In an age where every click, transaction, and innovation opens another door for threat actors, certainty has become a luxury few businesses can afford. For Dan Streetman, CEO of cybersecurity leader Tanium, that uncertainty is precisely what fuels his mission.
“If you can’t see it, you can’t fix it. You can’t control it,” Streetman says. “Every organization now must manage an increasingly interconnected IT landscape.”
He isn’t exaggerating. According to Microsoft’s Digital Defense Report 2025, more than half of last year’s cyber incidents were driven by extortion or destruction. PwC’s Global Digital Trust Insights found that only two percent of organizations have implemented full cyber resilience programs, while Accenture’s State of Cybersecurity Resilience reports that nearly four in five companies lack the foundational AI security practices to protect critical data pipelines and cloud infrastructure.
No matter how you slice it, cybercrime isn’t slowing down, it’s evolving faster than ever.
The War for Digital Confidence
Streetman describes Tanium’s mission as giving organizations “the power of certainty.” The Washington-based platform provides real-time visibility and control across every endpoint, helping companies detect, patch, and respond in seconds rather than hours.
“Now is the time for organizations to strengthen their cybersecurity defenses,” he says. “We’re helping them fight bad AI with good AI, because in today’s world, real-time insight isn’t optional, it’s survival.”
Tanium’s edge lies in its self-learning autonomous agents, which can act, assess, and adjust on their own under human supervision. This makes traditional “if-this-then-that” automation look outdated. The platform also delivers confidence scores after every action, an extra layer of assurance for IT leaders navigating a landscape where one misstep can take down an entire enterprise.
From the Wrestling Mat to the Boardroom
Before Streetman became the face of enterprise resilience, he was learning discipline on the wrestling mat. “You’re working for a team, but ultimately you have to put yourself out there,” he says. “From an early age, my high school coach taught me to channel pressure into performance.”
That competitive mindset carried him through the United States Military Academy at West Point and later into active duty as a U.S. Army officer. Those years taught him that mission focus and teamwork aren’t just leadership ideals, they’re survival tactics.
“The critical characteristic of a high-performing organization is an important and enduring mission,” he says.
At Tanium, that mission is clear: to help organizations operate with confidence in an unpredictable digital world.
AI’s Double-Edged Sword
The rise of generative AI has redefined both offense and defense. Criminal groups now use AI to automate attacks at reckless speed, while defenders rely on it to detect, predict, and respond in real time.
“Bad actors are going to use AI, whether they’re nation-states or criminal networks,” Streetman says. “They don’t have to get it right every time, they just have to get it right once.”
Tanium, by contrast, is betting on AI-driven resilience. Its technology gives clients, from banks to government agencies, the confidence to act quickly without causing collateral damage.
“We help organizations ensure their AI-driven actions don’t create more problems than they solve,” Streetman says. “Our real-time information helps guide AI safely and effectively.”
Built on a Foundation of Purpose
Tanium’s story began in 2007, when father-and-son founders David and Orion Hindawi set out to build a platform that could scale with the world’s growing digital complexity. Streetman first encountered the company while leading TIBCO Software, after a major breach at another vendor prompted his CIO to bring in Tanium.
“I saw firsthand how the platform transformed our organization,” he recalls. “When the chance came to join Tanium, I was all in.”
Today, Tanium operates across 32 U.S. states and in dozens of countries. Its clients include major utilities, banks, schools, and even the largest water district in the United States. “We help protect critical infrastructure,” Streetman says. “I love that mission, delivering the power of certainty to organizations of all kinds.”
Leading From the Middle
Streetman’s leadership philosophy blends military precision with entrepreneurial humility.
“At West Point, we learned to ‘lead from the front,’” he says. “But I’ve found the real trick is to lead from the middle, to gather the best insights from your team, stay organized around the mission, and set the example through action.”
After leaving active duty in 1998, Streetman channeled that philosophy into technology leadership. He later partnered with organizations like BreakLine and VetsinTech to help veterans transition into tech careers, a mission that has since expanded to include other underrepresented groups.
“What started as a way to help veterans has grown into a framework for attracting diverse talent,” he says. “Different experiences make us a stronger company.”
The Power of Partnerships
In the modern cyber battlefield, collaboration is the ultimate weapon. “Nobody achieves as much alone as they can as a team,” Streetman says. “Technology has made partnership essential.”
That philosophy underpins Tanium’s deep alliances with Microsoft and ServiceNow. By merging Tanium’s real-time endpoint intelligence with ServiceNow’s automation and Microsoft’s security ecosystem, clients can investigate and respond to incidents 40 percent faster than before.
“Our alliances are built on trust,” Streetman explains. “Together, we’re helping customers reduce effort, improve accuracy, and move toward autonomous IT operations.”
Microsoft’s Digital Defense Report, ServiceNow’s AI platform, and Accenture’s Cyber Resilience research all reinforce a single truth: agility and visibility now define leadership.
Mission, Not Marketing
Streetman’s career, from soldier to CEO – has been shaped by one principle: the mission comes first.
“It’s easy to remain calm in a crisis when you’ve built the foundation early,” he says. “You’ve put in the effort, built technical confidence, and you’re leading from the middle.”
That mindset has become Tanium’s DNA. The company’s culture celebrates curiosity, grit, and service – the same traits Streetman honed in the army. “I loved leading paratroopers,” he says. “But now I find meaning in leading people who defend the digital front lines. Our mission is enduring, to deliver certainty in an uncertain world.”
Why Certainty Still Matters
Cybersecurity has always been a race between innovation and exploitation. What makes Streetman’s approach stand out is that he isn’t chasing fear – he’s building faith.
For him, technology isn’t just a defensive measure; it’s an act of confidence. “We want every organization to know that they can see what’s happening, act on it instantly, and move forward with clarity,” he says.
That belief – in clarity, confidence, and human resilience – is what defines Tanium’s quest for certainty in a world that seems anything but certain.
