Thomas Byrd

Thomas Byrd has served as a Senior Professional Staff member at Johns Hopkins University – Applied Physics Laboratory in the Critical Infrastructure Protection Group where his practical work, research, and educational pedagogy focus on planning, coordinating, and controlling information security locally, nationally and internationally. Thomas provided executive leadership and the development of technical solutions for core areas of Information Security that include operational, financial, and administrative performance. He provided executive counsel to senior leadership related to cybersecurity, fiscal administration, Risk Management Framework/DoD Acquisition, Supply Chain Risk Management, IT audit and compliance, cyber law, and legal policy at the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Ensuring a systematic approach to selecting, managing, and evaluating IT security investments in accordance with federal and DoD policies, standards, and regulations (e.g. FISMA, FIPS, CNSS, HIPAA/HITECH, NIST, DFARS) was also part of his portfolio.

Thomas’ academic accomplishments are also diverse and substantive. Thomas holds a Bachelors of Science in Engineering, a Master of Science, and a Juris Doctorate degree. His continued thirst for knowledge has provided him with a multitude of opportunities, among them are his experiences as chairman and associate professor of an engineering international studies program in Rome, Italy; as a student participant in an international comparative law program at Oxford University in Oxford, England; and as a student of Islamic Studies (Arabic language studies) at the U.S State Department’s Foreign Service Institute. Capitalizing on the exceptional experiences Thomas has acquired in a major U.S. corporation; in the world’s preeminent law enforcement and military agency; in the U.S. Intelligence Community; and in academia, he integrates this comprehensive combination into the development and advancement of IT practice, research, and education that will have a positive impact on all sectors of the U.S Critical Infrastructure.