The Cicada 3301, described by the Metro as the “most elaborate and mysterious puzzle of the Internet age,” is a website with coded messages that when decoded leads to a decoy, which in turn contains a clue, which leads to more elaborate codes and clues, all signed by Cicada 3301. Eventually a phone number is revealed with a recorded message which leads to a secure website with an image of a Cicada and a countdown. When the countdown expires coordinates are revealed located in the USA, Europe and Asia where there are Cicada posters which proves this is a global organization. One would think this was some public relations campaign or some corporate advertising, but according to the Metro’s article, this all started at the beginning of 2012 on on internet forum 4chan, making it a little long to be advertising any one particular product.
This is the fist time I have heard about it, kind of cool. I might have to spend a few spare moments looking at some of the puzzles.