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Attention gamblers: The CIA wants a word with you.

The CIA is getting in on the gambling business. Oh, don't worry, they're not going to use slots to bankroll a banana republic coup or anything. Rather, they're looking for seasoned chance-gamers to help them predict the future of data security. From Forbes:

In the scheme that the three researchers hope to launch in an “alpha” version sometime in the next few months, participants will be able to place bets on questions in information security. Will the SHA1 hashing scheme be found to have a weakness before the end of the year? Or will Regulation E, the statute that provides consumer protection for digital banking, be changed in 2012? If thousands of real, monetary bets are placed on those probabilities, the researchers hope the wisdom of crowds will provide some realistic odds on possible outcomes.

"I want to put it all on red. Red meaning 'hacking of enhanced digital banking signature encryption.'"

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As a longtime journalist in Southern Nevada, native Las Vegan Andrew Kiraly has served as a reporter covering topics as diverse as health, sports, politics, the gaming industry and conservation. He joined Desert Companion in 2010, where he has helped steward the magazine to become a vibrant monthly publication that has won numerous honors for its journalism, photography and design, including several Maggie Awards.