Why is trust especially critical in military and intelligence settings?

Military and intelligence organizations operate in high-stakes environments where compromised trust can have life-or-death consequences. Unlike commercial settings, these institutions depend on trust not only internally among personnel but also with government partners and the public. A breakdown in trust can undermine mission effectiveness and national security.

How are technology innovations changing trust in government and security organizations?

Emerging technologies such as AI, cybersecurity tools, and data analytics are both enabling and challenging traditional trust frameworks. They can enhance transparency and verification but also introduce new vulnerabilities and ethical questions. Organizations must adapt their trust models to keep pace with rapid technological change.

What is The Trust Revolution podcast about?

The Trust Revolution is an EY-produced podcast hosted by Luke Fox that brings together leaders, lawmakers, and experts to explore how trust is being redefined in business, technology, and security. Each episode examines a different facet of trust across industries and institutions. The podcast aims to surface insights relevant to executives and policymakers navigating an increasingly complex trust landscape.

The Key to Military Intelligence? A Foundation of Trust

The Trust Revolution podcast, hosted by Luke Fox of EY, examines how trust underpins military, intelligence, and government organizations. The episode features a guest with direct experience across all three sectors, exploring how innovations in business and technology are redefining security and institutional trust. The conversation highlights trust as a non-negotiable foundation for high-stakes organizations.

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By Luke Fox · April 13, 2021, 11:00 AM UTCCol. Chris CostaEspionageHostageIntelligence Community

Key takeaways

Trust is foundational to military, intelligence, and government organizations in ways that exceed most other sectors.

Innovations in business and technology are actively redefining how security and trust are established and maintained.

Leaders, lawmakers, and practitioners all play roles in shaping the evolving trust landscape.

Bringing together leaders, lawmakers and lawbreakers. Host Luke Fox explores how innovations in business and technology are redefining our trust in security measures.

Trust is foundational to many relationships and organizations, maybe none more than those in military, intelligence, and government positions. Joining The Trust Revolution and host Luke Fox is a man who has experience in all three, COL Chris Costa. Costa spent 34 years in the Department of Defense as an intelligence officer and counterterrorism and hostage director. COL Costa has played an important role in security and shared his experiences. He’s now retired and is the Executive Director of the International Spy Museum.

“Trust is fundamental to being an intelligence officer and serving in the U.S. military. It starts when you take the oath to the constitution,” Costa said.

COL Costa explained that trust among service members starts with the foundation of reliance on one other. What he learned about trust in that role, he took with him as he transitioned to the intelligence world.

However, the trust in relationships is different. “It’s a double-edged sword in intelligence. You’re building trust with a source, but they could be a double agent.”

“Trust is fundamental to being an intelligence officer and serving in the U.S. military. It starts when you take the oath to the constitution” -Chris Costa

When working with sources, those people are taking a huge personal risk. They could be captured, interrogated, or executed. COL Costa shared an experience with a young Taliban. “We are interested in the information he had, and we wanted to protect him, but he had to take direction from me.” That relationship was worth the trust instilled in the operative, and COL Costa said the intelligence he provided most likely saved American lives.

In his next role as a hostage recovery expert in the White House, there was a new paradigm of trust. Families had to trust that he and his counterparts were doing everything to receive them. “We had an obligation to tell them everything we could without jeopardizing anything.”

From a lifetime of service and trust, COL Costa is now providing a means of trust to the public by leading the International Spy Museum in D.C. These exhibits tell important, unknown stories about the power of trust.