The CI-Press Podcast

In this episode of CI Press, hosts Dave Turner and Ryan sit down with Anthony James, Senior Industrial Security Consultant at FSO Pros, to explore the real-world challenges Facility Security Officers face every day.

Anthony shares his journey from artillery and military intelligence into the world of industrial security, where he now helps cleared companies navigate the complexities of the National Industrial Security Program. The conversation dives into the DD-254 process, background investigations, common DCSA findings, and the administrative burden FSOs face managing clearances, foreign travel, incident reporting, and compliance across multiple government systems.

Anthony also highlights the biggest FSO pain points and time killers, explaining why many companies turn to fractional FSO services like FSO Pros for support. The discussion wraps with a look at how the 351X platform helps streamline security workflows, consolidate reporting, and give FSOs the visibility they need to protect their companies while saving time and effort.

In this episode of CI Press, we sit down with Nick Vidulich, a Marine Corps counterintelligence veteran with more than two decades of service, to discuss the experiences that shaped his career and his approach to counterintelligence today.

Nick reflects on his 22-year journey in the Marine Corps, including deployments, post-blast analysis work, and his transition from SIGINT into the counterintelligence field. Along the way, he shares candid insights about the personal and professional challenges that many intelligence professionals face throughout a long career in national security.

The conversation also explores how those experiences translate into the private sector, where Nick now focuses on applying defensive counterintelligence principles inside organizations. He explains why building trust with engineers and technical teams, educating employees about threats, and turning the workforce into a network of human sensors are critical components of modern insider threat and technology protection programs.

We also discuss how tools like 351X can help organizations operationalize these concepts - moving beyond compliance to create a culture where security awareness and counterintelligence thinking are embedded across the enterprise.

This episode offers valuable perspective for security professionals, FSOs, engineers, and leaders responsible for protecting sensitive technologies in today’s increasingly contested environment.

In this episode of CI Press, we sit down with Danny Li - software engineer, entrepreneur, and host of the growing Danny Li Podcast. Danny was kind enough to host one of the cohosts, Ryan Rambo, as a guest on his show recently, so we wanted to return the favor and bring him on CI Press to share more of his story.

Danny recounts his journey from Ukraine to the United States, how faith and purpose shaped his path, and how he built a rapidly expanding podcast platform focused on leadership, military experience, and personal development.

We also dive into the mechanics behind his podcast growth - leveraging LinkedIn outreach, content systems, daily short-form clips, and mentorship to build an engaged audience. Along the way, Danny shares insights on navigating post-Soviet Union culture, startup thinking, and the immigrant experience in America’s tech ecosystem.

The conversation also explores topics relevant to the CI Press audience, including guest vetting, managing potential foreign influence risks in media platforms, and preparing for meaningful conversations with high-quality guests.

If you're interested in podcasting, leadership, technology, or the power of disciplined content creation, this episode offers practical insights and inspiration.

CI Press, the counterintelligence podcast hosted by IXN Solutions, presents an interview with Tom O'Connor, a seasoned Army CI veteran. Tom recounts his path from being drafted during the Vietnam era to serving across Okinawa, Korea, Fort Huachuca, and high-level CI program leadership roles.

Throughout the episode, Tom shares frontline anecdotes, lessons on career development, the value of broad CI experience versus specialization, and practical advice for young agents on operational tradecraft, integrity, and personnel management.

In part three of this special three-part series, hosts M. Scott Sparks and Jeremy J. Clark continue their in-depth roundtable with retired U.S. Army CW5s and senior counterintelligence (CI) professionals Glenn Jones, Shawn Michaud, Mike Dye, and Traci Goodwin.

The panel tackles one of the most consequential organizational questions facing the CI enterprise today: Should counterintelligence transition to a single, unified career track, or preserve its specialized roles? Drawing on decades of operational experience and strategic leadership, they examine the advantages and risks of both models, exploring how force structure influences readiness, expertise, professional identity, and long-term mission effectiveness.

The conversation breaks down the core functions of CI, including collections, operations, investigations, analysis, and functional services, and examines how each discipline contributes to detecting, assessing, and countering foreign intelligence threats. The group discusses the real-world impact of integration versus stovepiping and addresses enduring challenges in talent management, training pipelines, certification standards, and collection management. Throughout the discussion, they offer candid insights and practical recommendations for building a more agile, capable, and lethal CI force.

Listeners will also hear compelling historical vignettes and candid deployment stories that bring doctrine to life, illustrating how CI professionals adapt under pressure and evolve with the threat environment.

The episode concludes with direct, experience-driven advice for CI warrant officers and leaders on how to stay operationally relevant, advocate effectively for resources, develop depth without sacrificing breadth, and lead teams that are disciplined, adaptable, and ready to protect U.S. national security interests in an increasingly contested world.

