Dr. Robert Flowers

• Artificial Intelligence (NLP, ML, DL)
• Computer Science (algorithms/data structures)
• Cybersecurity (data/software security)
• Information Technology (operating system/application development)
• Networking (protocol design, client/server, TCP/IP)
• Data Science (data wrangling, hypothesis testing, normality testing)
• Cloud (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS)

Bachelor of Science (BS), Information Technology
American Military University, Charles Town, West Virginia

Master of Science (MS), Information Technology
American Military University, Charles Town, West Virginia

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Cyber Leadership
Capitol Technology University, Laurel, Maryland

Doctor of Science (Sc.D.), Cybersecurity
Capitol Technology University, Laurel, Maryland

• Data Center:
  Former Enterprise Architect and TCP/IP network engineer responsible for LAN/WAN design, testing, configuration, deployment, maintenance, and upgrades supporting geographically dispersed financial transaction-oriented data centers (1K+ logins per second) for the world’s largest credit union (+$170B in assets).
• Cybersecurity Innovation:
  Patented a data-exfiltration algorithm that analyzes the effectiveness of anti-network steganographic countermeasures and subsequently engineered a TCP/IP client/server-based system that operationalized the patent using C++ programming.|Natural Language Processing (NLP): Created and later enhanced a Markov-based Natural Language Generation (NLG) system based on per-token O(1) indexed word selection from precomputed subject, verb, and object arrays. Currently modernizing the system to use NLP approaches with expanded corpora, tokenization, and lightweight vector-based representations in C++, while increasing tokens-per-second (T/ps) performance via algorithm optimization.|Machine Learning Engineering (MLE): Specialize in ML systems engineering that require the alignment of business case, inference engine (CMake configuration and compilation of llama.cpp for Linux, Windows, and macOS), optimized compute (CPU vs. GPU, VRAM vs. SRAM), and model selection based on non-functional characteristics such as parameter count (Mistral 7B vs. 13B) and the performance impacts of higher quantization (4-bit vs. 8-bit).

• Network Steganography: Full spectrum knowledge from header-based and application-layer network steganography countermeasures for on-premise and cloud-based deployments to c-suite strategies for data exfiltration risk mitigation via Service Organization Controls (SOC), including SOC 1 (financial reporting) and SOC 2 (data security).
• Public Key Infrastructure (PKI): Asymmetric cryptography (static and ephemeral Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman), symmetric cryptography (AES GCM with integrity via AAD), digital signatures (SHA-256 hashing), and modern cryptographic systems/frameworks (OpenSSL and the Microsoft Cryptographic Next Generation [CNG] Bcrypt API, using C++11).

• TOGAF Certified Enterprise Architect
• PMI Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Certified

• Sustained Superior Performance Award – 2008, 2011
• Superior Achievement Award – 2000, 2001

Flowers, R. (2022). Performance Impact of Header-Based Network Steganographic Countermeasures. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

Flowers, R. (2022). A Zero-Day Cloud Timing Channel Attack. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

Flowers, R. & Edeki, C. (2013). Business Process Modeling Notation. International Journal of Computer Science and Mobile Computing, 2(3), 35-40

U.S. Patent Issued: “Method and Apparatus for the Network Steganographic Assessment of a Test Subject

A hands-on engineer, active computer scientist, and retired assistant vice president who is equally effective in data centers or executive suites. U.S. patent holder with a track record of leveraging advanced technology to achieve strategic business wins. A former Fort Lauderdale, Florida Police Officer with the investigative experience (e.g., witness management, evidence handling, chain of custody, and court testimony) necessary to achieve real-world cybersecurity outcomes.