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

The Kremlin Files: Russia’s Way to the Gray Zone

In the first of a 2-part series, former Senior CIA Officer Sean Wiswesser explains the below the radar ways that Moscow is waging war on the West

Two men in a serious conversation, one in a suit, the other in a military uniform.

THE KREMLIN FILES / COLUMN — Russian hybrid warfare, often referred to in the West as “gray zone” conflict, has transitioned from theoretical concept [...] More

EuropeRussia
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The Open Source Report

<span>Global Intelligence Report for Friday, January 23, 2026</span>

Global Intelligence Report for Friday, January 23, 2026

House Narrowly Defeats War Powers Resolution to Curb Trump’s Venezuela Actions

Russia, Ukraine, U.S. to hold trilateral talks in UAE as Kremlin reasserts maximalist demands

French navy intercepts oil tanker in the Mediterranean sailing from Russia

TikTok Strikes $14 Billion Deal for New U.S. Entity, Ending Long Legal Saga

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Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

Loosening the Gordian Knot of Global Terrorism: Why Legitimacy Must Anchor a Counterterrorism Strategy

Christopher Costa
Colin Clarke

OPINION — The global terrorism landscape in 2026 — the 25th anniversary year of the 9/11 terrorism attacks — is more uncertain, hybridized, and combustible than at any point since 9/11. Framing a sound U.S. [...] More

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Iran at the Breaking Point: How Afghanistan and Iraq Still Inform U.S. Strategy

Masoud Andarabi

EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — Iran is experiencing its most consequential period of internal unrest in years. Nationwide demonstrations driven by economic collapse, social grievance, and political frustration have been met with [...] More

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News & Analysis

New Reports Reveal Years of Unaddressed Osprey Safety Risks

New Reports Reveal Years of Unaddressed Osprey Safety Risks

DEEP DIVE — It is one of the most lauded defense developments in recent decades, providing preeminent capability to U.S. military personnel [...] More

Americas

Opinion

The Coast Guard's Mission in the Gray Zone

Harrison Kass

The Coast Guard's Mission in the Gray Zone

OPINION — U.S. defense planning rests on the assumption that wars are fought abroad, by expeditionary forces, against defined adversaries. For [...] More

Alternative 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

From Shah to Supreme Leader: A Revolution Gone Wrong
From Shah to Supreme Leader: A Revolution Gone Wrong

When Journalism Met Totalitarianism: Lessons From Prewar Paris
When Journalism Met Totalitarianism: Lessons From Prewar Paris

The Burden of the Bomb
The Burden of the Bomb

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The Best National Security Gossip

HEAD GAMES ON THE USS FORD - Fresh from supporting U.S. operations off the coast of Venezuela, the USS Gerald R. Ford appears locked in a stubborn fight - not with an adversary, but with the head (Navy term for toilets.) According to Navy Times, the $13-billion supercarrier continues to rack up clogs in its vacuum waste system, occasionally requiring $400,000 acid flushes to blast the lines clear. More than 40 outside maintenance calls for help since 2023 suggest the fix is bigger than swabbie with a plunger. The size of the problem may be just one more argument for going with unmanned ships in the future. Loyal Dead Drop [...] 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

From cyber vulnerabilities to supply chain risk, Cipher Brief Expert and former National Intelligence Manager for Counterintelligence Sandrea Hwang tells State Secrets Podcast host Suzanne Kelly why modern national security threats are no longer distant or abstract and why protecting data, infrastructure, and innovation now requires whole-of-society cooperation.

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.