Confusion over 'secret code' in US military Cyberforce crest

Online puzzle fiends are struggling to crack a "secret" cryptogram included in the newly-formed US military cyber command's official seal. Most of the confusion arises from an extra hyphen in the Command official mission statement. The US Cyber Command official seal What's a good way of symbolising codes 'n' stuff, Larry? …

[lglethal]

Stupid idea...

Considering how often "mission statements" change (at least once every new president), will they update this hash code each time?

Will it be a way of being able to keep track of the old cyber boys in the club? I can see them all sitting around the officers club smoking cigars and comparing hash numbers...

[Daniel 1]

I doubt it

They could change it each time they upgrade their encryption hash, as well, but since the Military police insignia is still flanked by two Springfield flintlock pistols, and the Air Cavalry features a picture of a horse's head, I suspect you're stuck with what you've got.

[Stratman]

title

More likely they'll be smoking hash and comparing cigar numbers.

[Anonymous Coward]

Secret code for...

...we think we're kewl and l33t. Crack this one: pr3t3nt10us t0553r5

[Douglas Fingles]

Logo Changes Every Week?

Since mission statements change frequenty (especially with new commanders), the logo will have to be updated constantly with a new MD5 Hash string. For those who have to sew badges to uniforms, this could get real tiresome/expensive/hard on uniforms.

[Nigel Smart]

But MD5 is broken...

They are still using MD5! I suspect there is another text which collides and that finding this is the real challenge

[Graham Marsden]

merely an MD5 hash...

... or is that what they *want* you to think...?

[Anonymous Coward]

626110432547f398491fad32d6add11b

Reminds me of the recent "Lost Code" hash: 626110432547f398491fad32d6add11b

[Annihilator]

Or

reminds me of every hash I've ever seen?

[Mark Thomas 1]

Superfluous hyphen?

Surely "full spectrum" is being used adjectivally, and therefore the hyphen is in fact required?

[Pirate Dave]

idiots

why didn't they hash something simple like, oh, I dunno, maybe "The United States of America" ? That gives a nice pretty hash of d9c586991facf81ae3350d1f2468d551, and isn't TOO likely to change when they change directors. I guess the simple answer was too simple for these guys...

[Anonymous Coward]

How did you work that one out?

Are you using EBCDIC or something? I got the nice pretty hash of e881f242757bf3daf3bc167dba8afa78 for you

[John Sager]

Hash again guys!

$ echo -n "The United States of America" | md5sum

dfd2a5c20cb060038decbc3b35f3f826 -

[Scott 19]

The most obvious

Place to hide the key to the top secret under ground interweb office in some under groud bunker in the out back of nowhere is in plain sight.

Try tapping it into a deserted drive-in in Texas somewhere and don't be surprised when you get a spie like us

[TeeCee]

A helpful note for any foreign spies.

Picture the scenario, a junior shit in the US cyber-military sat at a PC:

"I have to choose a password for this ultra-secure, triple bum cover system that's more than 30 characters with a mix of letters and numbers and contains no dictionary words? Where the hell am I supposed to find one of those I can remember when I need it?"

You just *know* they will.

[Anonymous Coward]

how did you know?

don't answer the door if you're not expecting a calller, you'll pay for blowing this

[sT0rNG b4R3 duRiD]

So...

... The nuclear launch codes are a hash of the Star Spangled Banner?

Let's see... clickety clickety...

* NUCLEAR LAUNCH DETECTED *

Ooops...

Sorry 'bout that.

[nichomach]

So...

...they are actually WEARING a decoder ring (kind of). The cereal companies will be so proud...

[Anonymous Coward]

US military cyber command

... this is just like some really poor techno thrillers I have read. I can't even remember who wrote the books but they were a joke. Surely the US Mil.... oh well I guess it will distract them from invading other countries for no particular reason for a while.......

[Sir Runcible Spoon]

Sir

I would have been more impressed had it been their public pgp key so you could send them encrypted confidential information.

[Tellenger]

Cracked!

I just deciphered it.

It's tricky because it first resolves into the Command's motto in Latin.

But in English it translates:

"All your base are belong to us."

[sT0rNG b4R3 duRiD]

Correction:

Errr... I think there was one extra word in your bitstream you mistranslated. I have one word less and mine translates to:

All your oil are belong to US.

[Anonymous Coward]

No, no, no it reads as...

"BOOM! HEADSHOT!"

[Carter Cole]

can someone lend me a Beowulf cluster?

quick someone make up some text that makes them sound really dumb for using a insecure hashing algorithm then calculate the collision to match their mission statement hash... lolz

[jake]

I've said it before ...

And I'll say it again. Anyone who uses the term "cyber[whatever]" in a technological conversation can be summarily ignored as being technologically ignorant.

[skeptical i]

mission change -> more embroidery work -> yay!

So the more often they change their logo (and want their caps, jackets, polo shirts, messenger bags, &c updated) the more money screenprinters and embroiderers get to make. Maybe this is part of the "jobs creation" scheme ... unless the bastards send those jobs to China*, Inc., too.

* Or whatever is cheap labor source of the month.

[iamapizza]

Try this in terminal

Try this:

$ echo -n "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." | md5sum

9ec4c12949a4f31474f299058ce2b22a -

[Steve Coffman]

Remember...

"Be sure to drink your Ovaltine."

[Joshua Goodall]

so...

The idea is to make a hash of their mission?

[Andrew Newstead]

gotta admit

- that's true nerdiness!

There is actually a long history of US spookdom hiding references to their missions in the badges. A lot of people try to interpret the missions of a number of spy satellites by the elements included in the patches designed for the team, see The Space Review pages;

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1033/1

[Tim Jenkins]

You couldn't make it up

Vulnerability Note #836068 (2008-12-31)

"Do not use the MD5 algorithm

Software developers, Certification Authorities, website owners, and users should avoid using the MD5 algorithm in any capacity. As previous research has demonstrated, it should be considered cryptographically broken and unsuitable for further use."

http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/836068