“Security is a Team Sport”: The Rising Industry of Private Sector Intelligence
From Small World, Big Problems by JHU SAIS Philip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies
February 24, 2026 · 29 min · Season 4 · Episode 5
About this episode
The episode discusses the intersection of profit motives and national security in the context of private sector intelligence.
Riley Bryant sits down with Dr. Deborah Wituski, a 20-year veteran of the CIA and an early contributor to the emerging field of private sector intelligence services. In an increasingly globalized economy, what happens when profit motives intersect with national security imperatives? How can traditional intelligence agencies adapt to incorporate these new perspectives coming out of the private sector? Drawing on case studies, policy frameworks, and her own experience, Dr. Wituski tells us about her jump from government to Google, the similarities and differences between public and private sector intelligence work, and what the future of these parallel industries may hold. This podcast was produced by the Philip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS. Researched, hosted, and edited by Riley Bryant
People in this episode
Host: Riley Bryant
Guest: Dr. Deborah Wituski
Topics covered
- private sector intelligence
- national security
- government
- intelligence agencies
- global economy
- case studies
Keywords
- private sector
- intelligence
- national security
- CIA
- policy frameworks
- case studies
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: CIA, Google, Philip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies, Johns Hopkins SAIS
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