Student Hackers to Tackle NSA Codebreaker Challenge

Student hackers must disarm an improvised explosive device (IED) from a terrorist organization before the device detonates, killing United States troops and civilians. That is the fictional scenario for this year’s coding challenge from the National Security Alliance (NSA). 

The NSA Codebreaker Challenge is designed for college and university students to flex their coding skills and tackle challenges related to national security. Professors are encouraged to participate in the challenge as well, according to the NSA website. The objective is to help individuals develop their reverse engineering skills, which are crucial in the fight against malware, advanced persistent threats and other malicious cyber activities.

This year, participants will use reverse engineering to disarm a virtual IED and complete a total of six tasks. The challenge website offers nine lectures on reverse engineering, so those with little coding experience can participate. As an incentive, NSA is awarding the first 50 individuals to complete all six tasks with small tokens, while some universities and colleges are offering extra credit for completing tasks. 

The challenge opened on Sept. 9 and as of today, there are 102 days left before it closes. Students and professors can still register to participate in the challenge.

To learn more, visit the NSA Codebreaker Challenge site.

About the Author

Sri Ravipati is Web producer for THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • college student sitting at a laptop writing a college essay

    How Can Schools Manage AI in Admissions?

    Many questions remain around the role of artificial intelligence in admissions as schools navigate the balance between innovation and integrity.  

  • a hobbyist in casual clothes holds a hammer and a toolbox, building a DIY structure that symbolizes an AI model

    Ditch the DIY Approach to AI on Campus

    Institutions that do not adopt AI will quickly fall behind. The question is, how can colleges and universities do this systematically, securely, cost-effectively, and efficiently?

  • person signing a bill at a desk with a faint glow around the document. A tablet and laptop are subtly visible in the background, with soft colors and minimal digital elements

    California Governor Signs AI Content Safeguards into Law

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed off on a series of landmark artificial intelligence bills, signaling the state’s latest efforts to regulate the burgeoning technology, particularly in response to the misuse of sexually explicit deepfakes. The legislation is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated content, as concerns grow over the technology's potential to manipulate images, videos, and voices in ways that could cause significant harm.

  • laptop screen showing Coursera course

    Coursera Introduces New Gen AI Skills Training and Credentials

    Learning platform Coursera is expanding its Generative AI Academy training portfolio with an offering for teams, as well as adding new generative AI courses, specializations, and certificates.