A dizzying set of security challenges await the 47th president.
SPECIAL REPORT – As a divided nation hurtles towards the election, and officials worry about politically-driven violence, potential nightmares abound for the next commander-in-chief. Put […]More
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS — In the final days of one of the most consequential U.S. presidential campaigns in memory, outside threats to the election remain a high […]More
During the 2024 Cipher Brief Threat Conference, Dave Pitts joined Brad Christian, Mike Vickers, and Ralph Goff in a discussion about Gray Zone Operations; a […]More
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS — As the cyber threat environment grows more complex and daunting by the day, the U.S. intelligence community is racing to bolster cybersecurity […]More
EXPERT INTERVIEW — The Israel-Iran conflict has intensified in unprecedented ways over the past year, since Hamas — one of Iran’s anti-Israel proxy militias — breached […]More
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — The Pentagon said Monday that North Korea has sent some 10,000 troops to Russia to train and deploy to the battlefield in Ukraine […]More
Sell Like a Spy earns a prestigious 4 out of 4 trench coats
This Week’s Dead Drop: November 1
THEY’RE COMING FOR YOUR BRAIN: (well, sort of…)It got our attention this week when former senior CIA officers Dave Pitts and J.D. Maddox made a rather compelling case in The Cipher Brief that U.S. adversaries - including China and Russia - are effectively using cognitive warfare strategies against Americans and that the U.S. needs to get smart on the strategy…real fast. The two define ‘cognitive warfare’ as “activities conducted across a broad spectrum to achieve specific strategic objectives by influencing individuals, groups, and societies at the cognitive level—through information activities, [...]More
Join us for the second annual Cipher Brief Honors Dinner, the evening of Friday April 18, 2025. This Black-Tie event is invite only, please apply […]More
SUBSCRIBER+ VIRTUAL BRIEFING– Wednesday, August 28 at 1p ET with Cipher Brief Experts General Frank McKenzie (Ret.) and Dave Pitts, Former Assistant Director of CIA for […]More
SUBSCRIBER+ VIRTUAL BRIEFING – Join us Friday, June 28 for an Exclusive Briefing on the mounting crisis between Taiwan and China. Cipher Brief Experts Amb. […]More
Just ahead of Iran’s Special Presidential elections, Cipher Brief Experts Paula Doyle and Glenn Corn discuss the President’s office, possible succession plans for Supreme Leader, […]More
Previous Event:
June 24th, 2024
Podcasts
State Secrets
The Defense Counterintelligence & Security Agency touches more than 90% of the personnel security background checks that help determine whether a job candidate receives a security clearance. But the agency has other missions as well, all focused on enhancing national security. State Secrets podcast host Suzanne Kelly talks with Director David Cattler about the agency’s responsibilities, about just how long it takes to get a clearance, the challenges associated with clearing a workforce and about whether that marijuana you once tried really is a dealbreaker (we couldn’t resist the urge to ask).
Cover Stories: Spies, Books & Entertainment
Description: Admiral Jim Stavridis (Ret.) is out with his fourteenth book, The Restless Wave - a tale of historical fiction taking place during World War II. Cover Stories co-host Suzanne Kelly caught up with the retired Admiral for a Cipher Brief Book Club virtual meeting to talk about just how much of ‘himself’ was written into his main character – about what inspired his writing and then, she couldn’t help but ask about those love scenes.
I value The Cipher Brief for the way it combines truly unique access to a wide array of experts with its commitment to non-partisan analysis of today’s most urgent national security problems – and its equal focus on over-the-horizon issues that will be the urgent problems of tomorrow.
Since retiring from CIA in 2017, I’ve been honored to be a part of the exceptional Cipher Brief team providing expert assessment – whether it’s nuclear proliferation, transnational terrorism, and climate change or hard targets like Iran, North Korea, China, and Russia – The Cipher Brief delivers without the predisposed ideological bias so often prevalent in today’s discourse.
The Cipher Brief means intelligence for business. And business has never needed a clear global picture more than now. I’ve been doing this for nearly fifty years and I have never seen the globe more complicated nor the effects of distant events more immediately felt. Seasoned intelligence professionals speak freely and candidly every day on The Cipher Brief and bring their intellect, their experience and their global networks to bear on what will be tomorrow’s news.
“The Cipher Brief is my daily ‘must read’ for insightful coverage and analysis of national security events. I find the Open Source Report to be a key tool in assessing global geopolitical risk, and illuminating national security challenges in just the right amount of depth. It’s the perfect balance. I can read it quickly, but step away feeling I have a solid grasp of the issues and implications. Thanks to the brilliant Cipher Brief Team! “
Congratulations to The Cipher Brief for actively promoting a national conversation – through conferences, analysis, and webinars at the highest level – on our country’s national security, intelligence capabilities, and challenges in confronting adversaries and competitors alike.