Spies recruited via Facebook & Twitter game
GCHQ, Britain’s intelligence gathering agency, has hit upon a novel way of finding new recruits – a social media enabled code cracking game.
The secretive body created the digital head scratcher in an effort to unearth candidates with a head for figures and ability to apply analytical thought under pressure of a countdown timer.
Called ‘Can you crack it?’ the game challenges players to crack a mysterious alpha numeric code presented on their screen – anyone armed with the correct passcode is directed to the GCHQ website and invited to apply for a post.
A GCHQ spokesperson said: “Code cracking skills are vital to secure the very best talent and to support the GCHQ mission in its fight against cyber threats. Our target audience is not typically attracted to traditional advertising methods and may be unaware that we are recruiting for these kinds of roles.
“Their skills may be ideally suited to our work and yet they may not understand how they could apply them to a working environment, particularly one where they will have the opportunity to contribute so much.”