White hat hackers: Rami Malek, left, as Elliot, and Christian Slater as Mr. Robot in a scene from the hit TV series. Credit:AP Using video game slang and Hollywood movie references, the directorate is imploring teenagers to use their computer skills for the common good and help defend the nation rather than going over to the nefarious "dark side". The brochure asks students to join ASD to "play the game no one else can". It calls the fight between "white hat" and "black hat" hackers as the "classic story of the good guys versus the bad guys – and we need to win". White hat hackers use their skills to test and strengthen government and corporate security systems while black hats hack for financial gain, to reveal classified material or cause chaos. Experts believe the Census may have fallen victim to black hat "hacktivists". It was taken offline for two days last week after a series of "denial of service" attacks.

Mr Robot: The Australian Signals Directorate is using Hollywood movie references to attract teenagers with computer skills. Credit:AP ASD is one of a number of cyber security agencies – armed with hundreds of millions of dollars in new government funding – looking to dramatically boost its staff numbers as the internet becomes the front line of 21st century warfare. But finding people with the right high-level skills in Australia is difficult, which is why agencies are turning to schools to find emerging talent. White knights: kid coders are being targeted by spy agencies. Credit:Erin Jonasson The high school recruitment brochure says working at ASD is "so cool". The directorate offers the "ultimate IT jobs" in the country, giving staff access to cutting-edge technology and high-powered computers.

"Working in intelligence and security is exciting. You will be able to work on top secret projects that you won't find anywhere else." Sam Crowther was a teenage hacker before he joined the Australian Signals Directorate. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer You might think working in intelligence is about "sneaking around wearing an overcoat and dark sunnies", the brochure says. "But at DSD this is far from the truth! The work we do is secretive but we do it in T-shirts and jeans, work in a fun team environment and enjoy socialising outside of work!" Illustration: Matt Golding.

The directorate has in recent months also begun bankrolling the Girls Programming Network community group in Canberra, designed to get female students from years 4 to 12 interested in computers. The ASD – which keeps its budget and staffing levels secret from the public – is also reaching into universities and TAFE. "It is imperative that ASD, as the Commonwealth authority on cyber security, attracts graduates of the highest calibre to inform decisions about Australia's future. The education outreach program is designed to engage schools and universities in promoting ASD as a future employer in this highly competitive field," a defence spokesperson told Fairfax Media. Tobias Feakin from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, who served as an independent adviser on the government's classified Cyber Security Review, says agencies are competing for a small talent pool."It's a core part of the problem in cyber security right now, that there is just this lack of people with the right skills," he says."So we're seeing a range of agencies beginning to up their game to try and get people into their organisations."And that means aiming younger. By getting into schools, Dr Feakin says ASD is both scouting for talent – seeking hacking prodigies who can start making a contribution now – and playing an interventionist role: seeking to influence young hackers before they fall under the sway of groups like Anonymous, fictionalised and glamourised as the anarchic F-Society in the hit TV series Mr Robot."How do you pull them out of that and try and recreate something in government that is similarly appealing to them?" Dr Feakin says. Among the first high school students to do work experience with ASD was self-described hacker Sam Crowther, in 2013.

Then aged just 16, he saw an ASD recruitment ad for graduates at the cinema and hounded the agency until they gave him a placement. The directorate's high school outreach ramped up soon after, offering up to 40 kids a placement every year. "It was the most valuable thing I did in my teenage years," says Crowther now. After his stint at ASD he quickly went on to cyber security jobs with BAE Systems and Macquarie Group before he started his own security firm, Kasada. "It was a great confidence booster. It was also really great to get exposure to some of the cool things they get to play with – it gets you excited about working there." While ASD typically only recruits people with relevant university degrees, the brochure stresses it will make exceptions for people with "practical experience and aptitude". However no one is exempt from the rigorous background and psychological checks required for top secret security clearance.

The directorate is not the first of the agencies from the "five eyes" countries to look towards high schools for recruitment. The US National Security Agency and the UK's Government Communications Headquarters do the same.