Robert (Bob) Thompson

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Instructor, Computer Science

Professional background

Robert (Bob) Thompson is an Instructor of Computer Science at Saint Martin’s University with more than 30 years of experience in cybersecurity, communications systems, technical program management, and large-scale operational leadership. A retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, he led and supported mission-critical communications and information-systems programs in U.S., global, multinational, and NATO environments.

His NATO experience included leading the transition of tactical satellite communications from Single Channel Per Carrier to Demand Assigned Multiple Access and serving as project manager for NATO’s approximately $552 million SATCOM Post-2000 program.

At Saint Martin’s University, Thompson provides technical leadership in applied cybersecurity education and Security Operations Center-oriented instruction, emphasizing alignment between academic coursework and current industry and government cybersecurity practices.

His work includes incorporating AI governance concepts—particularly the NIST AI Risk Management Framework and ISO/IEC 42001—into cybersecurity curriculum planning and applied instruction, helping students understand how organizations assess and communicate cybersecurity and AI-related risk.

Institutional leadership and partnerships

Thompson expanded industry-aligned learning opportunities for Saint Martin’s University students and military-affiliated learners. He successfully established Saint Martin’s University’s Cisco Networking Academy partnership, originated and finalized the academic partnership between Saint Martin’s University and the Cloud Security Alliance, and advanced the university’s Red Hat Academy partnership in support of the Computer Science and Vet2Tech programs.

NEXUS faculty feature

Faculty feature: Thompson was profiled on page 22 of the inaugural issue of NEXUS, the publication of Saint Martin’s University’s College of Business, Engineering and Technology.

Media appearance

Cybersecurity subject-matter expert, PBS Northwest Now, “Cyber Security,” February 2025.
Watch the episode

Teaching & research interests

Thompson’s interests focus on the intersection of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity governance and advanced data architectures, particularly as AI reshapes both offensive and defensive cyber operations.

Areas of interest include:

  • AI-enabled cybersecurity governance and risk management
  • Advanced malware detection and behavior-based defensive analytics
  • Graph databases for security operations and attack-path analysis
  • Behavioral and process-based models for threat detection
  • Integration of graph databases, vector databases and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to improve explainability and reduce hallucinations in AI-assisted security analysis

Teaching & applied focus

Thompson designs and delivers hands-on cybersecurity laboratories emphasizing:

  • Security Operations Center (SOC) workflows
  • SIEM log analysis and detection engineering
  • Linux, Windows and cloud infrastructure security
  • Threat intelligence ingestion and correlation
  • Ethical and governance considerations in modern cybersecurity practice

His instructional approach emphasizes practical, job-ready skills aligned with workforce needs.

Education

M.S., Computer Science, Saint Martin's University
B.A., Psychology, Eastern Washington University

Professional certifications 

Advanced Cybersecurity and AI Security

  • CompTIA SecurityX — Xpert Series (CAS-005)
  • AKYLADE AI Security Practitioner
  • AKYLADE AI Security Foundations

Cybersecurity and Threat Intelligence

  • EC-Council Certified Threat Intelligence Analyst (CTIA)
  • EC-Council Certified Network Defender (CND)
  • EC-Council Certified SOC Analyst (CSA)
  • EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH v13)
  • CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+)
  • CompTIA PenTest+
  • CompTIA Security+


Networking, Wireless and Systems

  • Certified Wireless Security Professional (CWSP)
  • Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA)
  • CompTIA Network+
  • CompTIA Linux+
  • CompTIA Server+


Cloud and Infrastructure

  • CompTIA CloudNetX — Xpert Series (CNX-001)
  • CompTIA Cloud+
  • CompTIA Cloud Essentials+


Data and Analytics

  • CompTIA DataAI — Xpert Series (formerly DataX)
  • CompTIA DataSys+


Technology Management, Instruction and Academic Programs

  • CompTIA Project+
  • CompTIA Certified Technical Trainer (CTT+)
  • Cisco Networking Academy Instructor