The Mystery of Cicada 3301: A Cryptographic Puzzle

Introduction

The Cicada 3301 puzzle is a really tricky game that people play on the internet to find hidden treasures. It's super complicated, and lots of people think it's really cool! Once upon a time, on January 4, 2012, someone who didn't want to give their name posted a picture on a website called 4chan which is known for having lots of interesting stuff. The game was to find a secret message in the picture. In just a few minutes, someone found out that if you open the picture with a special program, you can see words written on it. This message had secret letters that, when figured out, showed another picture.

At first, it seemed like there was no way to find more information, but people found out that they could use an app called Outguess to find hidden stuff in the first picture. This stuff helped me find a special website where people talked about a book. The book had a secret code that showed a phone number. When you called the number, you heard a message with hints. The message said there were three special numbers connected to the picture, and we had to find the other two. If you take these three numbers and multiply them together, then add ".com" at the end, you'll know what to do next.

People started guessing and talking about why someone made the puzzle and who made it. Some people thought it was a joke, but others thought it was too complicated to be just a silly trick. People were saying that maybe a group or a secret club wanted to find smart people who were good at solving secret codes and stuff like that. But these were the only stories that people were talking about.

So, two numbers were missing. We took those numbers and multiplied them by the width and height of a picture. Then, we used the answer to make a website address. When people went to that website, they saw a countdown and a picture of a bug called a cicada. When the countdown reached zero, the page was refreshed and showed a list of numbers that tell you where things are in different places on Earth. People who live close to these specific locations had to go outside and look for signs with a special picture of a bug called a Cicada and a special code that can be scanned with a phone.

The secret messages on the posters showed a picture. Inside the picture, there was another puzzle to solve. When we solved that puzzle, it led us to a book. And then there was another puzzle in the book, and so on. Finally, a special group of people got chosen to do the last part of the puzzle. The website shut down and said they only wanted the very best, not people who just followed along. The people who made it to the final round were told not to work together or tell anyone about this secret part of the puzzle.

After not hearing anything for almost a month, a picture showed up on the subreddit saying that the puzzle was finished. Cicada found some really smart people they were searching for, but we don't know what happened to them. Lots of people were confused because they didn't explain things well and didn't answer all the questions. They wanted to know why the puzzle was made, who made it, and what happens when you finish it.

The puzzle kept going with two more rounds. Each round had things like secret messages, books, and places you could actually go to. In the third round, they showed a special book called the "Liber Primus." It was mostly written in special symbols called runes. But the translated pages were really hard to understand, like a secret code, and there were still lots of clues and puzzles that nobody could figure out.

Some people think that Cicada 3301 is a secret group of computer experts. They want to find other people who care about privacy and security. But we don't know for sure because it's all a big mystery! The puzzles help find smart people who can work together to make software that keeps our information private.

People have ideas and guesses about Cicada 3301, but we don't really know what they're all about. It's a big secret! The puzzle is really interesting because there isn't a clear answer, and people keep guessing about it.

The First Puzzle

When the picture went all over the internet, a bunch of people who like solving mysteries came together and wanted to figure out the tricky puzzle. People started guessing where the puzzle came from and what it was for. Some people thought it was a joke, but others thought it was too complicated to be just a silly trick.

People claimed that a secretive or a spy organization that wanted to find intelligent individuals who were adept at deciphering codes created the puzzle. But these were just stories that people were talking about, and nobody knew who made the puzzle or why they made it.

People found out that the picture didn't have two important numbers that were supposed to be there. The numbers that were missing showed how big the original picture was. If you take these three numbers and multiply them together, then add ".com" at the end, you'll find the next step in the puzzle.

When you typed in the special website address you got from multiplying numbers, you saw a timer counting down and a picture of a bug called a cicada. Everyone was getting really excited as the countdown reached zero and the page updated to show a list of numbers that tell us where things are in different places on Earth.

People who live close to these specific locations had to go outside and look for posters with a special picture of a bug called a Cicada and a special code that can be scanned with a phone. This part of the puzzle made it even more interesting and exciting for the people playing.

