Imagine you're starting your first day of work for a small web-based business and by lunchtime, you've had to defend the company against hackers while tackling dozens of tasks from your new boss. That was the scenario the University of South Carolina Cyber Defense team met at its first competition on April 12.

The team, made up of six College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) students as well as several CEC staff members, competed andplaced second in the Palmetto Cyber Defense Competition in Charleston. The challenge is designed to test students' skills in real world computer security scenarios that they may meet as a system administrator or in the workplace.

"Most of what we learn on a day to day basis in class is theoretical," said Catharine West, sophomore computer science and engineering student. "This is practical, so it is a great test of what we may face once we graduate and begin our careers."

USC competed against seven other colleges and universities from across South Carolina.

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