The Cipher Brief

After the War and After Putin: Three Potential Succession Scenarios for Russia’s Modern Tsar

Russia’s tightly controlled system makes a popular uprising unlikely—but succession inside the Kremlin may still reshape the country’s future.

THE KREMLIN FILES / COLUMN — Recent weeks have seen seismic shifts in the world’s authoritarian landscape: from the dramatic removal of Venezuela’s [...] More

The Open Source Report

Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

The Drone War’s Real Problem Isn’t Technology — It’s Speed

The Drone War’s Real Problem Isn’t Technology — It’s Speed

OPINION — When Steve Blank and I sat down over coffee a decade ago and realized that the customer discovery process in Lean was identical to what I'd [...] More

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FRESH PRINCE OF KATHMANDU: As readers of The Cipher Brief’s March 3 Global Intelligence Report know, the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Nepal, wedged between the world's two most populous nations, just handed its government to a political party led by a former rapper. Balendra Shah, a 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician, is headed for the prime minister's office after his Rastriya Swatantra Party swept Nepal's first parliamentary election since last year's Gen Z uprising toppled the old government. Shah trained as a civil engineer before breaking through as one of Nepal's most prominent rappers, releasing music targeting [...] More

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State Secrets

Washington Post columnist and bestselling novelist David Ignatius joins State Secrets to reflect on more than five decades covering intelligence, war, and global power. In this conversation with Suzanne Kelly, Ignatius shares his perspective on what he calls a potentially historic moment in U.S. conflict with Iran and explains why today’s battles increasingly unfold in the gray zone - from cyber operations to covert networks operating far from traditional battlefields.

Ignatius also discusses the evolving relationship between journalists and intelligence agencies, the challenges of reporting during periods of restricted access, and why original reporting still matters in an era of AI-generated analysis.

Drawing on decades of travel and firsthand reporting - from Beirut to Kyiv - he explains why being on the ground remains essential to understanding modern conflict, including what he calls Ukraine’s emerging “algorithm war.”

The conversation comes as Ignatius is honored with The Cipher Brief’s 2026 Impact in Journalism Award, recognizing a career spent uncovering how intelligence, technology, and geopolitics shape the world.