Gen. Michael Hayden spoke this past Saturday at SATSA’s 8th Annual Conference on National & International Security at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. During his keynote address, Gen. Hayden discussed several hot spots at home and around the world, in order: Iran, China, Mexico, China, Cyber Security, and Terrorism. He also highlighted the difference between intelligence professionals and policy makers, mainly that intelligence professionals tend to be pessimists and see the world the way it is and policy makers tend to be optimists and see the world the want they want it to be.

Gen. Hayden also discussed the state of the United States National Security Apparatus with INSCT Deputy Director Vice Admiral Robert Murrett (former Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and former Director of Naval Intelligence) and Maxwell School Dean James Steinberg (former Deputy Secretary of State and former Deputy National Security Advisor).