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

Remembering the Americans Who Made Ukraine’s War Their Own

There is no official count of how many Americans have died helping to defend Ukraine but the community feels every death just the same

Remembering the Americans Who Made Ukraine’s War Their Own

This Memorial Day, The Cipher Brief is remembering the Americans who answered the call after Russia launched its unprovoked, deadly invasion of [...] More

UkraineInternationalEurope
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The Open Source Report

TOKYO, JAPAN - FEBRUARY 18: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (C) arrives at the Prime Minister's Office after being re-elected as prime minister by Parliament on February 18, 2026, in Tokyo, Japan. Takaichi was re-elected by lawmakers following the general election, in which she secured a majority in the Lower House. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)

Global Intelligence Report for Thursday, May 28, 2026

U.S. and Iran exchange fresh strikes, testing fragile ceasefire despite cautious peace talks

Pentagon says U.S. military personnel are reportedly being targeted using location data

Japan approves major intelligence overhaul amid rising cyberattacks, espionage

White House prepares Cuba contingency plans amid escalating pressure on Havana

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Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

Opinion

AI, Autonomous Weapons, and the Pentagon’s $55 Billion Bet on Future War

Walter Pincus

“The [Defense] Department (DoD) is requesting a massive increase for DAWG. For those in the audience that may not know, DAWG is the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group [tasked with rapidly developing, testing, and fielding [...] More

Walter PincusFine Print
Opinion

Sweden and Denmark are in a Position of Power Over Russia

Joey Gagnard
Nils Alstad

Two straits, six thousand kilometers apart, are defining the global balance of power in 2026. The first, Hormuz, is closed by force and heavily impacting the world economy. The second, the Øresund, is open, and through it [...] More

Joey Gagnard
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News & Analysis

The G-2: Takeaways from Trump's Trip to Beijing

The G-2: Takeaways from Trump's Trip to Beijing

By most accounts, President Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing ended ambiguously for the U.S. From Air Force One on his way back to the U.S., Trump [...] More

ChinaBrad ChristianAsia

Opinion

Narco-Terrorism as Grey-Zone Warfare: Pakistan’s Hidden Front Against India

Siddhant Kishore

Narco-Terrorism as Grey-Zone Warfare: Pakistan’s Hidden Front Against India

The United States has long framed its South Asia policy around countering China’s rise, managing the fallout from Afghanistan, and preventing [...] More

Alternative Perspectives

What’s on The Cipher Brief’s Digital Channel

Book Reviews

Great Powers Are Back … Yet Again
Great Powers Are Back … Yet Again

Five Traitors, One Last Book Please
Five Traitors, One Last Book Please

War, Climate, and AI Collide in "2084"
War, Climate, and AI Collide in "2084"

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The Best National Security Gossip

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE ABSURD KIND: The Daily Mail reported on Monday that the CIA has been accused of secretly mining 23andMe and Ancestry.com to identify Americans who are carrying extraterrestrial DNA. Specifically, the Agency is said to be searching for markers of a humanoid alien race called the Nordics, who look like very tall Scandinavians and are currently living undercover in small Colorado mountain towns. The Dead Drop cannot independently verify this claim, (largely because it sounds kind of insane). The sourcing chain for this story is worth savoring though: a science fiction writer says a retired Army [...] More

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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

Podcasts

State Secrets

What does it take to make a modern espionage thriller feel real?

In this episode of State Secrets, Suzanne Kelly sits down with acclaimed director Andrew Bernstein to discuss Jack Ryan: Ghost War — the new feature-length installment of the iconic franchise that brings shadow conflict, intelligence operations, and geopolitical tension into sharp focus.

Bernstein — whose work includes The Americans and Ozark — reveals how the production worked directly with the Central Intelligence Agency and MI6 to better understand the realities of intelligence work, the emotional toll of covert operations, and the evolving threats facing the West today.

The conversation explores the balance between realism and entertainment, why intelligence professionals connected deeply with the film, and how today’s gray zone conflicts — from cyber warfare to disinformation campaigns — are shaping modern storytelling. Bernstein also shares behind-the-scenes insight into filming unprecedented action sequences in central London and what it was like screening the movie at CIA headquarters.