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NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024

nsa-codebreaker.org

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Re: NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024

#21

Post by Jtsummers »

diggan wrote: post #19
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.

Go to Task 9 at the bottom. 40-someting schools had people score, about 102 people scored on that task (more completed it though, not sure what the difference is, hand counted so may have miscounted).

Re: NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024

#22

Post by tptacek »

diggan wrote: post #14

> 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?

It's a recruiting event.

Re: NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024

#23

Post by ziddoap »

paulluuk wrote: post #17

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 obvio…

While I don't really like the NSA, I certainly respect their expertise.

And their expertise is exactly what makes a challenge like this difficult and fun.

Re: NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024

#24

Post by YinglingHeavy »

paulluuk wrote: post #17

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 obvio…

Someone isn't Comms Aware.

Biggest event of 2013: Snowden.

Biggest film of 2013: Frozen (Let I.T. Go)

Biggest game of 2013: Last of U.S.

The NSA was effectively blinded for a period of time. Do you think bad actors didn't take full advantage of this? Where did Snowden work prior to NSA? Why doesn't Julian Assange have a Hollywood film?

Re: NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024

#25

Post by diggan »

tptacek wrote: post #22
diggan wrote: post #14

> 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?

It's a recruiting event.

Aha, that'd explain it. NSA only hire people fresh out of school?

Re: NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024

#26

Post by tptacek »

diggan wrote: post #25
tptacek wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a recruiting event.

Aha, that'd explain it. NSA only hire people fresh out of school?

They primarily do. Someone else on the thread says they do some industry hires, but everyone I know who worked there was recruited from engineering school.

Re: NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024

#27

Post by not2b »

sandworm101 wrote: post #20

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.)

I think it would be unlikely to be much help beyond the easy problems they start with.

Re: NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024

#28

Post by rtkwe »

Something1234 wrote: post #13
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.

It's for recruiting and they mainly want new grads. It's a filter not a bug.

It is a shame you can't get access as a non recruitment target though.

Re: NSA Codebreaker Challenge 2024

#29

Post by jjtheblunt »

paulluuk wrote: post #17

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 obvio…

I'd recommend reading James Bamford for a more positive look at NSA and their charter...which is essentially math, math, and more math, and unrelated to politics within NSA anyway.

The Snowden stuff is extraordinarily excerpted to that which a contractor (Snowden) was seeing in a post 9/11 strange fiasco which did bring politics into play. Bamford predates that mess.

Here's a link, for example.

https://a.co/d/eMTidtP

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