Category: Military

Posted on

ARCYBER Puzzle

Had a former colleague post a cipher puzzle on a Slack channel I hang out on.

http://www.recruitahacker.net/Puzzle

I figured I would give it a try, since I like to do puzzles.
The site was a link to an ARCYBER web site:

Looking at the cipher text, I was like you have to be kidding me. This is too easy, so I ran it through a script I made a few years back to break vigenère ciphers for another puzzle I had worked.

While the script is not perfect, it was able to decode this cipher text.

Eexl fmoi! 
Well done!

Jabnh gsl’ze decbjrx lvtv, gsl uak hctf xyw gvltpj 
Since you’re reading this, you may have the skills

inp mqrjzrlwzq bs awiz tjc Bvdq hpdu! 
and motivation to join the Army team
Pvirz mqpf esgie bwyi xofeprjec xiexzi nqtt ATAZFVJ.
Learn more about your potential future with ARCYBER.

KEY:
iamacybersoldier

So putting the key into the website you get the full response.

You got a link to email someone that you solved the puzzle.

So I was like sure, what could it hurt, might get an offer to apply for some cool jobs with the government (not really).

The response from my email to solving the puzzle.

Congratulations on solving the puzzle and for your interest in the Army’s cyber mission. We ask that you fill out a form found at http://www.goarmy.com/info/send1/?iom=GT45-FY16-ACNP-OT-XXX-XX-XXX-CP-XX-X-XXX   so we can continue discussions about how you can best fit into our Army’s cyber professional workforce. We thank you for your inquiry and are committed to providing information as it becomes available. You may check out our website for the latest cyber career field updates at www.arcyber.army.mil.
v/r,
Mike Milord
Public Affairs Specialist
Army Cyber Command
8605 6th Armored Cavalry Road
Fort Meade, MD 20755
301-833-2007
michael.o.milord.civ@mail.mil

It takes to the Army website to request information to join.
I figure since I already have 24 years of service in the military they will not want me.

Posted on

Heading back to Bahrain for my 3rd Trip

Heading out Monday July 21st to Bahrain for another 45 days of excitement in Bahrain. My company was renting an apartment since last year, but they let the lease lapse, so I will be staying in the Marriott for the stays. Which is fine with me, I like getting the points, and plus it has free breakfast. I guess they are expecting for me to look for another apartment to rent, not sure why the last person who was there did not do this, since he works on the project full time (or is supposed to).
No sure what I will be working on this time around, since I have not been involved with this project since last year when I was there. Have had little information given to me from the director of this project, and the employees assigned to the director of this project have been little help giving me information.
Did not really want to head back, but my boss sort of gave me a “you do not really have an option” speech. I was supposed to heading to Defcon during this time frame and told him I would prefer to that that then to Bahrain. I was then told that was not a good reason to not go on the trip, and something like “I cannot justify you going to training instead of this trip” or something similar to that. This did not really make me happy, and they originally wanted me to go for 90 days, but I had to do military duty so I could only squeeze in the 45 days to go (well that is what I told them). Not like they could really argue about me not being able to go, since it is the federal government and all.
I was surprised that they were expecting me to cover this time frame for the project, but it seems that one of the two people they hired does not want to go back over there anymore. I was a little pissed about that, and think they need to fire him since he was specifically hired to do this project. Sure that will not happen, since they have him doing training for Alien Vault software occasionally.
This is partly one reason I started researching penetration testing companies. Have found a few I like, but not sure if I will be looking for a new place to work just yet. Need to see if they are expecting me to make more trips back to Bahrain. I already told my director that I would not be heading back over already, so to not even ask me about it.