Cleared For Discussion

In this episode, Tabetha Baume highlights the importance of hiring veterans and supporting their transition into civilian careers, emphasizing the valuable skills, leadership, and experience they bring to the workforce. She explores the roles of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) and the Code of Support Foundation, veteran hiring preferences, employment incentives, military-to-civili...

In this episode, Tabetha Baume explores the critical role American women play in protecting their families, communities, and country, connecting the security of the American home to the broader security of the nation. She examines foreign influence operations, local government involvement, threats targeting families, online exploitation, civic education, and historical examples of women recognizin...

In this episode, Tabetha Baume provides a practical roadmap for breaking into the industrial security field, including for people without a degree, security clearance, or previous security experience. She explores entry points such as guard force, administrative support, document control, HR, military experience, skilled trades, and commercial compliance, while explaining how clearances are sponso...

In this episode, Tabetha Baume explores why AI model weights, training data, and supporting infrastructure are becoming some of the most valuable assets organizations must protect and why cybersecurity alone cannot secure them. She examines physical security vulnerabilities, insider threats, access control, supply chain risks, model tampering, data poisoning, and the importance of applying proven...

In this episode, Tabetha Baume explains why security compliance is not a one-time assessment or certification, but an ongoing responsibility that requires continuous maintenance, judgment, and accountability. She explores the roles of FSOs, ITPSOs, and ISSMs, the limits of automation, the value of technical and real-world experience, and how organizations can effectively use assessors, consultants...

In this episode, Tabetha Baume explores why cleared security professionals may be among the most AI-resistant roles in today’s workforce and why human accountability remains essential to national security. She examines how federal regulations, physical security requirements, insider threat programs, and classified environments require cleared, accountable people, not just technology, while showing...

In this episode, Tabetha Baume provides a practical guide for recognizing and responding to suspicious contacts that may be attempts to gain unauthorized access to sensitive or classified information. She explores warning signs, appropriate responses, documentation, reporting requirements, and follow-up actions to help cleared professionals handle suspicious interactions across in-person, electron...

In this episode, Tabetha Baume examines how foreign adversaries are exploiting hiring processes, personnel, business partnerships, and AI to gain access to sensitive organizations and government systems. She explores North Korean remote IT workers, insider recruitment near military installations, foreign-linked partnerships, and AI-assisted cyberattacks to demonstrate how seemingly routine interac...

In this episode, Tabetha Baume examines how mergers and acquisitions involving cleared companies can create significant national security and business risks because a facility clearance does not automatically transfer when ownership changes. She explores DCSA reporting requirements, facility clearance eligibility, key management personnel changes, contract novation, FOCI considerations, and CFIUS...

In this episode, Tabetha Baume explains what it actually takes to operate a cleared company under a Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) mitigation agreement and how these agreements reshape security, governance, and day-to-day business operations. She explores government security committees, technology control and communications plans, annual compliance reporting, National Interest Det...

In this episode, Tabetha Baume examines how foreign ownership, private equity investments, and beneficial ownership structures are becoming critical national security concerns as new regulations expand Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) requirements beyond the traditional cleared contractor community. She explores Section 847, proposed DFARS rules, SF-328 reporting requirements, ventu...

In this episode, Tabetha Baume explains how the greatest security risks facing cleared contractors often exist outside classified systems, highlighting the overlooked vulnerabilities within unclassified networks, physical security systems, and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) environments. She explores NISPOM requirements, CUI assessment provisions, CMMC readiness, insider threat integrat...

Episode 50 Summary – The Off Switch In this episode, Tabetha Baume examines how AI adoption, shadow AI, and long-standing cybersecurity failures are creating systemic risks that traditional security and compliance models can no longer address. She explores the Salt Typhoon cyber campaign, shadow AI, AI governance gaps, China's long-term data collection strategy, and the emerging threat of "Harvest...

Episode 49 Summary – The Secret's Out Book Launch In this episode, Tabetha Baume introduces her new book, The Secrets Out: The Death of National Security in the AI Age , explaining how AI, evolving cyber threats, and outdated security frameworks are reshaping the national security landscape. She explores the impact of the Salt Typhoon cyber campaign, shadow AI, deepfakes, and policy gaps to demons...

