kidders. What will they come up with next? And an off-color joke in a "family" contest? Tsk.
pffft. I solved the most important number (Score:2)
67195923460238582958304725016523252592969257276
64363462727184012012643147546329450127847264841
62234789626728592858295347502772262646456217613
829519475412398501
Solved... (Score:2)
BINLA DENIS HIDIN GATSE VENTE EENHI GHSTR EETCL
APHAM
Re:Solved... (Score:2)
And why did they typo three 'e's in Seventeeen.. Hmmm. Maybe that means something....
Relationship (Score:2)
Easy (Score:3, Funny)
Not a cipher (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Not a cipher (Score:2)
how to solve (Score:4, Interesting)
Apply the substitution and you get BZGZD O'GOONZ. It is reasonable to guess the last name O'TOOLE, which gives us the solution for T, L, and E.
This name is PETER O'TOOLE, and with these letters, the rest of the name is easy to solve.
Re:how to solve (Score:2)
GMTHYL IKUBGMFPTPSSPM
How many people do you know with such a long surname?
How about exactly one, ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER?
Re:how to solve (Score:2)
What? (Score:2, Funny)
I've decoded it! (Score:2, Funny)
Jw
Finally! (Score:2)
Cheers,
Adolfo
Re:the mercury is rising (Score:2)
Young Ones? (Score:2)
The Young Ones [phill.co.uk] version? I'll use Rick's cricket bat to solve this problem. *whack*
Re:Already Sloved! (Score:2)
Re:Decrypt Santa's List (Score:3, Informative)
Re:British predictability (Score:2)
Re:British predictability (Score:2, Funny)
Ahhh, Jesus Christ's mum and dad.
Re:British predictability (Score:2)
how to narrow it down (Score:2)
If you don't waste your time following celebrities, you can use google by a script to match them up. The more results a pair has, the more likely that pair is to have stared in a movie together.
Re:"OFF TOPIC"? (Score:2)
http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=13310
http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=13310
http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=13310