CIA Wants You, recruiting – through Instagram!

When you say secret services you say CIA. The historic US-based agency is perhaps the most widely known all over the world.

The name itself brings forth spy movie atmospheres worthy of James Bond‘s long-running series (even if Bond is renowned as a British M16 agent).

Yet the Central Intelligence Agency had probably never taken into account that its fame would surpass any other secret service in popular media, save for perhaps KGB.

Nonetheless, Internet and the Social Media have come to bear a huge impact on everyday life. So it’s hardly a surprise that the CIA would increase its online presence massively.

Only this month the Agency opened an Instagram profile which already appears to be a sandbox or “training ground” for the most promising future secret agents of the States.

The CIA is looking for new (Social) secret agents

The heads of CIA seemed to concur that Internet and the Social platforms are powerful tools for communication, news sharing and worldwide visibility.

So when they set out to pick a Social on which they’d interact with users, and select the most likely candidates to enroll in the future ranks of the CIA, the pick fell on Instagram.

The CIA profile was at first surrounded by surprise – and quite some doubts. Rumors had it that it might be just a very crafty fake. Ultimately, however, all suspicions were put to rest when the @cia account was confirmed as genuine.

Within 24 hours from its appearance, the profile got as much as 10k followers. Also according to its contents, it could very possibly be a sort of “training ground” where wannabe secret agents put their experience, and talents, to the test.

The very first post showed an ordinary workstation – concealing some encrypted messages that not everyone could decode.

Formerly the CIA had already made a clever use of Social networks through its Twitter account. Its contents vary from memorials for various US holidays to actual factual recruiting campaigns.

A visual test for aspiring secret agents

The highly rumored post which you can also find below appeared on the CIA’s Instagram profile on April 25th. And caught the interest of cryptographers pretty much frim the beginning.

The picture portrays a cluttered desk – an ordinary workstation which seems to hide nothing out of ordinary. Or does it?

A more thorough examination revealed that what could pass for a harmless image is actually a cleverly designed quiz.

The picture contains a great many secret code messages. Some hints are blatant and easily identified  – like the glaring wig, obviously used for camouflage.

Other details, however, are concealed more subtly.

Of course the experts of codes and secret messages could not resist to this obvious luring. And many speculations and theories were promptly posted in the comments area.

Wannabe 007, here’s your cue: the test begins. Will you take the challenge and stand out for the CIA leaders?

When the CIA browsed the Deep Web

Don’t be mistaken, though – the CIA’s online activities are but not limited to the Web as we know it.

Intelligence has always relied on secrecy first and foremost. And secrecy online is a prerogative of the Deep Web.

The “hidden Internet” isn’t just the favorite playground of traffickers, terrorists and hackers. But also of the Secret Service themselves, of world’s superpowers, of police forces and of everyone working in fields where security and anonymity are required.

It’s hardly surprising to find a mirror site of the CIA’s homepage available on Tor.

This site – virtually identical to its more “universally” accessible twin –  was created first and foremost to approach informers who may wish to keep their identity secret for whatever reason.

The Deep Web’s own potentials are thus exploited against those users who might have criminal intents.

The CIA’s Tor website includes also a recruiting page.xx

Nel sito della CIA su Tor non mancano nemmeno le offerte di lavoro. Perché gli hacker più in gamba spesso operano in segreto, entrando e uscendo dalle strettoie burocratiche della legge. E solo nel più totale anonimato, garantito dal Deep Web,si azzardano a dare prova delle loro abilità.

Abilità che possono essere estremamente importanti per dei futuri Agenti Segreti.

This post is also available in: Italiano