Episode 48 Summary – The Insider You Didn't Hire In this episode, Tabetha Baume explains how artificial intelligence has transformed the insider threat landscape by introducing AI agents that operate inside trusted environments with legitimate access to sensitive systems, data, and organizational workflows. She examines emerging risks including agentic AI, prompt injection, shadow AI, deepfake imp...

Episode 47 Summary – The Recruiter Who Wasn't In this episode, Tabetha Baume explains how artificial intelligence has become a new type of insider threat, with AI assistants and autonomous agents operating inside trusted environments with legitimate access to sensitive systems and data. She examines the risks posed by agentic AI, prompt injection attacks, shadow AI, deepfakes, and fraudulent remot...

Episode 46 Summary – The Academic Front In this episode, Tabetha Baume explains how foreign adversaries exploit U.S. universities and academic research environments to acquire sensitive technologies, recruit future intelligence assets, and gain access to defense-related research. She examines the cases of Charles Lieber, Zheng Xiaoqing, and Ji Chaoqun to demonstrate how foreign talent programs, te...

Episode 45 Summary – Elicitation Without Direct Questions In this episode, Tabetha Baume explains how foreign intelligence services use elicitation techniques to gather sensitive information through seemingly harmless conversations rather than direct questions. She examines the cases of Glenn Duffie Shriver, James Fondren, and Kevin Mallory to show how social interactions, professional networking,...

Episode 44 Summary – Don't Sleep on These Two In this episode, Tabetha Baume explains how Iran and North Korea pose significant but often overlooked threats to cleared contractors through cyber operations, insider access, and unconventional intelligence tactics. She highlights Iran’s cyber campaigns targeting critical infrastructure and defense contractors, as well as North Korea’s scheme of placi...

Episode 43 Summary – Gold Bars and Ghost Degrees In this episode, Tabetha Baume examines the case of former CIA official David Rush, who allegedly used falsified credentials and abused his position of trust to steal millions of dollars in government assets, highlighting how insider threats extend far beyond traditional espionage. She explains how failures in credential verification, continuous vet...

Episode 42 Summary – Foreign Influence in American Contracting In this episode, Tabetha Baume explains how foreign-owned entities can access unclassified government contracts with limited ownership scrutiny, exposing major gaps in current contracting systems. She highlights weaknesses in SAM.gov registration, recent fraud cases involving foreign-controlled companies, and the Department of Defense’...

Episode 41 Summary – Cloud Computing & Classified Info In this episode, Tabetha Baume explains the risks and compliance challenges of handling classified information in cloud environments, highlighting frameworks like NISPOM, FedRAMP, and CMMC. She uses the Microsoft Storm-0558 breach to show how cloud misconfigurations and poor coordination between IT and security teams can expose sensitive g...

Episode 40 Summary – CFD Podcast: Russia's SVR, FSB, and GRU In this episode, Tabetha Baume explains how Russia’s intelligence services target cleared U.S. personnel and defense contractors through espionage, cyber attacks, insider recruitment, and AI-driven information operations. She highlights cases like Robert Hanssen, the Russian illegals network, and Peter Debbins to show how Russian intelli...

Episode 39 Summary – CFD Podcast: The World's Most Active Espionage Machine In this episode, Tabetha Baume explains how Chinese intelligence agencies actively target the U.S. defense industrial base through cyber operations, LinkedIn recruitment, university partnerships, and insider threats. She highlights real-world espionage cases like Chi Mak and Kevin Mallory to show how cleared professionals...

Episode 38 Summary – CFD Podcast: An Effective Security Team In this episode, Tabetha Baume explains how to build an effective security team for cleared organizations, emphasizing key roles like the Facility Security Officer (FSO), Senior Management Official (SMO), and Insider Threat Program Senior Official (ITPSO), along with the need to meet regulatory requirements such as NISPOM. She highlights...