Merry Christmas from GCHQ – anyone entered?

http://www.gchq.gov.uk/press_and_media/news_and_features/Pages/Directors-Christmas-puzzle-2015.aspx

How’s doing that going to help me crash an aston martin and shag a countess?

in what was almost certainly (definitely) the most perfect moment of intelligence i’ll ever muster, i cracked that in about … 5 seconds.

it’s a doodah thingy intit.

(email me for spoilers)

Made a start on it in my lunch break yesterday, either it get’s more difficult halfway through or I’ve gone wrong somewhere because I can’t finish it 🙁 anyone else getting stuck?

I’ve completed the first part. Part 2 looks a bit trickier

I barely understood the instructions.

They could of at least made a webpage where you can complete it electronically!

Paper and pencil! Jimmy B in the 21st Century wouldn’t be happy.

How’s doing that going to help me crash an aston martin and shag a countess?

join the dots to find out… 😉

Oh, it’s a join the dots? Shit hot, I can do them!

I barelycouldn’t understooand the instructions and went back to looking at porn…

FTFM

join the dots to find out.

She’s not what I expected TBH.

I know a woman who went to a “civil service ” job interview she was given a load of questions and puzzles to perform half way through she became frustrated with the stupidity of the tasks said so in clear terms got up and walked out. Shortly afterwards she received an unsolicited offer to work in a then Eastern Block office of a reputable British company that she had never had any contact with. Rather boringly she turned it down.

I’ve now finished part 2 but had to guess at Q3.

Part 3 looks very hard. Think I’ve probably peaked.

Not much work happening here today.

I got a cock and balls but had three dots left over, given up

I was going well and then something screwed up. I reckon the puzzle is flawed 🙁

I googled the answer.

Made a start on it in my lunch break yesterday, either it get’s more difficult halfway through or I’ve gone wrong somewhere because I can’t finish it

A good technique for these is the to fill in the known blacks and the known whites at the same time. You shouldn’t stall as quickly then.

A good technique for these is the to fill in the known blacks and the known whites at the same time. You shouldn’t stall as quickly then.

This. Did it yesterday, haven’t got round to actually seeing where it goes yet.

How is this going to help you catch bad guys? I watch Homeland and Spooks most of the bad guys are on our side.

it’s a doodah thingy intit.

tongue poking out of the side of my mouth, I duly filled it in, then I had to download a doodah reading thing….won’t read it… My colouring in clearly isn’t up to much

hey ho.

I bumped into an old classmate a while back, and he happened to mention he’d met up with another who I hadn’t seen or heard from since leaving school. Turns out he’s taken early retirement from his job working as an analyst for a Government department based in Cheltenham.
Who’d a thunk I went to school with a spook!

I saw a job at MI5 pop up on Linkedin a few weeks back for a Business Analyst. I suspect it will just be like a BA job anywhere else, but with more security hoops to jump through to get the job.

edit : in fact they’re still recruiting;

https://recruitmentservices.applicationtrack.com/vx/lang-en-GB/mobile-0/appcentre-1/brand-2/xf-46dfbcd9cfe3/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/4/opp/515-Senior-Business-Analyst-Ref-515/en-GB

You may end up in a locked trunk in an attic.

Who’d a thunk I went to school with a spook!

David Shayler was only a few years above me, at mine. I remember him being a shit of a prefect.

It’s a 25 x 25 grid so any set of numbers that adds up to 25 (with a +1 between each number) is a given. HTH.

If you enjoyed the puzzle but wanted an interactive version then you might enjoy Picma:

http://www.kongregate.com/games/MoonberryStudios/picma

Turns out he’s taken early retirement from his job working as an analyst for a Government department based in Cheltenham.

He’d hacked so many bank accounts he’ll never have to work again 😉

He’d hacked so many bank accounts he’ll never have to work again

😆
If I bump into my mate again I’ll have to suggest that! Didn’t occur to me at the time.

What else if all that key logging SW used for….

Solved it. It produces a link that leads to Part 2, which is six multi-choice questions that I’m still figuring out.