Pentagon scientists say they could stop 40 percent of current cyberattacks by producing secure computer chips. The System Security Integrated Through Hardware and firmware, or SSITH, program is looking for help from industry.

Underlining the NSA's race to hire the best and brightest is a list of universities that offer myriad of computer security training programs, each providing a stepping stone into the secretive agency. In this context, Carnegie Mellon University is to the NSA what the University of Alabama is to the NFL.