Members Only 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
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Members Only 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
Members Only 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
Members Only 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
Members Only 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
Members Only 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
Members Only Don’t Lose Sight of the Russian Threat to American Democracy
It has now been 18 months since the November 2016 presidential election, during which the U.S. intelligence community believes Russia acted not only to interfere […] More
Members Only North Korea Talks: Falling for the Same Tricks, or Uncharted Waters?
After North Korea threatened to withdraw from the upcoming face-to-face summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, some media outlets reported that Trump […] More
Members Only Best Of: Fault on Both Sides: 25 Years of North Korea Negotiations
North Korea has threatened to pull out of planned talks between leaders Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump, citing opposition to U.S. demands for […] More
Members Only Threat Report 2018: North Korea’s Nuclear Doctrine
Months of fruitful engagement between North Korea, South Korea and the United States may soon turn sour. Yesterday, Pyongyang warned that ongoing joint military exercises […] More
Members Only Russia Chooses Autarchy—and Isolation—Over Cooperation
In a provocative new essay, Vladislav Surkov, a top aide to President Vladimir Putin, says Russia is ending a centuries-long quest to join the West and preparing for “100 years (200? […] More
Members Only Best Of: China Ramps Up Navy to Challenge U.S. Dominance
According to CNBC, sources “with direct knowledge of U.S. intelligence reports” say China has installed long-range anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles on three of its artificial […] More
Members Only Has Pakistan Truly Tamed its Tribal Frontier?
Maligned as a bastion of extremism and a top terrorist safe haven, Pakistan’s Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA), along the country’s northwestern border with Afghanistan, […] More
Members Only Kim Jong Un Is “All-In.” What’s Next for Korea?
There’s a dark purpose in Kim Jong Un’s proffered moratorium on nuclear and ballistic missile testing announced over the weekend. Kim, with the apparent complicity […] More
Members Only China Pulls Pakistan Further into its Economic Orbit
Bottom Line: China’s “One Belt, One Road” economic strategy, aimed at developing regional trades routes connecting East Asia, South Asia, Central Asia and Europe, has […] More
Members Only Nuke Mission Accomplished, Kim Jong Un Shifts to Economy
On Saturday, North Korea announced it was suspending nuclear weapons and ballistic missile testing, ahead of this week’s summit with South Korea and ahead of […] More
Members Only Inside the Competitive, Corrupt World of Russian Intelligence
Bottom Line: The Kremlin employs various often overlapping and competitive security and intelligence services to create multiple sources of intelligence, encourage risk-taking and keep a […] More
Members Only North Korea’s Navy: Keeping Kim’s Economy Afloat
Bottom Line: While much attention is rightfully given to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) nuclear and ballistic missile arsenal, the country’s naval and […] More
Members Only Debating Risk and Blowback on North Korea
Cipher Brief experts debated the risk versus blowback of striking North Korea before it has a chance to strike the continental United States, at The […] More
Members Only Another Russian Dossier, aka What Moscow Has Always Done
In the book “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy,” John Le Carré’s chief character, retired British intelligence officer George Smiley, is reminded of the danger of old […] More
Members Only Separating Kim Jong Un from his Elites
“What South Koreans want is an unconditional withdrawal of U.S. troops from the South, an unwelcome guest that poses a threat to peace and security […] More
Members Only Catching a Chinese IP Thief: How the FBI Tracked and Caught Sinovel
Resentment, an insatiable appetite for women and an even larger appetite for cash are all elements that led to an insider threat that spelled a […] More
Members Only Don’t Over-Hype the Trump-Kim Summit
Public reactions to prospects for a breakthrough at a Trump-Kim summit are proving a triumph of hope over experience. North Korea has been feeling the […] More
Members Only Trump and Kim Jong Un: Let’s Make a Deal
President Donald Trump has agreed to meet with Kim Jong Un and the other players, China and North Korea, are preparing. The question is: How […] More