Presented by ClearanceJobs & Carahsoft
When David Cattler, former Director of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, took the stage at ClearanceJobs Connect 2025, his message was clear: security is about trust.
“Security isn’t just compliance,” Cattler said. “It’s about managing and sustaining trust relationships with people who protect the nation.”
Under Cattler’s leadership, DCSA rolled out new technologies to improve continuous vetting and make the clearance process more transparent. Applicants will soon be able to track their investigations much like they track a delivery order. “We want people to see where they stand,” he said, “while maintaining integrity and fairness throughout.”
Balancing speed with security remains a defining challenge. “We’re trying to move at the fastest responsible speed,” he said. “If you’re too fast, you risk letting the wrong people in. Too slow, and you keep the right people out. Our job is to get that balance right.”
He described DCSA’s broader portfolio: overseeing industrial security, conducting background checks for 95 percent of cleared Americans, managing insider-threat programs, and leading credentialing and training across the Department of Defense.
On insider threats, Cattler cautioned that there is no “silver bullet.” “Insider threats aren’t always violent,” he noted. “They can involve espionage, sabotage, or even careless communication. We need to identify warning signs early, while respecting privacy and rights.”
Artificial intelligence, he said, offers opportunities but also ethical limits. “AI can help us process large volumes of data and flag anomalies,” he said. “But the decision about trust must remain human. Our judgments affect people’s livelihoods, their ability to serve, and their families.”
As he prepares to retire from federal service, Cattler reflected on his legacy: empowering a 15,000-person workforce to innovate responsibly. “My job has been to set the conditions,” he said. “To protect the mission and the people, and to encourage them to find better ways of doing business.”
His closing thought captured the spirit of the event: “We and industry are on the same team. We all care about national security and preserving America’s competitive edge. Our work is about protecting that trust, together.”