Latest Briefs

NGA's Focus Forward Intelligence Mission

by The Cipher Brief

This unique national-security focused expert insight can’t be generated for free.  We invite you to support this kind of quality content by becoming a  Cipher Brief Level I Member . ...

An Epilogue for Syria

by Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt

This unique national-security focused expert insight can’t be generated for free.  We invite you to support this kind of quality content by becoming a  Cipher Brief Level I Member . ...

Russia's Asymmetric Threat: An Expert Brief

by John Sipher

The U.S. has issued new economic sanctions against seven individuals linked to a Russian internet troll factory.  The sanctions were announced Monday with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling them...

Managing Iran's Actions to Avoid Collapse of Global Economy

by Norman T. Roule

  Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman is warning that military conflict with Iran would collapse the global economy.  He made the statement during an interview with CBS’ 60...

China's Access to Foreign AI Technology

by The Cipher Brief

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies provides great potential to businesses that are able to harness the opportunities it presents, but AI also poses great risks to national...

Disinformation and the Threat Posed by Conspiracy Theories

by Cindy Otis

The Cipher Brief is running a special series on disinformation – in all of its forms – ahead of the 2020 U.S. Election.  This week, The Cipher Brief spoke with former CIA analyst and...

The Dangerous Business of Exfiltrating Spies - Part Two

by The Cipher Brief

When someone decides to spy on their own country for the U.S., they know they’re taking a risk.  But when news broke recently that the U.S. had extracted a high-level Russian official in 2017 with...

The Dangerous Business of Exfiltrating Spies - Part One

When news broke recently that the U.S. had extracted a high-level Russian official in 2017 who had close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, it was noteworthy to say the least. The New York...

The Drone Attack on Oil and the Larger Iran Problem

by Norman T. Roule

When a series of drones were used to attack a key Saudi oil facility over the weekend, the impact on oil production was noted by global markets.  Oil prices spiked as the attack was believed to...

Dr. Shakil Afridi: How a Valuable U.S. Intelligence Asset Became a Liability

by The Cipher Brief

EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY — The house had been watched for quite some time.  The home in Abbottabad was just about a mile from the Pakistani Military Academy and was significantly bigger than...