2 Answers

  1. For three years in a row, one of the most mysterious projects on the Internet — Cicada 3301-published puzzles on the web, the solution of which promised users “enlightenment” and joining the ranks of a mysterious organization.Some of them managed to reach the end and get in touch with the authors of the riddles, but their names and further fate remained unknown.

    The name Cicada 3301 is usually used to refer to a secret organization that has announced a contest for cryptography and cipher lovers on the Internet three times. For several years in a row — on January 5, 2012, 2013 and 2014 — puzzles were published on behalf of the group, for which no monetary reward was offered, or any material prize at all.

    The representatives of the group themselves told those who passed the tests the following: they are not pirates or hackers and do not engage in illegal activities. Their main goal is to promote the principles of freedom of information and the right to privacy on the Web.

    You've all wondered-who are we? And now we can tell you that we are an international community. We don't have a name. We don't have a symbol. We don't have a member list or website. We do not advertise ourselves. We are just a group of people united by common beliefs. A careful reading of the documents that were revealed to you in the process of solving puzzles should have already given you some idea of these views. Tyranny must end, censorship must not exist, and the right to privacy must be inviolable. We are not hackers or pirates. We do not engage in illegal activities. If you refuse, we will understand and not ask any questions. But if you agree and lie to us, we'll know about it. We are an organization dedicated to promoting freedom, security and the right to privacy on the web.

    A user hiding under the nickname Tekknolagi, in an interview with Fast Company, claimed that in the end he was able to pass all the tests and get confirmation of this from Cicada 3301. According to available information, in total, about 20 more people received such confirmations. The name of only one of them is known for certain — 15-year-old Marcus Wanner (Marcus Wanner) from Virginia.

    Exactly what kind of work Cicada 3301 does is unknown. There is also no information about who is hiding behind this name — one person, a secret community or an organization. During the contest period, it was reported several times that a number of users managed to solve puzzles and received an email from Cicada 3301 with an invitation to “personal certification”. None of the winners publicly announced their names or announced their membership in the group.

    Whisper of Cicadas — What is Cicada 3301 and who is behind the most mysterious cryptographic project on the Internet SOURCE: � � (you can read more here)

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