The Urgency of Resetting Relations With China
Bottom Line Up Front: The Trump Administration is confronting China on issues that have been developing for years and have percolated to the top of […] More
Asia
Avoiding ‘Fire and Fury’ with North Korea
Bottom Line Up Front: Six months after the historic June 11, 2018 Summit between President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jung Un, the American public […] More
Cyber: “The System is Blinking Red Once Again”
At a recent private D.C. dinner, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen gathered with academics and cyber experts from the private sector to talk candidly about […] More
China on Track for Peer Military Status with U.S. by 2050
According to a recent report by the National Defense Strategy Commission (NDS), the U.S. Department of Defense and the White House “have not yet articulated […] More
Beijing’s Drive Towards Global Technological Supremacy
This brief is part of The Cipher Brief’s 2018 Annual Threat Report. Bottom Line: There are three prominent technological security concerns for the United States […] More
North Korea Brief II: Critical Allied Relationships
In part two of The Cipher Brief’s Expert Briefing on North Korea, Ambassador Joseph DeTrani focuses on the critical relationships with allies and partners and […] More
North Korea Brief I: Path to Progress on Negotiations
Experts cited the lack of intercontinental ballistic missiles in North Korea’s 70th anniversary parade celebrations over the weekend as a sign that the nuclear nation […] More
Where Al Qaeda and Affiliates Stand Today: A Conversation with David Shedd
While not in the headlines every day, al Qaeda operatives are still the targets of somewhat regular military operations in places like Yemen. The U.S. […] More
The Global Threat Posed by Al-Qaeda
A United Nations report delivered to the Security Council last month offered a stark reminder that al Qaeda remains a serious threat around the world. […] More
ISIS Looking to Rebound in the Philippines—And Spread
Indonesia was hit by a series of deadly bombings this past May. The attacks targeted churches and were carried out by families with young children, […] More
Why the U.S. Must Trust but Verify with North Korea
As Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heads to North Korea seeking signs of progress after the recent Singapore summit, some of his colleagues in the […] More
Difficulties Integrating North Korean Defectors Suggest Challenges in Reunifying Korea
During the height of the Cold War, North Korean defectors were celebrated as symbols of freedom and a direct indictment of a brutal North Korean […] More
SOCOM’s New Challenge in North Korea and Beyond
As the U.S. President prepares to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore, sources tell The Cipher Brief that U.S. Special Operations Forces […] More
Are We Headed for a ‘Cyber Cuban Missile Crisis’ with Russia?
Bottom Line: The risk posed to U.S. national security by what are believed to be Russian-backed hacking groups, is similar to the October 1962 Cuban […] More
Pakistan Reflects on Nuclear Achievement in Run Up to Election
Bottom Line: Pakistani citizens are heading to the polls next month in a public display of democracy and choice. Yet, with Pakistan’s military continuing to […] More
Threat Report 2018: Russia’s Military Doctrine of Deception and Deniability
Bottom Line: Moscow’s increasingly assertive military activity in Eastern Europe and the Middle East seeks to project the power of a resurgent Russia in relation […] More
Threat Report 2018: China’s Expanding Economy and Military Reach
Despite indications that China’s economy is likely to experience a moderate slowdown, the world’s second largest economy – and largest market by headcount – continues […] More
U.S.-North Korea Summit Cancelled, Now What?
President Donald Trump has informed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that he will not be attending the summit between the two leaders set to […] More