LONDON (AP) — Can you crack the code?
That’s
the question Britain’s electronic listening agency, GCHQ, is asking in
an online campaign to find the next generation of cyber specialists.
GCHQ
quietly launched a cryptic Website last month featuring a box of code
made up of numbers and letters. There is no branding on the site, only
the phrase “Can you crack it?” and a box to type in an answer.
The
agency has now revealed it is behind the campaign, and said Friday (December 2, 2011) it’s
trying to reach individuals with “a keen interest in code breaking and
ethical hacking” for careers at GCHQ.
“It’s
to arouse interest in people who perhaps might not be caught by our
normal recruitment campaigns,” a GCHQ spokesman said, speaking on
customary condition of anonymity.
GCHQ
said the fast-moving pace of the digital arena and cybersecurity means
it must find new ways to engage with prospective candidates, who
typically have entered the agency as graduates.
“With
the threats to information and computer technology constantly evolving,
it is essential that GCHQ allows candidates who may be self taught, but
have a keen interest in code breaking and ethical hacking, to enter the
recruitment route too,” it said in a statement.
But
career hackers beware: “Anyone applying who has hacked illegally will
not be eligible to continue in the recruitment process,” GCHQ warned.
The agency said it has been using social media to get the word out and that the site has attracted about 8,000 hits.
SOURCE: The Associated Press