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

The Open Source Report

Report for Friday, February 14, 2025

Vance Wields Threat of Sanctions, Military Action to Push Putin into Ukraine Deal

Judge orders US to restore funds for foreign aid programs

ANALYSIS–Trump’s Whirlwind Now Blows Through Europe

“Triangle of Troublemakers”: U.S. Commander warns of China, Russia, North Korea

Salt Typhoon still active, strikes more telecom networks by exploiting Cisco routers

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The Experts

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

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Featured Viewing

How China Is Preparing for “Major-Power War”


Opinion

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What Deepseek is Teaching us about U.S. National Security

Iran’s Plan to Test Trump

General Breedlove: Why Greenland Matters


Book Reviews

Dead Drop

This Week’s Dead Drop: February 14

RUSSIA’S SHADOW FLEET SAILS INTO TROUBLE:  A 19-year-old Panama-flagged vessel that runs about the size of three football fields ran into a streak of bad luck while sailing off the coast of Germany last month. The Eventin – which authorities say was carrying 109,000 tons of Russian crude oil destined for Egypt – had to be rescued by Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies after its systems completely shut down, leaving its 24-man crew adrift. The Cipher Brief reports that the ship was part of Russia’s ‘Shadow Fleet’ of hundreds [...] More

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Podcasts

State Secrets

In this conversation, Mike Vigil discusses the recent designation of Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations by the U.S. government, a move he says is largely symbolic with little real impact on the cartels' operations. He highlights the complexities of U.S.-Mexico relations, the ongoing fentanyl crisis, and the risks of military escalation. Vigil also offers advice for U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on addressing drug trafficking in Central America, stressing the importance of creating alliances and addressing the broader issues of drug production and trafficking.

Cover Stories: Spies, Books & Entertainment

Dr. Claire Hubbard-Hall has broken the code on how to discover and report on the remarkable history of women who have silently served British intelligence over the years. In her book “Secret Servants of the Crown: The Forgotten Women of British Intelligence” (published in the U.S. on February 25, 2025, tells heretofore untold tales of the real women who have largely worked in the shadows. We’ll ask her about how she managed to obtain the stories that remain hidden in British intelligence archives – including that of Kathleen Pettigrew - who was the inspiration for Ian Fleming’s “Miss Moneypenny” in the James Bond novels.


What the Experts Say

For privileged insights into the events of the day which shape the world of tomorrow, there is no better source than The Cipher Brief. Independent, fact-based, and infused with the hard-earned perspectives of its experts, The Cipher Brief stands apart and above.
Paul Kolbe

The Cipher Brief means intelligence for business. And business has never needed a clear global picture more than now. I’ve been doing this for nearly fifty years and I have never seen the globe more complicated nor the effects of distant events more immediately felt. Seasoned intelligence professionals speak freely and candidly every day on The Cipher Brief and bring their intellect, their experience and their global networks to bear on what will be tomorrow’s news.

General Michael Hayden

Since retiring from CIA in 2017, I’ve been honored to be a part of the exceptional Cipher Brief team providing expert assessment – whether it’s nuclear proliferation, transnational terrorism, and climate change or hard targets like Iran, North Korea, China, and Russia – The Cipher Brief delivers without the predisposed ideological bias so often prevalent in today’s discourse.

Daniel Hoffman

The Cipher Brief’s Open Source Report is an extraordinary product and an important daily read for situational awareness on national security issues.

General John R. Allen (Ret.)

The Cipher Brief has quickly established itself as a go-to site among Washington national security devotees – and those outside the capital as well. Readers have learned that they can quickly catch up on the latest news, take deeper dives into the key issues, and get a peek behind the curtain with Cipher’s unique Dead Drop feature – all on one user friendly spot.

John McLaughlin

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