GCHQ, Britain’s electronic and cyber-intelligence agency, on Wednesday published its annual Christmas Challenge – a seasonal greeting card that doubles as a set of fiendishly difficult puzzles designed to excite young minds about solving cyphers and unearthing clues.

Challenge includes puzzles meant to engage young people in complex problem-solving. The aim is to inspire interest in STEM subjects and potential careers in cybersecurity. The initiative encourages teamwork and appeals to a range of intellectual skills,

What does a spy agency give for Christmas? How about a riddle wrapped in an enigma inside a mystery. GCHQ, Britain’s electronic and cyber-intelligence agency, on Wednesday published its annual Christmas Challenge – a seasonal greeting card that doubles as a set of fiendishly difficult puzzles designed to excite young minds about solving cyphers and unearthing clues.

GCHQ's challenge is aimed at young people aged 11 to 18, who are encouraged to work in teams and use “lateral thinking, ingenuity and perseverance” to crack the seven brainteasers.