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

The Kremlin Files: Russian Double Agents and Operational Games

Understanding Russia’s operational games: the tradecraft that defines how the Kremlin spies and lies

The Kremlin Files: Russian Double Agents and Operational Games

THE KREMLIN FILES / COLUMN — There are similarities among intelligence agencies worldwide. All professional services rely on tradecraft to recruit [...] More

RussiaEuropeIntelligence
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The Open Source Report

<span>Global Intelligence Report for Friday, February 6, 2026</span>

Global Intelligence Report for Friday, February 6, 2026

Washington says Trump prefers diplomacy with Iran but warns he has military options

Senior Russian GRU General shot multiple times in Moscow

Pentagon asked to probe SpaceX for potential Chinese ownership

U.S. and Russia reestablish military dialogue amid ongoing Ukraine conflict


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Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

Xi Jinping Tightens Grip as China’s Military Purge Deepens

Ambassador Joseph DeTrani

OPINION — In China, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) “commands the gun”, and Chinese President Xi Jinping controls the one million members of the CCP. In October 2022, Mr. Xi was elected to an unprecedented third term as [...] More

ChinaAmbassador Joseph DeTraniAsia

From Secrets to Sensors: Why Open Source Data Must Drive Modern Intelligence

Renee Pruneau Novakoff

THE BLUF / COLUMN — The Department of Defense is on a tear to revamp technology for warfighters. Secretary Hegseth signed an AI strategy on 9 January. Prior to that he called for an Enterprise Command and Control Program [...] More

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News & Analysis

Export Controls Backfire: The China Innovation Paradox

Export Controls Backfire: The China Innovation Paradox

DEEP DIVE — When the Biden administration rolled out its semiconductor export restrictions in October 2022, the logic seemed airtight: cut off [...] More

ChinaAsia

Opinion

EU Takes Aim at Tehran: IRGC Terror Listing Opens New Front in Europe’s Iran Policy

Michael Jacobson

EU Takes Aim at Tehran: IRGC Terror Listing Opens New Front in Europe’s Iran Policy

OPINION — On January 29, Europe found its voice against Iran’s apparatus of terror. The European Union (EU) announced that it is adding Iran’s [...] More

Middle EastEuropeAlternative Perspectives

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

Putin’s Long Shadow Over Post-Soviet Russia
Putin’s Long Shadow Over Post-Soviet Russia

The Architects of CIA Analysis
The Architects of CIA Analysis

A Field Guide to Surviving Trauma
A Field Guide to Surviving Trauma

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The Best National Security Gossip

OUT WITH THE FACTS — After first being launched in 1962, the CIA’s World Factbook is no more. As the agency described on its website, the World Factbook was “one of CIA’s oldest and most recognizable intelligence publications” that “served the Intelligence Community and the general public as a longstanding, one-stop basic reference about countries and communities around the globe.” The CIA gave no reason for its decision to end the World Factbook in its announcement, only saying that the product “has sunset.” In his confirmation hearing last year, CIA Director John Ratcliffe vowed to end programs that don’t advance the [...] 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


It’s a rough business, from traveling the world scouting exotic locations to knowing the correct position of your trigger finger on your pistol to understanding how to clear a room in a hostage situation. And all of that comes before your fingers even hit the keyboard. Join State Secrets Podcast host Suzanne Kelly as she welcomes spy writer extraordinaire Mark Greaney to talk about his latest book, The Hard Line, what he learned from writing with Tom Clancy and what actually goes into writing a best-selling spy novel.

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.