Behind The Code

As one of the UK's intelligence and security agencies, GCHQ works to protect national security interests. Our experts use their skills and ingenuity to combat cyber crime and terrorism, while helping to reduce harm to the UK from attacks in cyberspace. As threats to information and computer technology continue to evolve, we're recruiting more people who can think both like a hacker and a defender to help us stay ahead of our adversaries.

We designed this challenge to reach people who might not have seen our traditional recruitment campaigns and spread the word initially via blogs, tweets and other anonymous messages. Participants were presented with a single image - the code to crack. Successfully solving the challenge took people to a page revealing both the source of the code and the career opportunities we have in cyber security.

Thanks to everyone who attempted the challenge. It is now closed but if you found it interesting, even if you did not complete it, please register your interest in our future cyber security roles. You can also view the challenge and find an explanation of the stages under 'The Code: Explained'.