Matt Olsen

Former Adjunct Senior Fellow, Technology and National Security Program

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Matt Olsen is a former Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security. He has worked for over two decades as a leading government official on national security, intelligence and law enforcement issues.

Appointed by the President to serve as the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Olsen led the government's efforts to integrate and analyze terrorism information and coordinate counterterrorism operations from 2011 to 2104. Prior to joining NCTC, Olsen was the General Counsel for the National Security Agency, serving as NSA’s chief legal officer and focusing on surveillance law and cyber operations.

Olsen also served at the Department of Justice in a number of leadership positions, where he managed national security and criminal cases and helped establish the National Security Division. Olsen also was Special Counsel to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. For over a decade, Olsen served as a federal prosecutor.

Olsen is a co-founder of IronNet Cybersecurity, a technology firm based in Washington, D.C., where he leads business development and strategy. In addition to his work with IronNet Cybersecurity, Olsen teaches at Harvard Law School and is a national security analyst for ABC News. He also serves on several senior advisory boards for government agencies. Olsen graduated from the University of Virginia and Harvard Law School.

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