It is a Christmas conundrum designed to check the spies of tomorrow.
Sir Jeremy Fleming, the spy chief who leads GCHQ, has set a mission for schoolchildren to resolve this problem in time for the twenty fifth.
The fiendish Christmas card puzzle is designed for youngsters aged 11-18, however lessons may work as a group to resolve the ‘seemingly inconceivable’ quiz.
The seven-step puzzle, which is predicated on the important thing abilities wanted to work inside the intelligence company, options code-breaking, engineering, languages, evaluation, maths, coding and cyber safety.
Sir Jeremy Fleming, the spy chief who leads GCHQ, has set out a seven-step puzzle to be solved in time for the twenty fifth
However this yr GCHQ’s group of puzzlers have inbuilt a particular twist to problem secondary pupils in lateral considering, ingenuity and perseverance.
As soon as they resolve the puzzles, aspiring younger James Bonds should look to the Christmas card design for the reply.
Six of the puzzles have one-word solutions. Utilizing the design on the entrance of the cardboard, wannabe sleuths should organize these phrases to type two what3words addresses – utilizing the web geocode system designed to determine any location with a decision of round three metres.
The remaining puzzle incorporates a 3rd tackle. As soon as the areas have been discovered, youngsters might want to take a single phrase from every tackle, becoming a member of them collectively to find the key GCHQ message.
The cardboard is ready to be downloaded by lessons throughout the nation from the GCHQ web site, with thrice as many faculties requesting the puzzle in comparison with final yr.
However adults may tackle the problem to pit their wits towards GCHQ spooks.
The cardboard can be despatched to companions within the UK and all over the world who work with the intelligence, cyber and safety company to counter threats, together with hostile state exercise, terror teams and organised crime gangs.
Yesterday the GCHQ director stated: ‘From breaking Enigma to harnessing the newest innovative know-how, our sensible folks have labored collectively all through our historical past to assist maintain the nation protected.
‘This yr’s GCHQ Christmas Card Problem provides an perception into the talents we’d like each day as a part of our mission – from languages to coding. However abilities alone will not be sufficient to crack this one. Puzzlers want to mix a mixture of minds to resolve the seemingly inconceivable.’
If you cannot wait till Christmas, the Every day Mail will solely reveal the solutions tomorrow.
