NSA launches 11th Annual Codebreaker Challenge for students

The National Security Agency announced Monday its 11th annual Codebreaker Challenge. The challenge provides students at U.S. institutions with real-world experience mirroring the classified work of the U.S. intelligence community.

The challenge also prepares students "to tackle national security concerns after their graduation," according to an NSA press release. "The 2023 challenge featured more than 5,000 participants from 450 academic institutions."

"Students will compete against other schools to complete mission-oriented tasks designed to build their skills in reverse engineering, vulnerability research, cryptography, programming/scripting, and more," the press release states.

This year's challenge endeavors to help students understand "nation-state advanced persistent threats that are targeting our defense industrial base contractors and stop them from infiltrating and sabotaging U.S. military operations."