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

A New Frontline: How Digital Identity Fraud Redefines National Security Threats

AI-driven deception and synthetic identities are transforming espionage and cyberwarfare

A New Frontline: How Digital Identity Fraud Redefines National Security Threats

DEEP DIVE — From stolen military credentials to AI-generated personas seamlessly breaching critical infrastructure, digital identity fraud is rapidly [...] More

Tech/Cyber
Open Source Report logo

The Open Source Report

CEO Jensen Huang speaks during the Live Keynote Pregame during the Nvidia GTC (GPU Technology Conference) in Washington, DC, on October 28, 2025.

Global Intelligence Report for Thursday, November 6, 2025

Nvidia’s Jensen Huang says China ‘will win’ AI race with US

Hegseth and Rubio share classified details on boat strikes with congressional leaders

From Pokrovsk defenders: drones alone can't hold embattled Ukrainian city

Chinese media sources cite PLA denial of involvement in Nimitz aircraft crashes


Access Today’s Report

Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

Trump’s Latest Military Campaign Tests the Limits of Presidential War Powers

Geoffrey Corn

OPINION / EXPERT PERSPECTiVE — According to reports, the Trump administration informed Congress that the ongoing hostilities against alleged narco-terrorist groups does not fall within the scope of the War Powers [...] More

AmericasGeoffrey CornLatin America

The U.S. Role in a Multipolar World - and the Dangers of Isolationism

Walter Pincus

OPINION — “What should the U.S. role in the world be right now? We're waiting for the [Trump administration] National Security Strategy to come out from the White House, which should come out in the next couple of months, [...] More

national securityChinaWalter PincusFine PrintAsia
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News & Analysis

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky (L) speak next to the first batch of Ukrainian made drone missiles "Peklo" (Hell) delivered to the Defence Forces of Ukraine in Kyiv on December 6, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Long-Range War: How Drone & Missile Strikes Are Taking the Fight Deep Inside Russia

DEEP DIVE – By any traditional definition, the city of Ryazan doesn’t belong on a list of battlegrounds in the Ukraine war. There are no Ukrainian [...] More

EuropeUkraine

Opinion

Why Are There No U.S. Offensive Cyber Unicorns?

Bryan Ware

Why Are There No U.S. Offensive Cyber Unicorns?

OPINION -- I recently had a conversation with senior intelligence community leaders about their desire to build stronger partnerships with [...] More

Tech/CyberAlternative 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

Realism and Rivals: McCloskey’s The Persian Rings True
Realism and Rivals: McCloskey’s The Persian Rings True

Behind the Mask: The Politics of Hidden Intervention
Behind the Mask: The Politics of Hidden Intervention

Courage and Betrayal in the Heart of Hitler's Germany
Courage and Betrayal in the Heart of Hitler's Germany

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The Best National Security Gossip

GONE THE WAY OF THE UNICORN – The nation’s premier codebreakers and codemakers at NSA seem to be having a bit of a leadership identity crisis. Seven months after the White House and/or DOD sent the DIRNSA, General Timothy Haugh and his deputy packing, and a month after officials backed away from making the acting director permanent, the Fort Meade crowd is anxiously awaiting a boss — and the stress is starting to show. According to Nextgov, morale inside the agency is sagging as the NSA braces for about 2,000 civilian staff cuts by year’s end. One former senior official described the mood as “rather depressed,” observing [...] 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

Shawn Chenoweth has one of the most fascinating titles in government, Director of Cognitive Advantage at the National Security Council. Sean explains the concept of cognitive advantage, the challenges of measuring success, and talks about the 'Kill Web' concept, which highlights the interconnectedness of information and cognitive processes in modern warfare.

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.