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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

AT SEA, UNSPECIFIED - MARCH 1: (EDITOR'S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images' editorial policy.) In this U.S. Navy released handout, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) fires a Tomahawk land attack missile in support of Operation Epic Fury, on March 1, 2026 at Sea. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was confirmed killed after the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28. Iran retaliated by firing waves of missiles and drones at Israel, and targeting U.S. allies in the region. (Photo by U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

Global Intelligence Report for Tuesday, May 26, 2026

U.S. launches new ‘self-defense’ strikes in southern Iran as talks stall, Tehran vows retaliation

Israel will escalate strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Netanyahu says

Russia warns foreigners, U.S. embassy staff to leave Kyiv as it prepares ‘systematic strikes’

North Korea fired projectiles, including short-range ballistic missile, Seoul says

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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

DHS Has Become Central to American Strategy, But Its Strategy Has Not Caught Up

Daniel E. White

DHS Has Become Central to American Strategy, But Its Strategy Has Not Caught Up

A generation after 9/11, the homeland has returned to the center of American national security strategy. The 2025 National Security Strategy, the [...] More

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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

UN-MEMORIAL DAY: There is a rumor floating around (pardon the pun) in naval circles – that the administration is seriously considering removing the name of World War II hero Doris “Dorie” Miller from a Ford-class aircraft carrier (CVN-81) currently under construction. Miller was a mess attendant serving aboard USS West Virginia at Pearl Harbor and despite no gunnery training, manned an anti-aircraft gun and shot down at least one and perhaps up to six Japanese planes on December 7, 1941. Cuba Gooding Jr. played him in the 2001 movie “Pearl Harbor.” Less than two years into the war, Miller was killed in action when the [...] 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

Former Australian Signals Directorate Director-General Rachel Noble joins State Secrets with Suzanne Kelly for a rare insider’s look at the cyber battles shaping modern national security. From China’s targeting of critical infrastructure to Russia, Iran, AI-enabled threats, offensive cyber operations and the power of the Five Eyes alliance, Noble explains why the next conflict may already be underway - inside our networks.

In this episode:

  • Why the Australian Signals Directorate is one of the Five Eyes’ most important cyber and intelligence partners
  • How China is pre-positioning inside critical infrastructure and telecommunications networks
  • Why cyber criminals and state-backed actors are increasingly blurring together
  • What Russia, Iran and China are teaching the world about cyber conflict
  • How AI is accelerating both cyber defense and cyber offense
  • Why private sector companies may now be the first line of defense in modern conflict
  • What citizens can do to strengthen national cyber resilience
  • Why intelligence agencies need to better explain their mission to the public

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