People thought that because Cicada used real places, this puzzle wasn't just a joke from one person. It seemed like a big group from different countries made it. The puzzle was really hard and big, so it seemed like it was more than just a game.

Each picture's special code took people to a picture, which had another puzzle, leading to a book, and so on. Finally, a special group of people reached the last part of the puzzle. They were told not to work together or tell anyone about this secret part of the puzzle.

After not hearing anything for almost a whole month, a picture showed up on the subreddit saying that the puzzle was finished. Cicada thought they had found really smart people, but we don't know what happened to them.

Lots of people were confused because the puzzle didn't have clear explanations, and there were still questions that didn't get answered. They wanted to know why the puzzle was made, who made it, and what happens when you finish it. They didn't know that this was only the start.

The Second Puzzle

After not hearing from them for a whole year, Cicada 3301 came back and gave us a new puzzle to solve. This time, they added a special signature to each clue to make sure it's real. This helped people check if a picture or message was really from Cicada and not someone pretending to be Cicada.

When they added the PGP signature, the puzzle got even more exciting, and everyone got really crazy about it. After trying for a long time, this picture finally looked exactly like Cicada's official PGP signature. The second set of puzzles has started.

The second puzzle was just like the first one. It had a picture with a secret message that showed us a book and a link. Little by little, the puzzle started to come apart. Once, people found a sound recording called "The Instar Emergence." It gave them another hint for the puzzle they were trying to solve.

Someone found a clue that led them to a secret Twitter account. Then, they found a picture on that account. For a long time, people didn't know what the special letters in the picture meant.

The second puzzle was like the first puzzle because it also had something you could touch or move. They gave us a list of places to go to find secret signs. We had to walk around outside to find them. This time, there were eight jobs in four different countries.

But then, we couldn't find any more clues. More people were chosen to join a special last part of the puzzle that only certain people can be a part of. The second puzzle didn't have a message from Cicada like the first one did. The path where Cicada went disappeared, and Cicada went away again, leaving everyone not knowing what happened.

But that wasn't the end. The third puzzle came out in 2014, just like the others before it. Once again, a picture, a note, a book, and a web address were part of the puzzle's next steps.

This time, the puzzle was all about a strange book called "Liber Primus," which means "First Book" in Latin. Most of the book was written in special symbols called runes. These runes helped people understand the runic alphabet that was found in 2013.

But figuring out the translated pages was really hard, and there were still lots of secret messages and hints that nobody could solve. The book talked about different big ideas and beliefs, like a letter from Cicada.

Even though they had translated some of the books, there were still some pages with secret codes they couldn't decipher. So, there were 74 pages written in special letters called runes. But only 19 of those pages have been figured out and understood.

Just like the other puzzles we did, the third puzzle had something we had to do with our bodies. There's a new list of places on a map where people have to look for mysterious signs on the streets. This time, there were 20 jobs in seven countries.

Right now, we haven't made much progress on the third puzzle, and Cicada hasn't said anything, so we still have a lot of questions that we don't know the answers to. We still don't know why the puzzles were made, who made them, or what happens when you finish them. It's all a big mystery.

People have different ideas about what Cicada 3301 is, but the most likely explanation is that it's a group of secret developers who want to find smart people who care about keeping things private and safe.

The puzzles help find and test these people, and maybe they can work together to make software that keeps our privacy safe.

Even though we don't know for sure what Cicada 3301 is all about, the puzzle is still really interesting and makes people want to figure it out.

The Third Puzzle

In 2014, they started the third round of the Cicada 3301 puzzle. It was like the other rounds before it. Again, there were some things like a picture, a note, a book, and a web address that helped solve the puzzle.

This time, we were looking at a strange book called "Liber Primus," which means "First Book" in Latin. Most of the book was written in special symbols called runes. These runes helped people understand the runic alphabet that was found in 2013.

