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Thomas Rid
Professor of Strategic Studies
About
Rid brings to Johns Hopkins more than a decade of experience in international security and intelligence studies, previously serving as a Professor of Security Studies in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, where he developed a Cyber Security module that bridged the gap between technological and political debates.
Rid has recently shared his expertise on information security through testimony before the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, as well as insights on intelligence with the German Bundestag and the UK Parliament.
Rid closely tracked the election interference in 2016, and was one of the first named sources to call out the hack-and-leak as a Russian intelligence operation, only one day after details became public.
He has held positions at the RAND Corporation in Washington, the Institut Français des Relations Internationales in Paris, and served as a visiting scholar at Hebrew University and Shalem Center in Jerusalem. From 2007 to 2008, Rid served as a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins SAIS. He holds a PhD and MA in Social Science from Humboldt University in Berlin.
Books:
Rid, T. (2016). Rise of the machines: A cybernetic history. New York: W. W. Norton et Company.
Rid, T. (2013). Cyber war will not take place. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
In the News
Political violence 'much more likely' when facts are undermined.
Thomas Rid interviewed on Sky News’ Into the Grey Zone podcast, 01/18
Competing for influence: Operations in the information environment.
Thomas Rid interviewed on Irregular Warfare podcast, 01/16
Justice Department, federal court system hit by Russian hack.
Thomas Rid quoted in Associated Press, 01/07
The 'mega-hack' revealed this week has been raging since March.
Thomas Rid interviewed on NPR, 12/20
Trump contradicts Pompeo in bid to downplay massive hack of U.S. government, Russia’s role.
Thomas Rid quoted in The Washington Post, 12/19
Feds call 'nine-month long undetected' Russian hack that breached U.S. nuclear agencies, Microsoft, 'most of the Fortune 500' and State Department a 'grave threat' - as Senate Whip demands 'a response'.
Thomas Rid quoted in Daily Mail, 12/17
Deep U.S. institutional secrets may have been exposed in hack blamed on Russia.
Thomas Rid quoted in The Guardian, 12/16
White House National-Security Adviser cuts European trip short to deal with major cyberattack.
Thomas Rid quoted on Radio Free Europe, 12/16
Hack may have exposed deep U.S. secrets; damage yet unknown.
Thomas Rid quoted in Associated Press, 12/15
Russian hack was ‘classic espionage’ with stealthy, targeted tactics.
Thomas Rid quoted in The Washington Post, 12/14
DHS, State and NIH join list of federal agencies — now five — hacked in major Russian cyberespionage campaign.
Thomas Rid quoted in The Washington Post, 12/14