Luncheon Discussion on Threats to Private Companies & The Power of Open Source Intelligence

Please join BENS members and guests for a luncheon discussion on how private sector companies face a growing range of threats from cyber intrusions and intellectual property theft to physical sabotage and influence operations, often conducted by nation-state actors or sophisticated criminal networks. In this landscape, open source intelligence (OSINT) has become an essential tool.

Mike Madsen will discuss how companies can gain early warning of risks, track threat actors, and improve their overall situational awareness by leveraging publicly-available data from social media, forums, satellite imagery, and digital footprint. He will also discuss how, if used effectively, OSINT can empower companies to be proactive rather than reactive, aligning well with the broader defense strategy of resilience through innovation.

Speaker Background:
Mike Madsen is a strategic national security leader with over three decades of experience at the intersection of defense, technology, and policy. Most recently, Mike was the Vice President of Government Relations at Strider Technologies, a venture-backed, mid-stage tech startup company focused on illuminating potential adversarial nation-state risk factors targeting intellectual property, personnel, and supply chains. In this role, Mike led efforts to deliver advanced capabilities to the public sector, the national security enterprise, and allied/international partners. Previously, Mike served as the Deputy Director of the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) within the U.S. Department of Defense. Before joining DIU, Mike was the Executive Director of the Section 809 Congressional Advisory Panel on Streamlining Defense Acquisition, where he led efforts to modernize and reform the defense acquisition system to better meet 21st-century challenges. Mike served 22 years in the U.S. Air Force as a pilot, legislative liaison, and programming officer. He retired as the Senior Air Force Advisor to the Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.