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NSA News & Highlights

NSA SPOTLIGHT

Georgia Tech Wins NSA's Codebreaker Challenge for Fourth Consecutive Year

FORT MEADE, Md. – For the fourth consecutive year, the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) took first place in the National Security Agency’s annual Codebreaker Challenge (CBC).

NSA and partners Issue Guidance on Fast Flux as a National Security Threat

Joint Publications Focus on Mitigation Strategies for Edge Devices

NSA and Others Publish Guidance for Secure OT Product Selection

Tag: puzzle

Headline Puzzle: December 2024 Encrypted Headlines Graphic
1. JHCZ HD JA. OI E AWHYMKZ QEZBK
2. INCEPVH KFTODU XNEUE MPTEU HFPV PV KNTD UIFV UITDD BDFTE
3. SPCMVZUC FPSUFM UC KQUI IYUDI YKCXFPXI UQ CPD BCOBXPCMI
4. IUVRD EJKYM VF RUGVUJM IDF ZUKYB VJVUMJR ZQNKJKFNZ ZYVZ NYRFNB
5. EINIDP NIUFVP ZPVE UIPTJ KQX FZFTJ

Dec. 5, 2024

Headline Puzzle: December 2024

The Headline Puzzle is a monthly feature that was started in 1964 by Paul Derthick, a longtime research analyst in NSA’s Operations Organization, as an interesting way to keep his mind sharp outside of his cryptanalytic work. Each Headline Puzzle contains five headlines from recent daily newspapers. Each of the five is a different monoalphabetic substitution, and all five are derived from the same mixed alphabet at different settings against itself. A complete solution includes recovering the plaintext of each HEADLINE and three key words, the SETTING, the KEY and the HAT.

Headline Puzzle: November 2024 Encrypted Headlines Graphic.
1. IPGMCPM DQDFSDJ LM QWMJCQLJD; YPODYS HDMMDJB ALFSPY; CWQLMNDY JDKDWSDJ
2. DLELUULU AWHRLZSXELC YHEW ZX UVHG EXGZO IL. UZHWAEZU
3. PYLPQDC' OWRDY MWXDJ QDWNRD'C XWMWNDY PK SGD BDWY
4. LMDFL NDQML LIGQUL DL WALI MBXL OAPMX; JGGWJGFIR LIFGBY
5. UMBYXUHKUI, TSIIKHSBB KI HWICWI, KB PHWRI DWLS KI OXUYS, O.W.C.

Nov. 8, 2024

Headline Puzzle 60th Anniversary: November 2024

This month marks the 60th anniversary of Headline Puzzles at NSA! In honor of the puzzle’s Diamond Jubilee, here is a special November Headline Puzzle, based on headlines from November 1964. Each of the five is a different letter-for-letter substitution. All five are derived from the same mixed alphabet at different settings against itself.

Aug. 21, 2018

August 2018 Puzzle Periodical - Crop Calculations

NSA Puzzle Periodical for August 2018: Crop Calculations

July 17, 2018

July 2018 Puzzle Periodical - Marble Math

NSA Puzzle Periodical for July 2018: Marble Math

June 19, 2018

June 2018 Puzzle Periodical - Mug Math

NSA Puzzle Periodical for June 2018: Mug Math

May 15, 2018

May 2018 Puzzle Periodical - Shall We Play a Game? Computer Tic-Tac-Toe

NSA Puzzle Periodical for May 2018: Computer Tic-Tac-Toe

April 17, 2018

April 2018 Puzzle Periodical - 'APRIL = MATH'

April 2018 NSA Puzzle Periodical - 'APRIL = MATH' - Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month Challenge by Benjamin E.

March 20, 2018

March 2018 Puzzle Periodical - a, b, c - Variable Alphabet Equation

March 2018 NSA Puzzle Periodical - a, b, c - Variable Alphabet Equation by Wendell W.

Feb. 20, 2018

February 2018 Puzzle Periodical - A Plethora of Penguins

February 2018 Puzzle Periodical; Puzzle created by David B., NSA Mathematician

Jan. 16, 2018

January 2018 Puzzle Periodical - Snow Manipulation

January 2018 Puzzle Periodical; Puzzle created by James M., NSA Operations Researcher