NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024 • Hacker News Board

Re: NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024

#11

Post by Jtsummers » Thu, Sep 05, 2024, 6:20 PM UTC

randunel wrote: post #6

lpcvoid wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They care about US citizens enrolled in university. Everybody else is not employable - so I guess they filter well here.

Do US universities offer their pupils email addresses forever, or many decades past graduation? Or is the challenge exclusively for current US students? I lost access to my (European) inboxes a loooong time ago.

It depends on the school. Some have an "email for life" thing, one school I attended tied that to a (relatively low-cost) annual "donation". Many close your account once you graduate, though.

Re: NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024

#12

Post by Atotalnoob » Thu, Sep 05, 2024, 6:22 PM UTC

randunel wrote: post #6

lpcvoid wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They care about US citizens enrolled in university. Everybody else is not employable - so I guess they filter well here.

Do US universities offer their pupils email addresses forever, or many decades past graduation? Or is the challenge exclusively for current US students? I lost access to my (European) inboxes a loooong time ago.

Answer is it depends. I transferred multiple times during my degree.

I have had a couple schools offer indefinitely, others offer paid indefinitely, others a set amount of time.

Re: NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024

#13

Post by Something1234 » Thu, Sep 05, 2024, 6:29 PM UTC

sigma5 wrote: post #2

I got this error while trying to register. Does anyone know a simple way to bypass this ? "Sorry, that email domain is not recognized. -- An email address from a recognized U.S. school or university is required. If your school's domain is not recognized, please request it to be allowed by clicking HERE"

It is kind of an issue because a lot of people lose their school email when they graduate.

Asking the same cause this is one I've never had time to do when I was in university and would like to do it now that I'm graduated.

Re: NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024

#14

Post by diggan » Thu, Sep 05, 2024, 6:30 PM UTC

> Anyone with an email address from a recognized U.S. school or university may participate in the challenge.

Aww, that's not so fun :( Was kind of curious to participate, but seems it's US + students only. Kind of makes sense that it's US only I guess, but why only students?

Re: NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024

#15

Post by bitwrangler » Thu, Sep 05, 2024, 6:31 PM UTC

there's a good list of resources and lectures if you're curious to learn more:

https://nsa-codebreaker.org/resources

Re: NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024

#16

Post by vharuck » Thu, Sep 05, 2024, 6:31 PM UTC

randunel wrote: post #6

lpcvoid wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They care about US citizens enrolled in university. Everybody else is not employable - so I guess they filter well here.

Do US universities offer their pupils email addresses forever, or many decades past graduation? Or is the challenge exclusively for current US students? I lost access to my (European) inboxes a loooong time ago.

I still have my email after graduating 11 years ago. I was able to sign up with it, selecting "Alum" as the best description of my relationship with the college.

Re: NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024

#17

Post by paulluuk » Thu, Sep 05, 2024, 6:32 PM UTC

After reading "Permanent Record" by Edward Snowden and "Cult of the Dead Cow" by Joseph Menn, I can't help but feel like the NSA is basically "the bad guys", and I assumed most hackers would feel the same. Are people really excited to do challenges like these for them?

I don't mean that in an accusatory way, just genuinely curious as my perspectives (one from a whistleblower and one from 80s hacker culture) are obviously not the same as those of a modern day hacker.

Re: NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024

#18

Post by Horffupolde » Thu, Sep 05, 2024, 6:35 PM UTC

sigma5 wrote: post #2

I got this error while trying to register. Does anyone know a simple way to bypass this ? "Sorry, that email domain is not recognized. -- An email address from a recognized U.S. school or university is required. If your school's domain is not recognized, please request it to be allowed by clicking HERE"

It’s part of the test.

Re: NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024

#19

Post by diggan » Thu, Sep 05, 2024, 6:35 PM UTC

bangaladore wrote: post #7

I completed the 2022 version of this and received some nice NSA memorabilia. It is a fun challenge, but it is pretty difficult to complete it all. Looking back at 2022, it looks like maybe 100 people completed the entire challenge.

> it looks like maybe 100 people completed the entire challenge.

It looks like (https://nsa-codebreaker.org/leaderboard_2022) at least 350 schools has a "School Solve Times" that isn't null, so unless some students are enrolled in multiple schools, it seems like way more than 100 people managed to solve it.

Re: NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024

#20

Post by sandworm101 » Thu, Sep 05, 2024, 6:41 PM UTC

Is it cheating to use commonplace AI? NSA are a practical bunch, they probably dont much care how one solves the problems, but AI could change the nature of such tests. The rules say no getting help from persons, which leaves the AI door open imho.

(Fysa, there is a reasonable chance that someone involved in this competition is following this topic. HN is known in the more nerdy corners of the int/defense world.)