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

Russian Active Measures, And More Dirty Tricks: Expect Russia to Escalate Its Attacks on our Democracies

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For many in the West, Russian information warfare still conjures images of hacked emails, troll farms, and social media manipulation during the 2016 [...] More

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The Open Source Report

<span>Global Intelligence Report for Wednesday, June 10, 2026</span>

Global Intelligence Report for Wednesday, June 10, 2026

U.S. and Iran exchange strikes as Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain come under attack

Trump unwavering on Pulte after Johnson meets with White House on FISA

Taiwan test-fires U.S.-supplied missile launcher toward China for the first time

Ukraine winning war with Russia, retired U.S. generals say

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Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

Opinion

The Forgotten History Moscow Doesn’t Want Remembered

Glenn Corn

Sadly, few in the U.S. and Europe know the complicated history of the Kremlin’s actions in the years leading up to Hitler’s Invasion of the USSR. This is partially a result of Moscow’s emphasis on some facts, twisting [...] More

Opinion

Rubio Lays Out Trump Administration’s Iran Endgame

Walter Pincus

“He [President Trump] felt it was imperative that Iran not be able to establish a conventional shield that they were building with massive number of drones and missiles, and they were on their way to getting double what [...] More

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News & Analysis

U.S. Continues Maritime Blockade In Strait Of Hormuz

Middle East at the Brink: Norm Roule on Iran, Israel, and the High-Stakes Struggle Taking Shape

As tensions between Israel and Iran continue to evolve following a weekend Iranian ballistic missile attack against Israel, policymakers and markets [...] More

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Opinion

Qatar's New Online Influence Machine

Ari Ben Am

Qatar's New Online Influence Machine

For years, Qatar has positioned itself in Washington as a trusted American partner: a host to major U.S. military assets, a mediator in hostage [...] More

Alternative Perspectives

What’s on The Cipher Brief’s Digital Channel

Book Reviews

Rally the Rimlands
Rally the Rimlands

Raddatz Gives Voice to Those Who Served
Raddatz Gives Voice to Those Who Served

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The Best National Security Gossip

IS THAT A GIANT ZEBRA? Russia appears to be taking camouflage cues from World War I in an effort to hide some of the military equipment its using in Ukraine. Images circulating from the occupied Ukrainian territory show Russian KamAZ logistic vehicles covered with black-and-white camo stripes. They look like a giant zebra but experts say the paint schemes could alter the vehicle’s visual signature, making it more difficult to identify by automated systems. The camouflage was originally designed in the First World War to distort a naval vessel’s outline. Russia has used similar tactics before by placing tires on aircraft [...] 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

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

America's national security challenges are evolving faster than ever—and the traditional defense innovation system is struggling to keep pace.

In this episode of State Secrets, Cipher Brief CEO Suzanne Kelly sits down with two of the most influential voices in defense innovation: Steve Blank, creator of the Lean Startup methodology and co-founder of Hacking for Defense, and Pete Newell, retired Army officer, founder of BMNT, and co-founder of Hacking for Defense.

Together, they discuss how students at leading universities are tackling real-world challenges from the Pentagon, intelligence community, and NASA; why AI is changing the way innovators build solutions; and what it will take for the United States to compete with increasingly adaptive adversaries like China.

The conversation explores defense acquisition reform, the Pentagon's innovation ecosystem, startup culture in national security, the rise of defense venture capital, and why the biggest challenge may not be technology—but people.