Online Undercover Investigations Training

The ONLINE Undercover Investigations Training is an interactive 16-hour online course that will be delivered over a two-week period via MSU’s online learning platform (D2L). The course is taught by two federal agents with many years of undercover cyber investigative experience. Students will be introduced to a wide range of cyber investigative tools and techniques.

PDF Flyer With More Information Available Here

Registration is now CLOSED!

Class Dates: May 10, 2021 - May 24, 2021
Cost: $300 per student

Class is limited to 30 students
MCOLES approved

 

Questions? Please feel free to contact Dr. Tom Holt (holtt@msu.edu).

  • Instructors

    Dr. Thomas Hyslip

    Dr. Thomas Hyslip is currently the Resident Agent in Charge of the Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office, Eastern Resident Agency.  Prior to joining the DCIS in 2007, Dr. Hyslip was a Special Agent with the US Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division, and the US Secret Service.  Throughout his 19 years of federal law enforcement, Dr. Hyslip has specialized in cybercrime investigations and computer forensics.  Dr. Hyslip has testified as an expert witness on computer forensics and network intrusions at numerous federal, state, and local courts.

    Dr. Hyslip is also an Assistant Professor at Norwich University, College of Graduate and Continuing Studies.  He specializes in cybercrime and critical infrastructure protection within the Masters of Science in Information Assurance and Security program.  He has authored three books in the Bit Wars Series on Cybercrime and Hacking, as well as written numerous articles and presentations. Dr. Hyslip received his Doctor of Science degree in Information Assurance from Capitol College in 2014.  He previously obtained a Master of Science degree from East Carolina University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Clarkson University.  Dr. Hyslip is a Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP) and a Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH).

    Dr. Hyslip is also a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves and is currently assigned as the senior Army Reserve Officer to the U.S. Army, Office of the Surgeon General, Deputy Chief of Staff for Public Health.  He was previously 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 20 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..

    Gary Rudd

    Gary Rudd is a Special Agent (SA) with the Department of Defense (DoD), Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Cyber Field Office, and is currently based in Fort Lauderdale, FL. SA Rudd was hired by DCIS in 2008 and shortly after graduated the Federal Law Enforcement training Academy basic agent training program. DCIS agents protects America’s warfighters by investigating terrorism; preventing the illegal transfer of sensitive defense technologies to proscribed nations and criminal elements; investigating companies that use defective parts in weapons systems and equipment utilized by the military; stopping cyber-crimes and computer intrusions; and investigating cases of fraud, bribery, and corruption.

    As a cybercrime agent SA Rudd is actively involved in investigating network intrusion attempts into critical Defense Department computer systems and those of defense contractors. SA Rudd has worked on a number of cases involving denial of service attacks and large scale hacking into various DoD networks and other government and private industry systems. SA Rudd was involved in the arrest and prosecution of a number of members of the Team Digital Hacking Group. SA Rudd is also involved in the Secret Service’s Miami Electronic Crimes Task Forces as well as assisting in joint agency investigations and search warrant executions and regularly perform digital media imaging and computer forensic analysis. SA Rudd previously attended the undercover academy and currently runs an undercover operation targeting underground hacker forums and large scale botnets involved in denial of service attacks.

    Prior to DCIS, SA Rudd was a Customs and Border Protection Officer at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport for two years. Outside of Federal employment, SA Rudd had over a decade of experience with computer and information technology as a business owner and information technology enterprise consultant. SA Rudd holds numerous technical certifications including the Department of Defense Certified Cyber Crime Investigator and Certified Ethical Hacker and has attended extensive computer network, information security and hacking classes. SA Rudd has been teaching digital safety for undercover agents at the Undercover Training Program for a number of years.

    SA Rudd graduated Indiana State University with a B.S in Aeronautical Science in 1995 and was a flight instructor and contract pilot for many years. SA Rudd also attended the Defense Cyber Investigations Training Academy (DCITA) where he received numerous Department of Defense cyber certifications.

  • Course Outline

    MSU COURSE OUTLINE

    Course Title: Online Undercover Investigation
    Course Duration: 16 hours of training over a 2-week period
    Students Will Learn:

    1. Fundamentals of Internet Technology
    2. How Web and Email Systems Work
    3. Dangers of Undercover Online Investigations
    4. Protecting your "e-cover" online

    Interactive Labs Include:

    1. Establishing Undercover Online Identities
    2. Encrypting /Decrypting Communications and Sensitive Data
    3. Creating Undercover Social Media Accounts
    4. Locating Hidden Data in Electronic Files

    New Cyber Criminal Threats:

    1. Understanding and Using Cryptocurrency (Bitcoins)
    2. Accessing the Dark Web / Deep Web
    3. Finding criminal activity in Underground Marketplaces and Forums
    4. Criminal digital communication methods

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