Protecting U.S. from an unseen enemy

WRIGHT PATTERSON A.F.B., Ohio (WDTN) - Inside the room a battle is raging.

It's one that's being fought with clicks and keystrokes instead of rounds and rifles.

"It's kind of a cat and mouse game that we play," says Masters student Ronald Clark.

Only at the Center for Cyberspace Research they use a different kind of mouse.

Students there have been taking part in a final exam of sorts this week.

Their combat is done with computers by cracking codes and defending data.

"It's actually the closest thing to hand-to-hand combat we're going to get to in the cyber arena," says Dr. Tim Lacey, a cyber defense instructor.

Right now cyber space is like the Wild West. A place full of computer cowboys either trying to steal your secrets or protect them.

"We like to say around here there's no such thing as security," Lacey says. "Only varying degrees of insecurity."

That's why students like Deanna Fink have decided to join the fight. She was going to be a math major but for her, numbers couldn't equal this kind of challenge.

"I want to be able to help those uncertainties and ease the mind of my mom surfing on the internet," Deanna says.

Others like Ronald Clark have been interested since before cyber was even a space.

"My first computer was a Commodore 64 back in the 80's," Ronald says.

Technology has come a long way since then to the point where you can do a lot of damage without ever leaving your seat.

"I definitely scared myself a few times in class that I didn't know people could do these things and now I can do it," Deanna says.

Soon the students will be off to fight real cyber battles, defending the nation just the same as other soldiers.

"We just hope that we're a step ahead," Deanna says.