Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

cipherbrief

Welcome! Log in to stay connected and make the most of your experience.

Input clean

The Cipher Brief: National Security news, analysis and expert commentary.

There Will be Unseen Costs to be Paid over the War in Iran. Who is Weighing Them?

As Negotiations Enter an ‘Operational Pause’, the Devil of any Deal is still in the Details.

TOPSHOT-IRAN-US-ISRAEL-WAR-TRANSPORT-HORMUZ

EXPERT INTERVIEW – With an interim agreement expected as early as today between the U.S. and Iran aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping [...] More

Middle East Iran Brad Christian
Open Source Report logo

The Open Source Report

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-CONFLICT This handout satellite image taken and released by Vantor on August 12, 2026, shows heavily damaged ships at the Black Sea port naval base of Novorossiysk in Russia, following Ukrainian strikes. Ukraine's President said that Kyiv had "carried out a unique operation targeting the naval base in Novorossiysk - the last major stronghold of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea, more than 300 kilometres from the front line." Ukraine has increased its strikes on Russia in what it says is fair retribution for Moscow's own daily strikes on Ukrainian cities that force people into shelters and kill civilians across the country. (Photo by Satellite image ©2026 Vantor / AFP via Getty Images)

Global Intelligence Report for Thursday, August 13, 2026

Major Russian grain export terminals hit, emergency declared as Ukraine attacks Black Sea port, killing three

Iran says no progress on reviving interim peace deal with U.S.

CIA had ‘low confidence’ in Iranian threat before Trump switched planes in Turkey

Pentagon’s Hegseth touts anti-cartel coalition, says task force will do ‘bad things to bad people’

Access Today’s Report

Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

Opinion

It’s Time For The President To Level With The American People on Iran

Mark Fowler

The U.S. administration’s strategic expectations are increasingly colliding with a set of hard realities. While Iran has taken a considerable beating, it remains standing and does not appear on the verge of either [...] More

Opinion

How About Equipping Local Law Enforcement with a Better Anti-Drone Arsenal?

Joey Gagnard

During the week of March 9, drones came over Barksdale Air Force Base in waves. Barksdale is the home of the 2nd Bomb Wing, one of the places this country keeps its nuclear-capable bombers. The base issued a [...] More

Joey Gagnard
View More ›

News & Analysis

We've Seen Autonomous Warfare and We're in Trouble

We've Seen Autonomous Warfare and We're in Trouble

Editor’s note- Russia's war in Ukraine has fundamentally changed the character of warfare, proving that autonomous and attritable drones are no [...] More

Tech/Cyber Xen

Opinion

The Biggest AI Models Are Not the Biggest Threats

Alvin W. Graylin

The Biggest AI Models Are Not the Biggest Threats

Almost every AI security framework we are applying rests on one misguided assumption: danger scales with size. Compute thresholds, export controls, [...] More

Alternative Perspectives

What’s on The Cipher Brief’s Digital Channel

Book Reviews

Lessons on Political Violence, State Capacity, and Democratic Resilience
Lessons on Political Violence, State Capacity, and Democratic Resilience

Sects, Lies, and Statecraft
Sects, Lies, and Statecraft

dead drop dead drop

The Best National Security Gossip

GET YOUR A** OUT OF THE BOARDROOM — Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg reportedly has asked major defense firms to send board members, not just CEOs, into the Pentagon for classified briefings on "the severity of the threat" facing the U.S. It's an unusual move as the department pushes for a wartime industrial footing. His message to contractors: "Those who don't [change]... will be gone."PYONGYANG’S SIDE HUSTLE: North Korea has apparently found a new way to monetize the American workplace: work-from-home jobs. A year-long Wall Street Journal investigation found that North Korean IT operatives are using stolen [...] More

Get The Drop

Events

Live Events

2026 Threat Conference

2026 Threat Conference

The Cipher Brief Threat Conference is the nation’s premier forum for non-partisan discussion of global threats and solutions as well as high-level [...] More

Upcoming: 25 October, 2026

The Cipher Brief 2027 HONORS Awards

The Cipher Brief 2027 HONORS Awards

Join us for the third annual Cipher Brief Honors Dinner, the evening of April 9, 2027. This Black-Tie event is invite-only. Please apply here for a [...] More

Upcoming: 09 April, 2027

Podcasts

State Secrets

Artificial intelligence is transforming cyber warfare - and former NSA Director and U.S. Cyber Command Commander Gen. Paul Nakasone says the speed of that transformation demands a new approach to America’s defense.

In this episode of The Cipher Brief’s State Secrets podcast, Suzanne Kelly sits down with Gen. Nakasone to discuss how AI is reshaping offensive and defensive cyber operations - and why increasingly autonomous systems could fundamentally change the role humans play in cyber conflict.

They examine China’s penetration of U.S. telecommunications and critical infrastructure, cyber threats from Iran, Russia and North Korea, the growing ransomware threat, the race to prepare for quantum computing, and what Ukraine is teaching the world about autonomous warfare.

Gen. Nakasone also explains why America’s intelligence capabilities remain a critical competitive advantage, why defending critical infrastructure requires deeper partnerships between government and the private sector, and what national security leaders should be watching now.