October DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsSlow PC?RecommendedPC slow today? Run a repair scan before it gets worseResolve common Windows issues and optimize system performance.Scan NowOctober DealsAmazon USDeal season is back - check today's better picksAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.See Picks×
Skip to content
The Finance Base
The Money Desk · Blog
Re:

Who Is Matt Olsen? Biden’s 2021 Pick to Lead DOJ’s National Security Division

Matt Olsen brought DOJ, NSA and counterterrorism experience—and a recent Uber security role—to lead the Justice Department’s National Security Division from 2021 to 2025.
From TheFinanceBase Team2 min to read
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

President Joe Biden nominated Matt Olsen to lead the Justice Department’s National Security Division (NSD) on May 26, 2021. Olsen combined senior DOJ and intelligence experience with a recent private-sector role as Uber’s chief trust and security officer. The Senate confirmed him on October 28, 2021; DOJ records list his service as Assistant Attorney General from 2021 to 2025.

Who is Matt Olsen?

Matt Olsen is a lawyer and former U.S. national-security official who led the Justice Department’s National Security Division as Assistant Attorney General from 2021 through 2025. Before his nomination, he was Uber’s chief trust and security officer. The White House described him at the time as having more than two decades of government service.

His government career included serving as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center from 2011 to 2014 and as General Counsel of the National Security Agency. He also held senior Justice Department and career-prosecutor roles and worked as special counsel to the FBI director.

Why did Biden nominate Olsen?

The White House announced Olsen’s nomination on May 26, 2021, while the Justice Department was focused on espionage, terrorism, foreign interference in U.S. elections and growing cyber threats. His combination of Justice Department, intelligence-community and private-sector security experience was directly relevant to the division’s responsibilities. The announcement and his background are described in CyberScoop’s report on the nomination and the White House announcement.

What’s actually slowing this PC down?

Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

In a 2019 CyberTalks appearance, when he was Uber’s chief trust and security officer, Olsen said the government had taken strong steps to regain public trust in intelligence collection and had rebuilt relationships with allies, but had not done enough. The comments were reported by CyberScoop.

What does the Justice Department’s National Security Division do?

DOJ says the NSD leads the department’s work against terrorism, espionage, cybercrime and other national-security threats. It coordinates intelligence, counterintelligence, counterterrorism, and national-security law and policy, bringing prosecutors together with attorneys working across the intelligence community.

The division began operations in September 2006. DOJ says Olsen helped establish it and was its first career Deputy Assistant Attorney General for National Security. Its role and history are outlined on the department’s National Security Division page and archived NSD page.

Was Matt Olsen confirmed by the Senate?

Yes. The Senate confirmed Matthew G. Olsen as Assistant Attorney General on October 28, 2021. The official roll call was 53 yeas, 45 nays and two senators not voting. The vote is recorded in the U.S. Senate roll-call record.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

How long did Olsen serve as national-security chief?

DOJ’s archived profile lists Olsen’s service as Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division from 2021 to 2025. That establishes the calendar years of his tenure; the cited profile does not provide exact start and end dates. The dates appear in the department’s archived profile and departure notice.

Best Value

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Free tools Windows power users keep installed

One-click scans. No signup required.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More post from the Money Desk

  1. The Money DeskBlogTheFinanceBase09 OCT 267 minMortgage Escrow FAQs: Taxes, Insurance, Shortages, and Refunds
  2. The Money DeskBlogTheFinanceBase09 OCT 265 minHow Mortgage Escrow Accounts Work and What Homeowners Pay For
  3. The Money DeskBlogTheFinanceBase09 OCT 265 minHow to Read a Stock Chart, Volume and Market-Cap Data
Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?Free scan - under a minute
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You DownFree scan - exact matches

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.