Dead Drop: February 22

February 22, 2019 | Anonymous

THE ZOUNDS OF SILENCE: There were lots of reports of “surprise and indignation” (the definition of the word “zounds” BTW) coming out of the just-completed annual Munich Security Conference. Among the interesting ...

Setting U.S. Relations with Saudi Arabia on a Correction Course

February 21, 2019 | Ambassador Gary Grappo

There was never any question that America’s relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would become one of its most important in the region and indeed in the world. It ...

February 20, 2019 | The Cipher Brief

Fresh off the heels of the Munich security conference, a rift remains between the U.S. and its allies over their approach to 5G networks and managing the potential national security ...

February 20, 2019 | Gen. (ret.) David H. Petraeus

The Cipher Brief asked expert and retired four-star General David Petraeus for his big takeaways after attending last weekend's Munich Security Conference. First, the wedge between the U.S. Administration and Europe ...

February 19, 2019 | Putin's World

BOOK REVIEW: Putin's World By Angela Stent Reviewed by Cipher Brief expert, Michael Sulick Vladimir Putin, enormously popular in Russia yet reviled in the West, avidly courting, and courted, by ...

February 19, 2019 | Walter Pincus

OPINION -- Prior to President Trump, only two Presidents have initiated use of the special emergency authority [U.S. Code Title 10, Section 2808] to transfer un-obligated military construction money to ...

February 18, 2019 | Steven Hall

Steven Hall spent more than 30 years in the CIA, the bulk of them running and managing intelligence operations in Eurasia and Latin America.  He has experience both in counterintelligence ...

February 17, 2019 | The Cipher Brief

Bottom Line: In the digital age, determining the origins of cyberattacks is already difficult, but cyber actors can further muddy attribution by diverting blame for attacks to others. The intention ...

February 15, 2019 | Congressman Dan Crenshaw

It’s been a busy national security week in DC.  Congressional lawmakers and the President managed to reach a deal that would fund the government but leaves the issue of border ...

February 14, 2019 | Walter Pincus

OPINION -- Two senior U.S. military commanders in the Indo-Pacific area this week questioned whether North Korea would ever denuclearize, just 12 days before the next scheduled summit in Hanoi between ...

February 14, 2019 | Norman Roule

As part of The Cipher Brief's special coverage in the run up to our 2019 Threat Conference in Sea Island, GA March 24-26th, we will be presenting a series of ...

February 12, 2019 | Breaking and Entering: The Extraordinary Story of a Hacker Called "Alien"

BOOK REVIEW:  Breaking and Entering: The Extraordinary Story of a Hacker Called ‘Alien’ By Jeremy N. Smith Reviewed by Niloofar Razi Howe Hacking new technology is an old sport. In ...

February 11, 2019 |

A lot has happened since China expert and Harvard Professor Graham Allison’s best-selling book on China, Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides Trap was published in 2017. ...

February 08, 2019 | Rob Lively

The Cipher Brief’s new Friday column, ‘Cipher Select’ talks with retired Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Rob Lively, who spent 28 years in the U.S. Army, where he was part of ...

February 07, 2019 | Emile Nakhleh

Cipher Brief Expert Emile Nakhleh is a retired CIA Senior Intelligence Service Officer and founding director of the CIA’s Political Islam Strategic Analysis Program Office. Iran celebrates the fortieth anniversary ...

February 07, 2019 | Mark Weatherford and Paul G. Doherty

A hundred years from now historians will write that one of America’s greatest contributions to the world was the Internet. Though other countries and foreign citizens contributed to the effort, ...

February 06, 2019 |

Innovation in Government isn’t generally a phrase that rolls off the tongue, but in a relatively unconstrained threat environment, innovation has become synonymous with survival. A few years ago, the ...

February 05, 2019 | Mark Kelton

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats briefed the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence last week about the comprehensive threat that China poses to U.S. national security. While there were a ...

January 31, 2019 | The Cipher Brief

In a statement for the record presented to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence this week about worldwide threats facing the U.S., Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said that ...

January 30, 2019 | Bruce Hoffman

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats released the Worldwide Threat Assessment on Tuesday, with Intelligence Community leaders briefing Senators on the biggest threats facing the U.S. While The Cipher Brief ...

January 28, 2019 | The Cipher Brief

ISIS has claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack at a cathedral in the Philippines that left at least 21 people dead and scores injured. Earlier this month, ISIS claimed responsibility for ...

January 23, 2019 | Steven Hall

A recent poll conducted by a Russian polling group, suggests that domestic trust in Vladimir Putin is at its lowest level in more than a decade. Still, it’s important to ...

February 22, 2019 | Anonymous

THE ZOUNDS OF SILENCE: There were lots of reports of “surprise and indignation” (the definition of the word “zounds” BTW) coming out of the just-completed annual Munich Security Conference. Among the interesting ...

February 20, 2019 | The Cipher Brief

Fresh off the heels of the Munich security conference, a rift remains between the U.S. and its allies over their approach to 5G networks and managing the potential national security ...

February 17, 2019 | The Cipher Brief

Bottom Line: In the digital age, determining the origins of cyberattacks is already difficult, but cyber actors can further muddy attribution by diverting blame for attacks to others. The intention ...

February 14, 2019 | Norman Roule

As part of The Cipher Brief's special coverage in the run up to our 2019 Threat Conference in Sea Island, GA March 24-26th, we will be presenting a series of ...

February 11, 2019 |

A lot has happened since China expert and Harvard Professor Graham Allison’s best-selling book on China, Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides Trap was published in 2017. ...

February 07, 2019 | Emile Nakhleh

Cipher Brief Expert Emile Nakhleh is a retired CIA Senior Intelligence Service Officer and founding director of the CIA’s Political Islam Strategic Analysis Program Office. Iran celebrates the fortieth anniversary ...

February 06, 2019 |

Innovation in Government isn’t generally a phrase that rolls off the tongue, but in a relatively unconstrained threat environment, innovation has become synonymous with survival. A few years ago, the ...

February 05, 2019 | Mark Kelton

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats briefed the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence last week about the comprehensive threat that China poses to U.S. national security. While there were a ...

January 31, 2019 | The Cipher Brief

In a statement for the record presented to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence this week about worldwide threats facing the U.S., Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said that ...

January 30, 2019 | Bruce Hoffman

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats released the Worldwide Threat Assessment on Tuesday, with Intelligence Community leaders briefing Senators on the biggest threats facing the U.S. While The Cipher Brief ...

January 28, 2019 | The Cipher Brief

ISIS has claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack at a cathedral in the Philippines that left at least 21 people dead and scores injured. Earlier this month, ISIS claimed responsibility for ...

January 23, 2019 | Steven Hall

A recent poll conducted by a Russian polling group, suggests that domestic trust in Vladimir Putin is at its lowest level in more than a decade. Still, it’s important to ...