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News & Analysis

The Brave New World of Drone Swarms

The Brave New World of Drone Swarms

DEEP DIVE – A drone weapon heads behind enemy lines, on a mission to kill troops and destroy equipment. To its left and right are a dozen other armed [...] More

Tech/Cyber

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The Sahel’s Terror Surge Signals a New Front in Global Security

The Sahel’s Terror Surge Signals a New Front in Global Security

DEEP DIVE — On the night of June 20, 2025, the Nigerien village of Manda became the stage for one of the deadliest massacres in the Sahel in recent [...] More

Africa
Soldiers of the Mexican Army stand guard as they secure an area during a military operation in Culiacan, Sinaloa State, Mexico, on September 19, 2024

From the Caribbean to Jalisco, Trump Takes Aim at Cartels — But Will He Strike the Kingpins?

DEEP DIVE — Eight weeks ago, Secretary of State Marco Rubio went to Mexico City, the epicenter of the global illegal drug trade, and declared, “The [...] More

AmericasLatin America
A ship crosses the Baltic Sea at sunrise

The War You Can’t See: Gray Zone Operations Are Reshaping Global Security

EXPERT PERSPECTIVE -- In the middle of the night, with no witnesses, a single ship flagged out of Hong Kong drags its anchor across the Baltic Sea. [...] More

Dave PittsInternationalNATOEspionagenational security
Former CIA Station Chief on the Trump Administration’s Caribbean Strategy

Former CIA Station Chief on the Trump Administration’s Caribbean Strategy

EXPERT INTERVIEW — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced today that the U.S. has carried out three additional strikes on four sea vessels, bringing [...] More

AmericasLatin America
Inside Zelensky’s “Mega-Drone Deal” with the U.S.

Inside Zelensky’s “Mega-Drone Deal” with the U.S.

DEEP DIVE – Often lost in the Trump administration's on-again, off-again offer to deliver Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine is the proposed deal that [...] More

Tech/CyberEuropeUkraine
A drone flies in front of an Iranian flag in southern Tehran, Iran, on December 29, 2024.

Tehran’s Espionage Network in the U.S. Is Bigger and Bolder Than You Think

DEEP DIVE — Front companies, campus networks, diaspora recruits — Tehran’s espionage push on U.S. soil is bigger, bolder, and harder to track than [...] More

AmericasIranMiddle EastEspionage
The Caribbean Emerges as a Test of U.S. Power

The Caribbean Emerges as a Test of U.S. Power

DEEP DIVE — U.S. military forces this week carried out yet another strike on a vessel in Caribbean waters off Venezuela, marking the sixth such [...] More

AmericasLatin America
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is greeted by US President Donald Trump (L) upon arrival at the White House West Wing in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2025.

High-Stakes Talks in D.C.: Frozen Assets, Air Defense, and Tomahawks

DEEP DIVE – A senior Ukrainian delegation will travel to Washington D.C. this week for talks that are expected to include the use of frozen Russian [...] More

Brad ChristianEuropeUkraine
Telecom Bust Near the UN Reveals New National Security Vulnerability

Telecom Bust Near the UN Reveals New National Security Vulnerability

DEEP DIVE — When Secret Service agents swept into an inconspicuous building near the United Nations General Assembly late last month, they weren’t [...] More

Tech/Cyber
Can Western Sanctions Stop Putin’s War?

Can Western Sanctions Stop Putin’s War?

DEEP DIVE – Looking at the recent headlines from Russia, this much seems clear: the West’s sanctions against the country are finally working.Oil [...] More

RussiaEurope
Witness to a Sea Change in the Middle East: Jack Keane Says Israel Has a Window to Break Iran’s Proxies

Witness to a Sea Change in the Middle East: Jack Keane Says Israel Has a Window to Break Iran’s Proxies

EXPERT PERSPECTIVE – The White House rolled out a 20-point plan on Monday calling for a permanent truce in Israel's war against Hamas that calls for [...] More

Middle EastIranIsrael
Special Report: Nat Sec EDGE 2025

Special Report: Nat Sec EDGE 2025

The Cipher Brief's Special Report on Nat Sec EDGE 2025The Nat Sec EDGE 2025 conference took place June 5–6, 2025 in Austin, Texas.ForewordThe 2025 [...] More

Tech/CyberBrad Christian