But figuring out the translated pages was really hard, and there were still lots of secret messages and hints that we couldn't solve. The book talked about different thoughts and beliefs, kind of like a plan or a statement from Cicada.

Even though they translated part of the book, there were still some pages that had secret codes on them that they couldn't figure out yet. So, there were 74 pages written in a special kind of writing called runes. But only 19 of those pages have been figured out and understood.

Just like the other puzzles we did, the third puzzle had something we had to do with our bodies. There's a new list of places to find on the streets. You have to look for mysterious posters. This time, there were 20 jobs in seven different countries.

Right now, we haven't made much progress on the third puzzle, and Cicada hasn't said anything, which means we still have a lot of questions that need answers. We still don't know why the puzzles were made, who made them, or what happens when you finish them. It's a big mystery!

People have different ideas about Cicada 3301, but the most likely explanation is that it's a group of secret developers who want to find smart people who care about privacy and safety.

The puzzles help find and test these people, which might lead to working together on software that keeps our privacy safe.

Even though we don't know for sure what Cicada 3301 is all about, the puzzle is still really interesting and makes people curious when they try to solve it.

In 2016, Cicada told people to look at the "Liber Primus" book again. This means there might still be a chance for people who really want to solve the third puzzle. Maybe we'll learn new things and figure out the answers to the things we don't understand yet.

Possible Explanations and Recruits

People have different ideas about why Cicada 3301 was made and who made it. Some people think that there might be a group or a secret club that wants to find smart people who are good at solving secret codes or other tricky puzzles. Some people think that it's a bunch of secret developers working together on software that keeps your information private.

Governments and companies use similar methods to find people to join them. In 2013, a group called GCHQ in the UK made a game called "Can You Find It" to find new people to work for them. In the game, you had to solve secret codes online. If you did a good job, you could win a prize or maybe even get a job with the group. Google and the US Navy have done something cool. They made games that helped them find really smart people.

Stories from people who claim to have solved the puzzles give us some clues about what Cicada 3301 is like. People who were asked about it think that Cicada 3301 is a group of people who all believe in privacy and keeping things safe. The puzzles help find people who think the same way and want to make software that keeps our information private. They might work together to make cool privacy-focused software.

Some people think that there might be a connection to a group called the Cypherpunks. The Cypherpunk movement was a group of people who wanted to keep things private and safe on the internet. They believed in using unique codes and tools to prevent others from seeing information. Maybe Cicada 3301 is part of or related to this group, but we don't have any solid proof to say for sure.

People have lots of ideas and guesses about Cicada 3301, but we don't really know what they're all about. The puzzles don't have a clear answer, and people keep guessing about them. This makes the mysterious organization even more interesting and puzzling.

Conclusion of the Puzzle

The Cicada 3301 puzzle is a really interesting game that people on the internet have been playing since 2012. It's like a big mystery that makes people want to figure out what's going on. But because nobody has given clear answers or explained things properly, it seems like people are just pretending to chase after something that isn't real. This has made a lot of people confused and not sure if they believe it.

People have come up with different ideas about what Cicada 3301 is. Some people think that a group or a spy organization is trying to find smart people who are good at solving secret codes or similar things. Some people think that it is a group of secret developers who want to work together on making software that keeps things private.

Cicada 3301 may be a group of people who care a lot about privacy and work together without a central leader. Some information from people who took part in it supports this idea. According to the people who say they won the puzzles, Cicada 3301 is thought to be a group of people who all believe in keeping things private and safe. The puzzles help find and test people who believe in the same things. This could lead to working together on making software that keeps our information private.

Cicada 3301, a mysterious group, made their most recent announcement to the public in April 2017. They wanted to tell people to be careful about believing false information. Since then, the puzzle has been a big mystery that nobody has been able to solve. The third round is still unsolved, and there might even be a fourth round coming up.

We don't really know what Cicada 3301 is all about, but it's a puzzle that really grabs people's attention and makes them curious. The fact that we don't have a clear answer and people keep guessing makes this mysterious puzzle even more interesting and exciting.