The Cipher Brief

2025: 10 Events That Changed the World

The decisions, conflicts, and power shifts that redefined global security - and what they mean heading into 2026.

SPECIAL REPORT — In a turbulent year, one of the biggest national security stories came in the form of a document.The administration’s National [...] More

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Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

The World Leaders to Watch in 2026

The World Leaders to Watch in 2026

OPINION — The recent release of President Trump’s new National Security Strategy (NSS), with its emphasis on “the Trump corollary to the Monroe [...] More

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WAR MACHINES OF THE FUTURE: Forbes recently reported that a Silicon Valley startup called Foundation Futures Industries plans to build as many as 50,000 humanoid robots by the end of 2027. The company is aiming to enlist the U.S. military as a big customer. At 5’9”, 180 pounds, the devices dubbed “Phantom,” could be called on to undertake missions too hard or too dangerous for flesh and blood soldiers. CEO Sankaet Pathak wants to lease the devices to the military (at about $100,000 a year each) and he says that if the military had 100,000 in service “it would by and large end a lot of wars before they start” – which is a [...] More

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State Secrets

In this edition of the State Secrets podcast, we’re talking with two men who are carrying one of the most legendary torches in modern thriller history. Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson are the powerhouse duo behind the tier one series and are the authors of the latest novel in the Tom Clancy, Jack Ryan universe - Executive Power. Host Suzanne Kelly talks with them about a covert team wiped out in Angola and a high-stakes hostage with action playing out on a global scale, of course. In other words, all the good stuff.