Josh Salmanson
Vice President of the Defensive Cyber Practice, Leidos
Josh Salmanson’s biggest achievement this year has been advancing a resilience-first approach to defensive cyber — embedding security before the breach through scalable, AI-enabled mission drivers like UpHold Armor and Leidos’ SOC of the Future.
“By operationalizing zero trust and automation, we’ve reduced response times, moving at the speed of relevance, and strengthened mission assurance,” he said. “Moving forward, I aim to scale these capabilities to outpace evolving threats and deliver greater operational impact.”
Leidos also aligns with administration priorities by embedding resilience before the breach through Mission Drivers that reduce cost, streamline operations and strengthen mission assurance.
“Josh continues to elevate our Defensive Cyber Practice by turning emerging technologies into operational impact,” said Paul Wilkinson, senior vice president and digital modernization practice leader at Leidos. “His leadership in AI-enabled defense, Mission Drivers, and our SOC of the future has strengthened delivery at scale. He brings technical depth, mission insight, and vision to drive resilient, meaningful results.”
Why Watch
In 2026, Salmanson and his team are redefining defensive cyber by embedding resilience before the breach — leveraging AI-driven, data-centric solutions to outpace evolving threats. Through Leidos’ Mission Drivers, Salmanson and his team deliver repeatable, hardened capabilities, specifically designed for complex and contested environments, that reduce response times and risk.
This enables customers to sustain operations and achieve mission success at scale. Ultimately, Salmanson and his team are working to democratize cybersecurity data to instill deep, personal ownership and accountability at every level.
“Cybersecurity today is about anticipating threats and engineering resilience into every mission,” he said. “This year, we’ve advanced AI-driven defense, zero trust, and Mission Drivers to give customers an edge. It’s personal — protecting the people, systems, and operations that defend our nation.”
Fun fact: Salmanson owned and operated a gym and later co-founded a STEM-focused early learning academy with his wife — both rooted in a belief in continuous development. Those experiences shaped his focus on the link between physical and mental readiness and advanced training. He applies the same principles professionally, preparing individuals and organizations to adapt and perform under pressure.