Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
Lifestyle
Linda Howard

GCHQ uses Instagram and Reddit in new recruitment drive for cyber spies ahead of application deadline

GCHQ has turned to social media in place of the traditional "tap on the shoulder" approach as part of its biggest ever recruitment drive for cyber operations.

The agency's cyber spies have been allowed to lift the lid on their roles in the first-ever Reddit and Instagram Q&A sessions, in a bid to attract more creative people with a Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) degree, from diverse backgrounds across the UK>.

Cyber operatives using the names Anika and Jane have been taking questions from the public on Reddit since August, ahead of the looming September 7 deadline for applications.

"Thankfully we're past the point of having to surreptitiously tap people on the shoulder," Anika responded to one interested user.

"Today we're a click of a mouse away."

New GCHQ recruits will be expected to work on tasks such as l egally infiltrating computers of terrorists and criminals, gathering intelligence on adversaries and developing software that disrupts criminal plans.

It comes as part of a drive to scale up the intelligence and security organisation's capabilities when tackling some of the most difficult global threats in the world.

People who are interested should apply at gchq-careers.co.uk.

Get the latest money saving and benefits news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our weekly Money newsletter here .

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.