Could you be a top British spy? Test yourself with GCHQ’s puzzle | Politics | News
Alan Turing and his team famously cracked the Enigma Code to give the Allied Forces a crucial advantage in World War II.
With fellow codebreaker Gordon Welchman, he built a machine known as the Bombe that allowed signals intelligence officers to read communications to and from the German Air Force.
Now GCHQ hopes the nation’s children will try to seize the initiative against their own family members and solve “seven evil brainteasers” in the intelligence agency’s annual Christmas Challenge.
**** CLICK HERE TO SEE THE GCHQ CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE ****
Chief ‘riddle’ Colin said they were designed “to test everything from code-breaking and mathematical analysis to lateral thinking and creativity”.
Cyber spies want “groups of classmates, families, and friends to work together and combine their disparate powers to uncover the ultimate holiday message.”
GCHQ Director Anne Keast-Butler said: “Puzzles are at the heart of GCHQ’s work to protect the country from hostile states, terrorists and criminals, challenging our teams to think creatively and analytically every day.
“I’m delighted that this year’s Christmas Challenge combines puzzles created by our own experts with wonderful designs from school children across the country.
“It was a pleasure to judge the competition with GCHQ’s Chief Riddler Colin. The winning designs beautifully reflected what GCHQ thought Christmas Day looked like and included some clever codes and ciphers.
“I hope this challenge inspires future generations to explore STEM subjects and consider the rewarding careers available in cybersecurity and intelligence.”
This year more than 500 school children entered the competition to design the cover of the GCHQ Director’s Christmas card.
Students were asked ‘What do you think GCHQ looks like on Christmas Day?’ was asked. They were asked to include secret codes, puzzles and use their imagination.
For the first time, children’s designs are included in the puzzles prepared by the spies.
The three winning card designs came from Haoran, who went to Wilson’s School in London, Mariia, from Henry Beaufort School in Winchester, and Amelie, who went to South Wilts Grammar School in Salisbury.
Puzzles have been included in Christmas cards sent by the Director of GCHQ since 2015.
Colin, GCHQ’s Chief Riddler, said: “This year’s Christmas Challenge features seven puzzles designed to test everything from code-breaking and mathematical analysis to lateral thinking and creativity – the same mix of skills our teams use every day to keep the country safe.
“We designed the puzzles to suit different skill sets. Some suit analytical minds; others require leaps of creative perseverance. This is entirely intentional; we want groups of classmates, families and friends to work together and combine their different strengths to come up with the ultimate holiday message.”
“With over 140,000 downloads last year, we know these puzzles bring people together over the festive period. We encourage all ages to try the puzzles and remember that solving puzzles is often better and more fun with teamwork.”
