GCHQ Christmas Challenge 2024

GCHQ has released its annual Christmas Challenge, with this year’s puzzles themed around the locations from which the intelligence, cyber and security agency operates.

Sent as a festive card by Director Anne Keast-Butler, the Challenge invites people to decode UK landmarks through a series of puzzles. Though aimed at young people, both children and adults are encouraged to work together to crack the conundrums, pooling their various skills, such as codebreaking, maths and lateral thinking.

GCHQ’s chief puzzler, ‘Colin’, describes the puzzles as ‘fiendishly enjoyable’. The Challenge is designed to appeal to people with different types of minds – whether analytical, creative or engineering-focused.

While fun, the Challenge also mirrors the problem-solving skills needed at GCHQ, where diverse thinking is key to tackling real-world issues. ‘Colin’ encourages students who enjoy the puzzles to consider a career at GCHQ, as the kind of intelligence shown is exactly what the agency is looking for.