Description

This presentation will provide an overview of how foreign intelligence entities of repressive regimes seek to co-opt private investigators and security professionals to collect information on perceived dissidents and government critics. Methodology and recruitment tactics will be discussed through recent case studies. Participants will learn red flags to look for and ways to protect themselves and their business. ****THIS COUNTS AS 1 HOUR OF ETHICS CREDIT****

Samantha Santiago is a licensed Private Investigator (TX DPS #A18878001) and owner of Premier Pathfinders LLC, a private investigations and strategic intelligence firm in Austin, Texas, that focuses on litigation support and corporate executive vetting. Samantha specializes in open-source intelligence exploitation and analysis, and has worked on an array of cases including human trafficking, cybercrime, fraud, and homicide. Prior to establishing Premier Pathfinders LLC, Samantha spent over 13 years in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), where she spearheaded numerous counterterrorism initiatives, including Presidentially-directed efforts against top terrorist threats to the U.S. She also identified, assessed, and mitigated foreign intelligence threats to U.S. government facilities and persons. She was awarded multiple CIA Exceptional Performance Awards (EPA) and a National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation for her mission impact. Samantha received her degree in East Asian Studies and Anthropology from Bucknell University and a certificate in Mandarin Chinese from the Beijing Foreign Studies University in Beijing, China. She has CIA certifications in both Intelligence Analysis and Targeting (Investigations). She has traveled extensively in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Samantha serves on the Board of Directors for the International Intelligence Network (Intellenet), is a Regional Director for the Texas Association of Licensed Investigators (TALI), and is on the Ethics Committee for the National Council of Investigations and Security Services (NCISS).