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

The Kremlin Files: Russia, the Modern Surveillance State

A closer look at the use of surveillance by Russia's intelligence services

The Kremlin Files: Russia, the Modern Surveillance State

EXPERT OPINION / PERSPECTIVE — Ask any Russian intelligence officer about “naruzhka,” and you’ll see them nod knowingly. It’s the term for physical, [...] More

RussiaEuropeIntelligence
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The Open Source Report

US President Donald Trump, alongside (L/R) Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, speaks to the press following US military actions in Venezuela, at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on January 3, 2026.

Global Intelligence Report for Thursday, January 8, 2026

Trump Says U.S. Oversight of Venezuela Could Last for Years

What are Trump’s real options for gaining control of Greenland?

Zelensky says negotiations reach ‘new milestone,’ suggests war could end in first half of 2026

Violent clashes reported as Iran protests spread to more areas

Access Today’s Report

Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

Iran’s Supreme Leader Should Listen to the People

Ambassador Joseph DeTrani

EXPERT OPINION — The Iranian people are saying they want new leadership. And it’s not too hard to understand why so many merchants, university students and young people in Iran are on the streets calling for political [...] More

IranAmbassador Joseph DeTraniMiddle East

I've Tracked Terrorist Networks for Decades. I've Never Seen Anything Like 764.

Dexter Ingram

EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — In 2021, a fifteen-year-old in a small Texas town started something from his bedroom. He’d dropped out of school. He spent his days online, deep into violence and gore. He found others like him and [...] More

Terrorism
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News & Analysis

The U.S. Says it Will “Run” Venezuela. What Will That Mean?

The U.S. Says it Will “Run” Venezuela. What Will That Mean?

DEEP DIVE – As audacious and complex as it was for the U.S. to extract Nicolas Maduro from Venezuela – and to do so without a single U.S. casualty – [...] More

AmericasLatin America

Opinion

Building U.S. Drone Dominance Brick by Brick

Phil Waymon, Master Sergeant (Ret.)

Building U.S. Drone Dominance Brick by Brick

OPINION — One of the things I loved about LEGO as a child was the ability to mix and match an endless amount of parts to create unique builds. [...] More

Alternative PerspectivesTech/Cybermilitary

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

Cold War, Hot Zone: Inside the New Arctic Rivalry
Cold War, Hot Zone: Inside the New Arctic Rivalry

The Global Shadow War Behind the Cold War
The Global Shadow War Behind the Cold War

When Symphony Met Starvation: The Untold Stories of Leningrad's Siege
When Symphony Met Starvation: The Untold Stories of Leningrad's Siege

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The Best National Security Gossip

MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROSPECTS GOING DOWNHILL: In a plot twist nobody had on their bingo card, the latest U.S.-backed peace initiative between Israel and Syria involves…ski lifts. Yes, really. According to the Jerusalem Post, U.S. envoys are encouraging plans for a joint Israeli-Syrian ski resort on Mount Hermon, right along the Golan Heights. The paper says that planning is already underway, with talk of joint civilian management, cross-border cooperation, and Druze communities running hospitality services. Translation: fewer surface-to-air missiles, more surface-to-snowplow coordination. If everything works out (which it [...] 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

Cipher Brief CEO & Publisher Suzanne Kelly sits down with Executive Producer Sebastian Junger to talk about the Netflix documentary ‘Marines’ and whether today’s fighting force is the one we need in today’s threat environment.

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.