Feeling lost in the digital world? Dr. Tom is here to help!
Join Dr. Tom every week in his column, Dr. Tom’s Cyber Bits and Tips, for byte-sized advice on all things cyber and tech. Whether you’re concerned about online safety, curious about the latest cybercrime trends, or simply want to navigate the ever-evolving digital landscape, Dr. Tom has you covered.
From practical cybersecurity tips to insightful breakdowns of current threats, Dr. Tom’s column empowers you to stay informed and protect yourself online. So, dive in and get savvy with the web – with Dr. Tom as your guide!
About Dr. Tom
Thomas Hyslip currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of Criminology, University of South Florida teaching exclusively in the online Master of Science in Cybercrime program. The program is a unique blend of criminology, digital forensics, cybercrime investigations, and incident response course work.
Prior to USF, Dr. Hyslip worked as a Special Agent with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and United States Secret Service for 23 years. While assigned to the DCIS Southeast Field Office, Dr. Hyslip led an undercover operation dedicated to targeting and dismantling the most egregious cyber-criminal enterprises. Dr. Hyslip worked with the National Security Agency, and the United States Cyber Command to identify and infiltrate cyber-criminal organizations targeting the DoD.
In 2012, Dr. Hyslip was promoted to lead the newly created Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Resident Agency. He led daily procedural and operational activities of special agents in eight locations across the eastern United States responding to computer intrusions within the DoD and the Defense Industrial Base. His office also provided computer forensic support to all DCIS offices and investigations within the Eastern United States, Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia. During this time, Dr. Hyslip worked proactively to target international Cyber-Crime groups and worked undercover to penetrate underground cyber-crime organizations which resulted in the dismantlement of the WebStresser DDoS platform in 2018; the ExoStresser DDoS platform in 2019; and the PowerStresser DDoS platform in 2020.
Dr. Hyslip is also a retired U.S. Army Colonel. His last assignment was as a Historian with the U.S. Army Center of Military History. He was previously assigned to the Office of the Surgeon General as an Environmental Engineer, and as an Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine at the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. COL Hyslip has a mix of active duty and reserve assignments spanning over 27 years including assignments with the US African Command, Office of Inspector General, the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, and the US Army Reserve Information Operations Command. In 2005, COL Hyslip deployed to Iraq with the 306th Military Police Battalion and earned a Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Combat Action Badge.
Dr. Hyslip earned his Doctor of Science degree in Information Assurance from Capitol College, Master of Science degree in Technology Systems from East Carolina University, and his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Clarkson University. Tom and his wife Susan live in Tega Cay, SC with their daughter Reagan.
