Cyber Command embeds encrypted message in USCYBERCOM logo
Tim Finin, 12:33pm 7 July 2010
Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) is the new unit in the US Department of Defense that is responsible for the “defense of specified Department of Defense information networks” and, when needed, to “conduct full-spectrum military cyberspace operations in order to enable actions in all domains, ensure freedom of action in cyberspace for the U.S. and its allies, and deny the same to adversaries.”
Their logo as an encrypted message in its inner gold ring:
9ec4c12949a4f31474f299058ce2b22a
An article in Wired quotes a USCYBERCOM source:
“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.”
“While there a few different proposals during the design phase, in the end the choice was obvious and something necessary for every military unit,” the source adds. “The mission.”
Here’s your chance to use those skills you learned in CMSC 443. Wired is offering a T-shirt to the first person who can crack the code. With that hint in hand, go crack this code open. E-mail us your best guess, or leave it in the comments below. Our Cyber Command source will confirm the right answer. And the first person to get it gets his/her choice of a Danger Room T-shirt. USCYBERCOM might offer you a job.
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July 8th, 2010 at 2:38 am
Not sure what the real message is, but three ideas that others can work on: 1) The ring within ring reminds me of old encryption/decryption device that worked on nested cylinders. Perhaps you have to rotate one of the rings to produce message 2) Shield shows beaten face 3) You have to squint a little, but if you visualize the negative image of the eagle, you can see two cartoon characters with little white faces under funny hats. The one on the left has a very large curved, pointy hat, and the one on the right is smaller and has a much smaller hat. I’ve seen these characters before, but I can’t remember who drew them. Maurice Sendak? 4) You can visualize the brown of the eagle as someone wearing a tricorn hat (maybe a janus faced person?)
September 18th, 2010 at 1:39 am
I see that I’m the first person to post an actual answer to this problem here.
This is NOT a guess…
Here is my decoded version of those numbers:
The string of numbers 9ec4c12949a4f31474f299058ce2b22a is an MD5 Hash Code which decodes to:
“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.” (without quotes).
I would very much like to have my T-Shirt and the job at USCYBERCOM!