Former CIA Director David Petraeus On Investing In Cybersecurity, The Internet Space

If there is a subject that a former CIA director knows, it's security. Consequently, host Gary Kaminsky asked Petraeus, this week's guest on Wall Street Week, about his view on the booming cybersecurity industry and how KKR sees the space in terms of potential return.

Petraeus assured KKR has “a number of investments in companies that are in the cyber arena or in the Internet space.” The firm invests in “various service providers, even those that produce content.”

Related Link: Shelley Bergman On The Highly Volatile, 'Anxiety Filled' Third Quarter

When asked about the importance of investing in private companies compared to putting money down in military or public investment pools, the expert said, “One of the appreciations I have gained since joining the firm and being in this particular sector, is that it does a great deal for out country (…) Our Nation’s power is built on a foundation that is our economy and the capital markets, and the investments, and all the rest of this.”

Petraeus continued, “We are not into buying companies, breaking them up and selling them. We are actually into them: We invest in them. We have a lot of experts that can bring a lot of expertise to bear. The goal is to help them grow, and obviously you do ultimately sell it – you have to liquidate your investment.”

Disclosure: Javier Hasse holds no positions in any of the securities mentioned above.