An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

News | Oct. 16, 2018

October 2018 Puzzle Periodical - Connection Inspection

By Puzzle created by: Dr. James M., Operations Researcher

In honor of October as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, this month's NSA Puzzle Periodical reminds you to stay safe online at home and at work. It's Everyone's Job to Ensure Online Safety at Work.

Problem

The internet is a great place to meet people. However, not everyone you connect with is who they say they are and some people have a malicious intent.

Each word below is also not what it seems to be. They are each hiding a word related to harmful computer code. To find the words, remove one letter and unscramble the rest.

  • BUNG
  • JANITOR
  • LAWMAKER
  • SEAWARD
  • ROADBLOCK

Can you rearrange the removed letters to find other connections you should beware of online?

Click to see the answer!

Solution

  • BUNG becomes BUG + N
  • JANITOR becomes TROJAN + I
  • LAWMAKER becomes MALWARE + K
  • SEAWARD becomes ADWARE + S
  • ROADBLOCK becomes BACKDOOR + L

Rearranging NIKSL gives LINKS, which are connections you should beware of online, as they too can lead to malicious content.

Be suspicious of all links and attachments, especially from people who you don't know!