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

Are We Ready for AI Warfare?

There’s a reason former Commander of U.S. Cyber Command General Paul Nakasone (Ret.) is focused on Cyberattacks at Machine Speed.

Are We Ready for AI Warfare?

EXPERT INTERVIEW -- For decades, national security officials have worried about cyberattacks moving at the speed of machines and today the frontier [...] More

International

Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

Opinion

China’s Challenge to Western Alliances

Ambassador Joseph DeTrani

At the 25th anniversary session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed an alternative model to Western alliances.Mr. Xi urged developing nations and the Global South to [...] More

Ambassador Joseph DeTrani
Opinion

The Gulf Bought Its Air Defense From Kyiv. We Sold Them The Radar.

Joey Gagnard

Chief Warrant Officer 5 (Ret.) Joey Gagnard concluded nearly three decades of service in the U.S. military, retiring from the special operations community in early 2025. He serves as CEO of Atlas Special Projects and [...] More

Joey Gagnard
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News & Analysis

SBU HEADQUARTERS DRONE STRIKE

A Former CIA Station Chief on Kyiv Under Drone Siege

Reporting live from Kyiv, Cipher Brief expert and former senior CIA officer Ralph Goff walks CEO and Publisher Suzanne Kelly through a drone strike [...] More

Europe Ukraine

Opinion

Russia’s AI Blueprint Exposes an Authoritarian Playbook

Leah Siskind

Russia’s AI Blueprint Exposes an Authoritarian Playbook

Russia, China, and Iran are all sharing the same playbook for corrupting Western elections. The United States is on track to be the next target this [...] More

Alternative Perspectives

What’s on The Cipher Brief’s Digital Channel

Book Reviews

A Quarter-Century Reckoning With America's War On Terror
A Quarter-Century Reckoning With America's War On Terror

Debut Spy Thriller Short On Tradecraft — Long On Thrills
Debut Spy Thriller Short On Tradecraft — Long On Thrills

From Ground Zero to Grace — A Journey Through Trauma to Service
From Ground Zero to Grace — A Journey Through Trauma to Service

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The Best National Security Gossip

RUSSIA PRACTICES CABLE-CUTTING, GETS CAUGHT MID-REHEARSAL: Russia's GUGI, a secretive Russian military unit whose entire job is apparently finding ways to tamper with the ocean floor, brought its homework to the Arctic this spring, and NATO reportedly caught them in the act. Reuters reports that British, Norwegian and U.S. forces tracked and confronted Russian submarines near Norway's Svalbard archipelago as they tested a new weapon that western officials believe was built to sever undersea fiber-optic cables without leaving a trace. The cables in question carry communications data between Svalbard and mainland Norway. [...] More

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Events

Live Events

2026 Threat Conference

2026 Threat Conference

The Cipher Brief Threat Conference is the nation’s premier forum for non-partisan discussion of global threats and solutions as well as high-level [...] More

Upcoming: 25 October, 2026

The Cipher Brief 2027 HONORS Awards

The Cipher Brief 2027 HONORS Awards

Join us for the third annual Cipher Brief Honors Dinner, the evening of April 9, 2027. This Black-Tie event is invite-only. Please apply here for a [...] More

Upcoming: 09 April, 2027

Podcasts

State Secrets

Artificial intelligence, drones and commercial satellites are transforming the way intelligence is collected, analyzed and used — but as technology delivers answers faster than ever, how do intelligence professionals make sure those answers are actually right?

In this episode of The Cipher Brief’s State Secrets Podcast, Suzanne Kelly sits down with retired Vice Admiral Frank Whitworth, former Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and former Director for Intelligence on the Joint Staff, to discuss how emerging technology is changing intelligence and the character of modern warfare.
Whitworth explains his concept of “drones, codes and spacecraft,” why AI could fundamentally change the intelligence cycle, and the danger of what he calls a “veneer of understanding” — having information at our fingertips without the expertise or rigor needed to truly understand it.

The conversation also explores source validation in the age of AI, the changing nature of deterrence, NGA’s role in warning and targeting, the growing importance of commercial satellite imagery, and Whitworth’s move from government into the private sector.The Cipher Brief brings together experienced intelligence, military, diplomatic and private-sector leaders to help subscribers understand what is happening behind the headlines - and what national security professionals are watching next. Learn more at: www.thecipherbrief.com

Become a Subscriber+ member for exclusive access to The Cipher Brief’s Daily Open Source Report, described by some as the best, unclassified national security report they’ve ever read. Sign up today at: https://www.thecipherbrief.com/subscr

Learn more about how to attend the 2026 Cipher Brief Threat Conference at: www.tcbconference.com

Today’s sponsor: Two Six Technologies https://twosixtech.com/