Cipher Brief Stories

This Week's Dead Drop: June 22, 2018

June 22, 2018 | Anonymous

Each week, we bring our readers tidbits of gossip from the world of national security and intelligence. The Dead Drop is a source of fun and intriguing news you may ...

Securing Orbit: Countdown to a Space Corps?

June 21, 2018 | The Cipher Brief

President Trump on Monday called for the creation of a new Space Force to be designated as an independent, sixth branch of the U.S. military. Just a few months ago, ...

Opinion

The Short-Sightedness of Obama-Era Cyber Operations Policy

June 21, 2018 | James Van de Velde

The Trump Administration is likely deliberating now the U.S. Department of Defense’s role in defending US interests via cyberspace – specifically, whether to continue President Obama’s Presidential Policy Directive 20. ...

Opinion

How Journalists Pin Down the President

June 20, 2018 | Walter Pincus

Journalists need to find a way to pin down President Trump, and his June 10 press conference in Singapore provided a clear example of one way to do it. The subject was ...

What Awaits Yemen After Hodeida?

June 20, 2018 | Norman Roule

In the second part of a Cipher Brief two-part series on the significant implications of the battle for Hodeida, Cipher Brief Expert Norm Roule, who is also the ODNI’s former ...

Cyber Advisor

The Argument for a Cyber Response Playbook

June 19, 2018 | Jason Healey

The Trump administration has a dozen top cybersecurity priorities ranging from a new national cyber strategy to dealing with increasingly bold nation-state adversaries. One priority – that should be ...

The Future of Hodeida - Once a Hotbed of Global Espionage - Hangs in the Balance

June 19, 2018 | Norman Roule

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned Monday that military action in Yemen will fail. The warning comes as a Saudi-led coalition targeted Houthi rebels aligned with Iran, according to Reuters. Still ...

Afghanistan Quagmire Leaves U.S. With No Good Options

June 18, 2018 | Cipher Brief Analysis

Update: June 18, 2018 - Despite an incredibly rare ceasefire between the Afghan Government and the Taliban in observance of Eid al-Fitr, two deadly suicide bombings rocked Jalalabad over the ...

Cipher Brief Expert View

Singapore a Success? Yes, by Mirroring Obama

June 18, 2018 | James Jeffrey

Much initial reaction to the North Korean - American Singapore Summit has been negative, with critics targeting the concessions made by President Trump including; a dramatic, public endorsement of Kim ...

This Week's Dead Drop - June 15, 2018

June 15, 2018 | Anonymous

Each week, we bring our readers tidbits of gossip from the world of national security and intelligence. The Dead Drop is a source of fun or intriguing news you can’t ...

Cipher Brief Expert View

Like it or Not, Singapore Summit was a Success

June 14, 2018 | Joseph DeTrani

The historic June 12th summit in Singapore between President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jung Un has moved us closer to a peaceful resolution of issues with North Korea. Compared ...

The Broader Implications of What's Happening in Yemen

June 14, 2018 | Bennett Seftel

Pro-government forces backed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have launched an assault on rebels holding Yemen's port city of Hodeidah. Potential humanitarian casualties are high, since the port serves ...

Cipher Expert Quick Take

The U.S. Must Leverage Influence to Halt Assault In Yemen

June 14, 2018 | Emile Nakhleh

The Arab Coalition's on-going bloody attack on Yemen's critical port city of Hodeidah, with Washington's acquiescence, will only deepen the humanitarian tragedy of the Yemeni people. The Saudi-UAE attack is part ...

Cipher Brief Expert View

The National Security Winners and Losers from Singapore Summit

June 13, 2018 | Todd Rosenblum

China, North Korea and the U.S.-South Korea security alliance are the big winners from the short, joint declaration out of Singapore this week. The United States made important symbolic ...

Analysis

The Future of the Gulf Cooperation Council

June 13, 2018 | Dr. Yoel Guzansky

(Ed note: The Gulf Cooperation Council has been under significant strain for the past year, namely because of an ongoing rift between Qatar and its neighbors, seemingly nudging Qatar closer ...

Jordan's $2.5b Security Lifeline to the Future

June 13, 2018 | Norman T. Roule

While the media is dominated by events in North Korea, it would be wise to devote some space to the decision this week by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, ...

Opinion

The President's Summit Adventure Through an Intelligence Lens

June 12, 2018 | David Priess

OPINION: The eyes of an intelligence officer are trained to look for what a person’s behavior uncovers about his or her motivations and aspirations, which can then help predict future ...

Cipher Brief Expert View

The U.S. Intelligence Mission Targeting North Korea

June 12, 2018 | Daniel Hoffman

Shortly after he was sworn in as Director CIA in January of 2017, now-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made some bold moves that put renewed focus on the North Korea ...

President Trump's Strange Russia Strategy

June 12, 2018 | Suzanne Kelly

As the world focuses on the Singapore summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the President’s Treasury Secretary announced sanctions against five Russian entities and ...

Difficulties Integrating North Korean Defectors Suggest Challenges in Reunifying Korea

June 11, 2018 | Sebastian J. Bae

During the height of the Cold War, North Korean defectors were celebrated as symbols of freedom and a direct indictment of a brutal North Korean regime. Yet over time, the ...

This Week's Dead Drop

June 08, 2018 | Anonymous

Each week, we hope to give our readers tidbits of gossip from the world of national security and intelligence. The Dead Drop is a source of fun or intriguing news ...

