Dr. Hugh Thompson ‘98, 99, ’02, A Game Changer in IT Security
Using a unique approach to IT security, Dr. Hugh Thompson has been helping organizations build more secure systems for more than a decade. Hugh studied applied mathematics at Florida Tech, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1998, master’s degree in 1999, and doctorate in 2002. Here, he learned the tools that influenced his current philosophy.
Hugh is currently chief technology officer for Symantec, the Silicon Valley-based software company behind the Norton suite of security software and other products. He has co-authored three books, written more than eighty academic and industrial publications on security, and been interviewed by BBC, CNN, MSNBC, Financial Times, The Washington Post, and other notable news outlets.
“Thoughtful analytics is a game changer. The brilliant ways to associate data from different places, and make conclusions out of that data, are essential tools. So is human behavior analysis; the ability to understand people is huge, and it helps businesses plan for and prevent mistakes,” he explained.
In 2006, Hugh was recognized as one of the “Top Five Most Influential Thinkers in IT Security” by SC Magazine and has, for the past several years, served as the program committee chairman for the RSA Conference, guiding the technical content for the world’s largest information security gathering. He also sits on the editorial board of IEEE Security and Privacy Magazine, and he is an adjunct professor at Columbia University in New York.
Dr. Thompson was featured in Florida Tech’s 60th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.
