Wired Magazine Calls for NSA Code Breaking Challenge

The U.S. military’s new Cyber Command is headquartered at Ft. Meade, Maryland – one of the military’s most secretive and secure facilities. Its mission is largely opaque, even inside the armed forces. But the there’s another mystery surrounding the emerging unit. It’s embedded in the Cyber Command logo.

On the logo’s inner gold ring, there’s a code:

9ec4c12949a4f31474f299058ce2b22a

“It is not just random numbers and does ‘decode’ to something specific,” a Cyber Command source tells Danger Room. “I believe it is specifically detailed in the official heraldry for the unit symbol.”

Read More www.wired.com...


I thought this might be something that the members here at ATS might want to take a crack at. It would definitely be interesting to find out what is behind this code.
If any of you give it a shot, good luck!

Stealth

[edit on 7-7-2010 by stealthsurfer]

Here is the actual image with the code in the ring...



Stealth

Originally posted by stealthsurfer
9ec4c12949a4f31474f299058ce2b22a

Well it's a 32 character string, or hash - that's 256 bit's of information. (8 times 32 = 256).

It may not decode 'to' anything at all, it could just as easily be an encryption key, a bloody secure one too (apart from the fact it's there for all to see!)...

Should that be a key for something what system is it for? - To try and brute force a 256 bit key according to wiki

A device that could check a billion billion (10^18) AES keys per second would require about 3×10^51 years to exhaust the 256-bit key space.

That's 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 (ten quintillion) possible combinations PER SECOND constantly for.. wait for it lol 3,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years. (edit, three sexdecillion years apparently! - can you say big numbers? lol)

Phew.. And not a single toilet break - (The universe is about 13,700,000,000 years old).


[edit on 7/7/2010 by Now_Then]

O.k. so if I break the code can I expect Jack O’Neal to turn up on my door step and beam me aboard Odyssey were I will be offered a part in the next episode of STU (Stargate Universe) ?

I could not resist

Yep, it definitely Looks like an MD5 hash. I wonder if whoever cracks it will get a visitor shortly after. One of the comments in the Wired thread talks about Mercury Rising..lol

What the heck is this?
www.niconnect.com...

reply to post by earthdude


Looks like an image to me.

A JPG

Apparently

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/db7ff6f69f16.jpg[/atsimg]

Decodes to...

NICONNECT.COM
Poder Cibernetico
9EC4C12949A4F31474F299058CE2B22A
Brazil

According to a post here

Poder Cibernetico is Cyber power.


edit... Although someone may have just named the .jpg on an obscure with that hash for a laugh knowing that anyone thinking about this will google it, cos well that's what we do now a days.


[edit on 7/7/2010 by Now_Then]

edit just to confirm that is the actual information held in that 2D bar code (QR code)...

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/656a5fa1d395.jpg[/atsimg]

And I now have a rather nifty reader for future use

[edit on 7/7/2010 by Now_Then]

lol - I think I've cracked it!

It's the key to use the free wifi there, simple as.

The host IP is shared with ctep.com.br which is a suspended account.

Note in the image, 3 of the corners are identical. Only the lower right is different.

reply to post by yeahright


I think that may be standard for that type of bar code, so the computer reader wotsit can orientate it.

reply to post by Now_Then



"A device that could check a billion billion (10^18) AES keys per second would require about 3×10^51 years to exhaust the 256-bit key space. "

If it is a RSA data it could be done with a quantum processor, in non-logarithmic time

quantum processos is a np complex solver : any problem is simplified ...

Even a boolean problem ( your computer is based on this type of problem ) will be simplified, and take square root less processor operation... ( square root 1 million normal operation = 1000 quantum operation ...)

But RSA ... lol this will a lot more easier than with a boolean problem ...

I bet china wants quantum processor to hack the world ...

According to a comment on a 4chan board, this is what he came up with...

The code on their website is 9ec4c12949a4f31474f299058ce2b22a
Decimal is:
158 196 193 41 73 164 243 20 116 242 153 5 140 226 178 42
Poder Cybernetico
Dog Latin for "protect the internet"

Decryption key should be this:
"The missions of U.S. Strategic Command are to deter attacks on U.S. vital interests, to ensure U.S. freedom of action in space and cyberspace, to deliver integrated kinetic and non-kinetic effects to include nuclear and information operations in support of U.S. Joint Force Commander operations, to synchronize global missile defense plans and operations, to synchronize regional combating of weapons of mass destruction plans, to provide integrated surveillance and reconnaissance allocation recommendations to the SECDEF, and to advocate for capabilities as assigned"

I also come up with Poder Cybernetico which could mean "protect the internet", but not sure how he figures what the Decryption key should be.

reply to post by Now_Then


You are correct. QR Code. I'll go sit in the corner now and observe quietly.

reply to post by yeahright


well I edited my post up there but I may as well put the screen grab down here too.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/656a5fa1d395.jpg[/atsimg]

Got a nifty free reader that works on a screen crop... But anyone could make these things, it's really very simple to get them to say anything you want.

edit... Just to show how easy it is to get these to say whatever you like here is one I just made... Stars should be awarded for the first to decode it

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/5aefd6a16b49.jpg[/atsimg]

[edit on 7/7/2010 by Now_Then]

reply to post by Now_Then


I came to the same conclusion on the QR image with a decoder online I found...I mean, it just runs on someone's sever.

After doing a site:niconnect.com search with google, I come up with the following:
www.google.com...:enfficial&client=firefox-a

Looks like a 90's era website. Maybe the guy was bored and put the page up, maybe it is a cover...
www.niconnect.com...
www.niconnect.com...

Notice that on page 2 there is a directory full of pictures, some with a Brazilian looking guy in uniform with bars on his shoulders. The dirctory appears to be of pics from a birthday party for some guy turning 25...

www.niconnect.com...

Go up a directory and there's this:
www.niconnect.com...

That said, none of you thought to look at the html source. Notice the metatags are a little strange.

pastebin.org...



[edit on 7-7-2010 by joesomebody]

[edit on 7-7-2010 by joesomebody]

Pulling the hexadecimal key through an MD5 hash decrypter returns:
"USCYBERCOM plans, coordinates, integrates, synchronizes and conducts activities to: direct the operations and defense of specified Department of Defense information networks and; prepare to, and when directed, conduct full spectrum military cyberspace operations in order to enable actions in all domains, ensure US/Allied freedom of action in cyberspace and deny the same to our adversaries."

The decryption is based on previous encryptions on that site so it might very well be this one

reply to post by AphexTwins

No fair I was just going to post the same. USCYBERCOM
It was kinda easy just a normal revers hash look up.

ATS - Deny Ignorance - Don't feed the trolls - Wear clean underware.
is now_then's code

[edit on 7-7-2010 by killjoy27]