SOCOM's New Challenge in North Korea and Beyond

June 07, 2018 | COL David Maxwell

As the U.S. President prepares to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore, sources tell The Cipher Brief that U.S. Special Operations Forces have been preparing for potential ...

Cipher Brief Features

This Week's Dead Drop: June 22, 2018

June 22, 2018 | Anonymous

Each week, we bring our readers tidbits of gossip from the world of national security and intelligence. The Dead Drop is a source of fun and intriguing news you may ...

Securing Orbit: Countdown to a Space Corps?

June 21, 2018 | The Cipher Brief

President Trump on Monday called for the creation of a new Space Force to be designated as an independent, sixth branch of the U.S. military. Just a few months ago, ...

What Awaits Yemen After Hodeida?

June 20, 2018 | Norman Roule

In the second part of a Cipher Brief two-part series on the significant implications of the battle for Hodeida, Cipher Brief Expert Norm Roule, who is also the ODNI’s former ...

The Future of Hodeida - Once a Hotbed of Global Espionage - Hangs in the Balance

June 19, 2018 | Norman Roule

Afghanistan Quagmire Leaves U.S. With No Good Options

June 18, 2018 | Cipher Brief Analysis

Update: June 18, 2018 - Despite an incredibly rare ceasefire between the Afghan Government and the Taliban in observance of Eid al-Fitr, two deadly suicide bombings rocked Jalalabad over the ...

This Week's Dead Drop - June 15, 2018

June 15, 2018 | Anonymous

Each week, we bring our readers tidbits of gossip from the world of national security and intelligence. The Dead Drop is a source of fun or intriguing news you can’t ...

The Broader Implications of What's Happening in Yemen

June 14, 2018 | Bennett Seftel

Jordan's $2.5b Security Lifeline to the Future

June 13, 2018 | Norman T. Roule

While the media is dominated by events in North Korea, it would be wise to devote some space to the decision this week by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, ...

President Trump's Strange Russia Strategy

June 12, 2018 | Suzanne Kelly

Difficulties Integrating North Korean Defectors Suggest Challenges in Reunifying Korea

June 11, 2018 | Sebastian J. Bae

During the height of the Cold War, North Korean defectors were celebrated as symbols of freedom and a direct indictment of a brutal North Korean regime. Yet over time, the ...

This Week's Dead Drop

June 08, 2018 | Anonymous

Each week, we hope to give our readers tidbits of gossip from the world of national security and intelligence. The Dead Drop is a source of fun or intriguing news ...

SOCOM's New Challenge in North Korea and Beyond

June 07, 2018 | COL David Maxwell

As the U.S. President prepares to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore, sources tell The Cipher Brief that U.S. Special Operations Forces have been preparing for potential ...

Columns

Opinion

The Short-Sightedness of Obama-Era Cyber Operations Policy

June 21, 2018 | James Van de Velde

Opinion

How Journalists Pin Down the President

June 20, 2018 | Walter Pincus

Journalists need to find a way to pin down President Trump, and his June 10 press conference in Singapore provided a clear example of one way to do it. The subject was ...

Cyber Advisor

The Argument for a Cyber Response Playbook

June 19, 2018 | Jason Healey

Cipher Brief Expert View

Singapore a Success? Yes, by Mirroring Obama

June 18, 2018 | James Jeffrey

Cipher Brief Expert View

Like it or Not, Singapore Summit was a Success

June 14, 2018 | Joseph DeTrani

The historic June 12th summit in Singapore between President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jung Un has moved us closer to a peaceful resolution of issues with North Korea. Compared ...

Cipher Expert Quick Take

The U.S. Must Leverage Influence to Halt Assault In Yemen

June 14, 2018 | Emile Nakhleh

Cipher Brief Expert View

The National Security Winners and Losers from Singapore Summit

June 13, 2018 | Todd Rosenblum

China, North Korea and the U.S.-South Korea security alliance are the big winners from the short, joint declaration out of Singapore this week. The United States made important symbolic ...

Analysis

The Future of the Gulf Cooperation Council

June 13, 2018 | Dr. Yoel Guzansky

(Ed note: The Gulf Cooperation Council has been under significant strain for the past year, namely because of an ongoing rift between Qatar and its neighbors, seemingly nudging Qatar closer ...

Opinion

The President's Summit Adventure Through an Intelligence Lens

June 12, 2018 | David Priess

OPINION: The eyes of an intelligence officer are trained to look for what a person’s behavior uncovers about his or her motivations and aspirations, which can then help predict future ...

Cipher Brief Expert View

The U.S. Intelligence Mission Targeting North Korea

June 12, 2018 | Daniel Hoffman

Shortly after he was sworn in as Director CIA in January of 2017, now-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made some bold moves that put renewed focus on the North Korea ...

The Dead Drop

THE PERFECT WEAPON by David Sanger, reveals the inside story of how cyberweapons have transformed war and diplomacy in a new era of sabotage and misinformation. Cheap to acquire and easy to deny, cyber is a weapon that’s ready to be tailored to any nation’s purpose. THE PERFECT WEAPON is out now.

Network Spotlight

Rolf Mowatt-Larssen

Prior to his appointment as a senior fellow at the Belfer Center, Mr. Rolf Mowatt-Larssen served over three years as the Director of Intelligence and Counterintelligence at the U.S. Department of Energy. Prior to this, he served for 23 years as a CIA intelligence officer in various domestic and international posts, to include Chief of the Europe Division in the ...