Michael Buckley

Mr. Michael M. Buckley, is the Director, Operations Analysis Group and Insider Threat Program, Counterintelligence Directorate, Defense Security Service. DSS supports national security and the warfighter, secures the nation’s technological base, and oversees the protection of U.S. and foreign classified information in the hands of industry.

In his current duties, Mr. Buckley oversees the work of the Operations Analysis Group and Insider Threat Program, which maximizes collaboration across the agency, identifies gaps in information, and implements solutions using an approach that fosters interdependent processes between all DSS elements.

Prior to assuming his current duties, Mr. Buckley served as the DSS Assistant Chief of Staff, where he acted as the Director’s principal advisor on a wide range of issues related to the organization. He developed plans for short- and long-term operations and program management in order to promote an efficient, economical, and progressive organization. Mr. Buckley established performance measurement standards designed to facilitate successful completion of special assignments and ongoing programs for the agency. This included a wide variety of analytical projects to develop DSS guidance on management and productivity improvement, and long-range planning and budgeting to foster improved mission performance.

Mr. Buckley also served as the Director of Counterintelligence. As the Director, he oversaw a counterintelligence staff that provides support to more than 13,000 defense contractor facilities employing more than a million cleared personnel. Mr. Buckley refined the process used to identify threats posed by foreign intelligence services, their surrogates and other hostile entities and developed a methodology for DSS review of contractor incident reports. He led an initiative to develop a risk-based approach to provide counterintelligence support to the cleared defense community and developed a mechanism that led to the tailored inspection of cleared facilities. He also oversaw the renewed publication of the “U.S. Technologies: A Trend Analysis of Reporting from Defense Industry” – a document that serves as the basis for the Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive report to Congress on Economic Espionage.

Before joining DSS, Mr. Buckley served as a senior program/policy analyst, Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army, and as the executive assistant to the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Counterintelligence and Security. As such, Mr. Buckley led special assignments related to defense intelligence policy issues, security issues, strategic and tactical planning and preparation issues, oversight of operational issues, and support issues including resource, requirements and legislative matters. Additionally, he was responsible for providing advice in key areas of ongoing official and administrative issues regarding matters of intelligence, counterintelligence and security, and assisted with providing oversight and policy guidance to the Counterintelligence and Security staff about sensitive and challenging issues confronting the Department of Defense and the U.S. Government.

Mr. Buckley retired from the U.S. Air Force in November 2004, as a Chief Master Sergeant, with 21 years of experience in security forces. During his Air Force career, he served in several special duty assignments to include the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Air Force Honor Guard, and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. Mr. Buckley oversaw the deployment of security forces in support of Operation Desert Shield/Storm, and Operation Enduring Freedom.

He earned a degree in Business Administration, Concentration in Management, September 2013, Summa Cum Laude; and an Associate’s Degree in Industrial Security through the Community College of the Air Force, and attended several levels of professional military education.