In part two of this three-part series, hosts M. Scott Sparks and Jeremy J. Clark continue their round table with retired U.S. Army CW5s and senior counterintelligence (CI) professionals Glenn Jones, Shawn Michaud, Mike Dye, and Traci Goodwin. What follows is an unfiltered, practitioner-level assessment of the current state of U.S. CI.

The panel tackles one of the profession’s most pressing challenges: talent retention. Drawing on decades of experience, they examine why highly trained CI professionals choose to leave, the institutional pressures that drive burnout or career transitions, and what leadership can do to build meaningful, sustainable career pathways for the next generation of professionals.

The discussion also confronts gaps in CI training and education. From inconsistencies in instruction to outdated training models, the group highlights where the system falls short and why modernization is essential. They propose a more unified and standardized approach to CI education that deliberately connects foundational tradecraft, advanced specialization, and continuous professional development to better prepare the force for emerging threats.

Beyond structure and policy, this episode centers on the human dimension of the profession. The panel reflects on the role of passion in sustaining long careers in a demanding field, the critical importance of mentorship, and the lessons forged through hardship, institutional friction, and innovation.

Part Two continues this candid trilogy with hard-earned insights and honest dialogue about the future direction of American CI and the people responsible for carrying it forward.

In Part One of this three-part series, hosts M. Scott Sparks and Jeremy J. Clark convene a roundtable of retired U.S. Army CW5s and senior counterintelligence (CI) professionals Glenn Jones, Shawn Michaud, Mike Dye, and Traci Goodwin for an unfiltered, practitioner-level discussion on the state of U.S. counterintelligence.

Drawing on decades of CI experience, the panel tackles audience questions spanning the recent rise in espionage arrests, persistent interagency friction, and the broader debate over whether the nation needs a more unified CI authority. The conversation explores the leadership tension between the NCSC and the FBI, examining statutory roles, operational equities, and the practical realities of execution versus oversight.

The group also weighs in on the U.S. Army’s evolving off-base search warrant authorities, discussing what they mean for commanders, CI professionals, and joint operations. A recurring theme throughout the episode is the balance between deep technical expertise and broad institutional leadership—when specialization wins, when generalist leadership matters, and how to build both within the force.

The episode closes with pragmatic “crawl, walk, run” training advice for CI practitioners and commanders alike, emphasizing disciplined fundamentals, mentorship, and operational credibility as the foundation for navigating today’s complex threat environment.

This is Part One of a candid trilogy focused on hard lessons, institutional friction, and the future direction of American CI.

CI Press celebrates its 100th episode with IXN Solutions, introducing the term "Enterprise Risk Intelligence" as a clearer way to describe corporate counterintelligence. The hosts reflect on the podcast journey and explain how ERI protects enterprise value across critical infrastructure, technology, and academia.

The episode covers real-world examples of insider threats and IP theft, discusses proactive vs. reactive defenses, and emphasizes training, cross-functional programs, and human-domain monitoring to anticipate risk and protect advantage.

In this episode, hosts Joe Sheridan and Jeremy Clark sit down with Dr. Trei McMullen, combat veteran, counterintelligence professional, entrepreneur, and conservative candidate for Florida State House District 2, for a discussion on the evolving role of counterintelligence at the state level.

The conversation explores Florida House Bill 945 and the broader movement toward state-led counterintelligence initiatives. Drawing on his military background and private-sector experience, Dr. McMullen provides a practitioner’s perspective on how states are positioning themselves to better detect, deter, and mitigate foreign intelligence threats within their own jurisdictions.

The episode also addresses national security issues with local impact, including school safety vulnerabilities, the rapid proliferation of drone technology, border-related security concerns, and the increasing necessity for synchronized counterintelligence tradecraft across federal and state partners. Throughout the discussion, the hosts examine both the promise and the complexity of decentralizing certain counterintelligence responsibilities while preserving coordination and unity of effort.

This episode offers a grounded, operationally informed look at how counterintelligence is moving beyond the federal sphere and into state policy conversations, and what that shift could mean for the future of domestic security in the United States.

In this episode of CI Press, hosts Joe Sheridan and Jeremy Clark sit down with Jess Hennessey, Deputy J2 for NORAD and USNORTHCOM, for a wide-ranging conversation on today’s evolving intelligence threat environment.

Hennessey traces her path from enlisted intelligence analyst to senior defense intelligence leader, offering a candid look at how adversaries are adapting, shifting from traditional cyber operations to increasingly sophisticated human-focused espionage and influence activities. The discussion explores border intelligence challenges, the complexity of integrating military services with civilian agencies, and the growing risks to U.S. critical infrastructure.

The episode also highlights gaps in training, the demand for persistent ISR, and what intelligence professionals must rethink to stay ahead of adversaries operating in plain sight.