NSA's Cryptic Tweet Was Actually a Recruiting Tool

The NSA has been lambasted of late for some of its sneaky, snoopy ways, but the agency has proven to be a creative job recruiter.  

The Twitter handle @NSACareers, which officially posts listings for opportunities within the agency, tweeted out a scrambled message with the hashtag #MissionMonday. Not an odd HR mistake, but the first in a series of encrypted tweets meant to draw in would-be code breakers.  

tpfccdlfdtte pcaccplircdt dklpcfrp?qeiq lhpqlipqeodf gpwafopwprti izxndkiqpkii krirrifcapnc dxkdciqcafmd vkfpcadf. #MissionMonday #NSA #news

— NSA (@NSACareers) May 5, 2014

Related: How Much Can Your Phone's Metadata Reveal About You? Too Much.

The code, which can also be broken by solver apps like quipqiup, is called a substitution cipher, reads: "Want to know what it takes to work at NSA? Check back each Monday in May as we explore careers essential to protecting our nation."

In the past, the NSA has been known to recruit at events like the DEF CON hacking conference in Las Vegas, to which they were publicly uninvited to last year following the Edward Snowden leaks. So while these Twitter codes may not be the toughest to crack, the NSA is certainly not the first to try out some unusual hiring tactics -- and why not, especially when all eyes have been on the surveillance agency over the last year.

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