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

‘Mind-Blowing’ Pentagon Overhaul Will Reshape Acquisition

A top entrepreneur’s perspective on the risks and rewards of startup-style innovation at the Pentagon

‘Mind-Blowing’ Pentagon Overhaul Will Reshape Acquisition

FEATURED INTERVIEW — As the Pentagon undertakes its most ambitious overhaul yet of how it acquires new warfighting capabilities, Silicon Valley [...] More

Tech/CyberBrad Christian
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The Open Source Report

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrives for a briefing in the U.S. Capitol with Congressional leaders and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on military strikes against alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean, on Wednesday, November 5, 2025.

Global Intelligence Report for Monday, December 1, 2025

Congress to Investigate Allegations That U.S. Military Targeted Boat-Strike Survivors

Zelensky says “tough issues” remain after talks in Florida

NATO may get 'more aggressive' in countering Russia’s hybrid attacks

Ukrainian forces attribute successful drone strikes to AI targeting systems

Access Today’s Report

Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

A Real Life Example of Russian Information Operations

Glenn Corn

EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — In January of 2018, I was involved in organizing and supporting the visit of General Aleksandr Bortnikov, and Sergey Naryshkin, the heads of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and Foreign [...] More

The U.S. Needs to Restore Deterrence Credibility Against Putin

Ambassador Joseph DeTrani

OPINION — President Donald Trump’s 28-point peace plan is a humanitarian attempt to halt the killing and destruction in Ukraine, although Russia’s President Vladimir Putin may view the peace plan as an attempt to appease [...] More

RussiaAmbassador Joseph DeTraniUkraineEurope
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News & Analysis

Do Oil Sanctions Still Work?

Do Oil Sanctions Still Work?

DEEP DIVE — On October 22, 2025, in his boldest move yet to force Vladimir Putin back to the negotiating table, President Trump unleashed sweeping [...] More

RussiaEurope

Opinion

The Delhi Blast and Pakistan’s Proxy War: Why Another Clash Looks Likely

Siddhant Kishore

The Delhi Blast and Pakistan’s Proxy War: Why Another Clash Looks Likely

OPINION — South Asia has once again returned to the global spotlight after a suicide bombing struck the heart of India’s capital on November 10. The [...] More

Alternative PerspectivesAsia

What’s on The Cipher Brief’s Digital Channel

Tapping a China Vibe in South Koreaplay icon

Tapping a China Vibe in South Korea

The Open Source Report

Book Reviews

Want a Security Clearance? Stop Smoking Pot and Read This
Want a Security Clearance? Stop Smoking Pot and Read This

When the Chekists Took Up the Pen
When the Chekists Took Up the Pen

The Nazis Never Left. A Worthy Successor to a Classic Thriller
The Nazis Never Left. A Worthy Successor to a Classic Thriller

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The Best National Security Gossip

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARCHIVES: It sounds like a story out of Hollywood. According to a recent piece by Reuters, there was a raid on a secret CIA archival facility in the national Capital region. The invading force – showing up in mini-vans, were not Russian operatives but instead a team dispatched by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. The mission that day back in April, was reportedly to get their hands on highly classified CIA files relating to the assassinations of JFK, RFK and MLK, Jr. We know what you’re wondering. Why was a DNI team arriving unannounced at a partner organization’s warehouse full of [...] More

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Events

Live Events

The Cipher Brief 2026 HONORS Awards

The Cipher Brief 2026 HONORS Awards

Join us for the third annual Cipher Brief Honors Dinner, the evening of March 13, 2026. This Black-Tie event is invite only, please apply here for a [...] More

Upcoming: 13 March, 2026

Podcasts

State Secrets

In this episode of State Secrets, Cipher Brief CEO & Publisher Suzanne Kelly talks with retired four-star Gen. Stan McChrystal, who served as Commander of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and is author of the new book, On Character: Choices That Define a Life, about what character really means in an era where everything feels political, whether intended or not.

Cover Stories: Spies, Books & Entertainment


David McCloskey, former CIA Analyst turned novelist is out with his fourth book, The Persian, about an Iranian dentist who is recruited by Mossad to take on a dangerous mission inside Iran. Cover Stories Host Suzanne Kelly digs in on how McCloskey’s real-life Intelligence background fueled his latest novel, and discovers a few of McCloskey’s own secrets along the way.