The Cipher Brief

When a Charismatic and a Machiavellian Meet

As Presidents Trump and Xi prepare to meet in Beijing, two experts examine the psychology, power instincts, and risks shaping one of the world’s most consequential relationships.

U.S. Donald Trump Meets With China's President Xi In South Korea

President Trump will visit Beijing later this month for the first time in almost a decade. As a former CIA clinical psychologist, I have conducted [...] More

The Open Source Report

Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

That Other Nuclear Nightmare: North Korea Sounds New Alarms

DEEP DIVE – As the U.S. grapples with the still-unsolved problem of Iran’s nuclear program, another American adversary is expanding its nuclear [...] More

Woman speaking at podium with Mexican seal, flag, and artwork in background.

CIA Deaths Expose Fragile U.S.-Mexico Security Ties

Around two o’clock in the morning of April 19, an SUV veered off a twisting dirt road in a remote corner of the Sierra Madre, plunged into a ravine [...] More

Silhouette of towers against a vibrant orange sunset sky.

From Chernobyl to Ukraine: The Enduring Cost of Kremlin Lies

In April 1986, a reactor exploded at Chernobyl and the Soviet Union lied about it. That instinct to conceal, distort, and deny did not just worsen [...] More

What’s on The Cipher Brief’s Digital Channel

JACK IS BACK – Which one, you ask? While The Dead Drop has been asking Hollywood Executive Producer Howard Gordon to bring Jack Bauer back for a long while now, the Jack we’re talking about this time is Jack Ryan. And he’s back with a reluctant mission turned full-on adventure in “Ghost War” on Amazon Prime. Consider this something of a warning order because the movie doesn’t actually come out until May 20 but we got a sneak preview. We can’t really let you read our full review until May 18 per our pinky swear promise to the Amazon screening team, so we’ll just say that we loved it. (That’s not really a review, right?) [...] More

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State Secrets

Jennifer Ewbank dives deep into how algorithmic manipulation and AI are reshaping the battlefield of information.

As threats evolve, our understanding of them must too. The convergence of technology and tactics is unprecedented, and it's vital to recognize the implications of this industrialized production of misinformation.

The developments in AI could be a game-changer, enabling us to identify synthetic media at scale, offering a way to counter this threat without censorship.

Is this the moment we redefine our approach to misinformation?