Nik Seetharaman - Former SpaceX's Head of Cybersecurity Critical Warning on AI Swarms (Video)

In this 23 February 2026 published video, host Shawn Ryan talks with Nik Seetharaman, a special operations–trained cyber leader turned founder, known for bringing an operator’s mindset to some of the most sensitive security programs in American industry. A former JSOC advance‑force operator attached to an East Coast Naval Special Warfare squadron, he ran advanced cyber warfare and close‑range reconnaissance missions before crossing over into the world of high‑stakes defense technology and enterprise security.

In industry, Nik helped build and lead security at three of the most influential defense‑tech companies of the last decade. He served as head of cybersecurity operations at SpaceX and later led international cyber defense programs at Palantir, giving him a front‑row seat to how software, data, and security shape modern national power. He then became CIO and CISO at Anduril Industries, where he built the company’s cybersecurity and weapons‑system security programs from the ground up while Anduril was racing to field autonomous systems for the Pentagon.

Today, Nik is the founder and CEO of Wraithwatch, a cyber defense company born from his frustration that defenders are almost always forced to react second. At Wraithwatch, he is focused on “weaponizing” AI for defense at scale—using advanced models to help blue teams pre‑empt and out-iterate attackers instead of learning only from breaches and red‑team reports. Across each chapter of his career, he has carried forward the same core idea: apply special operations discipline, speed, and clarity of mission to how software, security teams, and AI‑driven defenses are built and run.

https://youtu.be/nxzi-vP8vds

00:00 Introduction and Welcome
09:54 AI Bot Swarms & Kill Switch Risks
31:24 Immigrant Roots & Family Trauma
01:00:31 9/11 & Enlisting
01:12:10 SERE School & Losing His Father
01:37:53 Grief, Signs & Psychedelics
02:09:43 Good vs Evil & Reality
02:18:24 Rivet Joint & Red Wings Drive
02:38:45 Iraq Combat Ops
02:49:23 Task Force & Somalia Manhunt
03:11:50 Airstrike & McRaven Moment
03:33:10 Data Sovereignty & Privacy
03:53:48 EFP Ops & Identity Cost
04:10:26 Leaving the Military
04:23:05 Civilian Reset & Cyber Breakthrough
04:33:27 Palantir to SpaceX
05:19:03 Anduril & Scaling Security
05:30:42 Secure Phones & Protecting Kids
05:43:03 Founding Rathwatch
05:49:22 AI Arms Race Future
06:04:46 Final Reflections