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

Russia’s Intelligence Services After the War

Will they be held accountable for their failures?

A file picture taken 12 July 2007 shows the headquarters (aka Lubianka) of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the former KGB in Moscow.

EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — Russia’s intelligence services (RIS) have failed spectacularly in Ukraine: in planning, execution, and analysis, yet they will [...] More

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The Open Source Report

A screen displaying an image of Russian military ship Yantar, operating off the northern coast of Scotland, is pictured as Britain's Defence Secretary John Healey (unseen) delivers a speech in the Downing Street briefing room in central London on November 19, 2025.

Global Intelligence Report for Thursday, November 20, 2025

White House Scrambles to Quell Rumors of Russia-Friendly Donbas Proposal

Russian spy ship points lasers at British RAF fighter jets

Mossad unveils network of Hamas terror infrastructure across Europe

China’s shadow navy trains to take Taiwan


Access Today’s Report

Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

A Constitutional Clash Over Trump’s War Powers in Venezuela

Walter Pincus

OPINION — “The question before the body is, can the Congress stop a military conflict declared by the Commander-in- Chief because we don’t agree with the decision, and without our [Congress] approval it must end? The [...] More

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Q&A: Interpol’s Cybercrime Chief on How AI is Driving Borderless Cyber Threats

Dr. Neal Jetton

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — Anthropic’s announcement that Chinese state-sponsored hackers used its Claude AI technology for a largely automated cyberattack underscores how cybercriminals are becoming faster, stronger and more [...] More

Tech/Cyber
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News & Analysis

The Two-Front Nuclear Challenge: Iran, North Korea, and a New Era of U.S. Deterrence

The Two-Front Nuclear Challenge: Iran, North Korea, and a New Era of U.S. Deterrence

DEEP DIVE — While Washington is focused on Iran’s accelerating uranium-enrichment program and increasingly aggressive regional posture, an equally [...] More

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Opinion

The Downside to Mission Focus: Why the Intelligence Community Should Not Forget to Look Inward

Josh Kerbel

The Downside to Mission Focus: Why the Intelligence Community Should Not Forget to Look Inward

OPINION — Not long ago, I was talking to an old friend and China analyst about the need for Intelligence Community (IC) analysts to spend [...] More

IntelligenceAlternative 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

The Nazis Never Left. A Worthy Successor to a Classic Thriller
The Nazis Never Left. A Worthy Successor to a Classic Thriller

From OSS to AI: How Intelligence Must Evolve—Again
From OSS to AI: How Intelligence Must Evolve—Again

A Cultural Autopsy of the Soviet Legacy
A Cultural Autopsy of the Soviet Legacy

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The Best National Security Gossip

THINGS ARE FINALLY GETTING DRAMATIC BETWEEN THE CIA AND FBI: Not the real ones (as far as we know) but in the made-for-TV versions. The Dead Drop reported back in March that a spinoff of the CBS series FBI was in the works about a street-smart CIA officer working with a by-the-book FBI agent in New York City. Sounds pretty plausible. Then, in June we told you that the show had been ordered “straight to series” (meaning no pilot would be shot) and that it would star Tom Ellis as the CIA operative – in time for the 2025-2026 season. Now, we hear that the show has been delayed until a mid-season premiere scheduled for [...] 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

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.