If you had no idea that UNH had its own team of computer hackers that regularly participate in competitions, don't feel bad, neither did I. Called the 'Wildhats' and made up of eight members, this group specializes in the very skill that terrifies us: hacking.

From March 9-11, the Wildhats competed in the 2012 Northeast Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, hosted by Northeastern University, at the training facility of information technology company EMC in Franklin, MA. For three days, the team was put through various tests, the overall goal being to create the cyber-networks typical of a small business that professional hackers can't get into. Using e-mail, websites, and remote access, the competitors from places like UNH, Rochester Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, Harvard University, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute challenged government, military, and other security firm pro's to hack them. Competitors earned points for stumping the professionals and lost points if their defenses didn't hold up.

The Wildhats accredited their second place win to intense preparation (up to 20 hours each week during the semeste) and effective strategy. While just competing is cool enough, team members have the possibility of being recruited by potential employers at these events. Sign me up.

Check out more information about the Wildhats.