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

How Far Should the U.S. Go to Defend Saudi Arabia?

Former senior CIA official Norm Roule examines how Washington can strengthen Saudi Arabia’s defenses against Houthi attacks without risking another open-ended conflict

SAUDI-YEMEN-US-ISRAEL-IRAN-WAR

Recent deadly attacks by Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthis inside of Saudi Arabia have raised questions about just how far the U.S. should go in helping [...] More

Middle East Expert View
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The Open Source Report

Ukrainian drone units are on duty at the front lines in Donetsk Region DONETSK REGION, UKRAINE - OCTOBER 8: A Ukrainian soldier carries a drone to attack enemy drones in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, 8 October 2026 (Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Global Intelligence Report for Friday, October 16, 2026

Order to curb Starshield for Ukrainian military reportedly came from inside White House

Houthis attack presidential palace complex in Yemen's Aden, killing five

Russia using army of bots to push fake U.S. election videos

G7 economies plan simulated AI attacks on banks as cyber fears rise

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Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

Opinion

The Soviet Roots of Russia’s Modern Disinformation War

Mark Kelton

Anti-Semitism, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. pronounced while repudiating an anti-Israel resolution adopted at the 1967 National Conference for New Politics, is “immoral.” Accordingly, the civil rights leader would [...] More

Opinion

Europe’s Changing Politics and the Future of U.S. Leadership

Ambassador Joseph DeTrani

“And now, there is war again. There is new competition between great powers. There is vulnerability, aggression, terrorism, a whole universe of new threats and attacks again. And so, we must rebuild our institutions and [...] More

Europe Ambassador Joseph DeTrani
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News & Analysis

The 214th Separate Assault Battalion OPFOR Training Held In Ukraine

How Ukraine’s Ground Robots Are Changing the Battlefield

Operation Vivaldi, a Ukrainian military effort to repel Russian forces in the Donbas, has done much more than push back Moscow’s offensive in the [...] More

David Kirichenko Xen Europe Ukraine

Opinion

Who Really Makes Decisions in Tehran?

Jason Brodsky

Who Really Makes Decisions in Tehran?

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death led to greater decentralization of the regime and a more collective, securitized decision-making system. In Iran [...] More

Alternative Perspectives

What’s on The Cipher Brief’s Digital Channel

Book Reviews

Mercy At Altitude
Mercy At Altitude

Why Shipbuilding Matters In A Melting North
Why Shipbuilding Matters In A Melting North

The Striking Paradox Of Admiral Yamamoto
The Striking Paradox Of Admiral Yamamoto

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The Best National Security Gossip

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW, BEIJING? We were interested to learn that the Pentagon uses more than 568,000 wireless phone lines that are covered by a $2.67 billion contract. What it apparently didn't have though, was a reliable way to make sure the phone companies that were operating them, were issuing safeguards to protect them. The Daily Beast reports that a new DOW Inspector General's report found that officials failed to adequately verify carriers’ security protections before renewing their contracts. (Here’s why this matters: the vulnerabilities could allow foreign spies to track troops, identify their contacts and [...] 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

A 10th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION of the State Secrets Podcast with Suzanne Kelly and Brad Christian as they share the behind-the-scenes stories from the past decade as The Cipher Brief prepares to host the Cipher Brief Threat Conference. From a world where terrorism was front and center and AI was still a curiosity, to today’s world, where China remains the pacing threat, and is buoyed by rapidly emerging technology and a new alignment with Russia, Iran and North Korea.