Latest Briefs

Russia's Global Ambitions: A Member Briefing with Steven Hall

by Steven L. Hall

The Cipher Brief regularly provides opportunities for members to engage with experts via exclusive member-only briefings and webcasts.  Our latest briefing was presented by Steve Hall, who retired...

What is Iran's Next Move?

by Norman Roule

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is calling for unity and says that his country is facing ‘unprecedented’ pressure as the U.S. continues to ratchet up sanctions.  Tehran said last week it will...

An Expert View on the White House's Executive Order to Bolster Cyber Workforce

by The Cipher Brief

The White House issued a recent Executive Order on America’s Cybersecurity Workforce in an effort to put a renewed focus on the federal government’s deficit of some 300,000 cybersecurity...

Countering a Resurgent Russia

by General Jack Keane

Recent Russian activities around the world are signaling a resurgent Russia, one that wants to shake up a world order that has existed for seven decades, according to Cipher Brief expert and Former...

Iran's Tale of Two Leaders

by Norman Roule

The leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Qassem Soleimani said this week that Iran will never negotiate with the Trump Administration after the U.S. ended its practice of...

Who Should Give the Kill Command?

by The Cipher Brief

  The Department of Defense is seeking a significant increase for autonomous weapons programs in efforts to remain competitive with Russia and China, both of which have invested heavily in the...

The Impact of Harder-Hitting Sanctions on Iran

by The Cipher Brief

The U.S. moved this week to apply even more pressure on Iran to end its involvement in illicit activities around the world by announcing that the U.S. State Department will no longer grant sanctions...

ISIS' Global Spread

by The Cipher Brief

CIPHER BRIEF ANALYSIS – ISIS has claimed responsibility for a series of Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka that killed more than 300 people and injured 500 more.  A government official said...

The Long and Winding Road to Cybersecurity

by Thomas Donahue

Cipher Brief Expert Thomas Donahue retired from CIA after 32 years of service. He served as the Chief Editor of the President’s Daily Brief and other CIA daily production during the second term of...

What (or Who) is Driving the U.S. Border Crisis?

by Brad Christian

The number of monthly apprehensions based on illegal border crossings hovers north of 90,000 people.   According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), more than 53,000 of the people who...