The U.S. is in the Midst of a Perfect ‘Cognitive Warfare’ Storm
During the 2024 Cipher Brief Threat Conference, Dave Pitts joined Brad Christian, Mike Vickers, and Ralph Goff in a discussion about Gray Zone Operations; a […] More
CIA
When Spymasters Talk: CIA and MI6 Chiefs On ‘Bully’ Putin and ‘Audacious’ Ukraine Raid
Spymasters rarely say much in public, and when they do, it’s usually a tightly scripted affair. That made this weekend’s joint appearance by CIA Director […] More
How Does the CIA Recruit Russian Spies?
CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING — As any good intelligence officer will tell you, recruiting spies is a tough business. Not only do you have to identify […] More
After Afghanistan: Assessing Today’s Threat Landscape
SUBSCRIBER+ VIRTUAL BRIEFING– Wednesday, August 28 at 1p ET with Cipher Brief Experts General Frank McKenzie (Ret.) and Dave Pitts, Former Assistant Director of CIA for […] More
The Latest
After Trump Assassination Attempt, a Reckoning for America
EXPERT Q&A — In the wake of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, officials and […] More
Israel’s Fragile North and the Art of ‘Intelligence’ Diplomacy
EXPERT Q&A – Tensions along Israel’s northern border have been increasing over the past several weeks with Iranian-backed Hezbollah firing more than 200 military rockets […] More
A Summer Guide to Staying Cool with Spy Comedies
CHALK MARKS / OPINION — Spying isn’t a funny business. The stakes are too high, egos too big, mistakes too consequential. That isn’t to say […] More
How did the Presidential Debate Address U.S. National Security Issues? Not well.
OPINION – The Cipher Brief tapped expert Dave Pitts for his reaction to Thursday night’s debate from a national security perspective. “To the original national […] More
‘Havana Syndrome’ – and a Possible Russia Connection
SUBSCRIBER+ INTERVIEW — Who – or what – is to blame for the debilitating symptoms known as “Havana Syndrome”? The question has been asked repeatedly […] More
Chalk Marks: A Review of The Sympathizer
ENTERTAINMENT — “I am a spy, a sleeper, a spook, a man of two faces.” This opening sentence of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel The Sympathizer […] More
Securing America’s Technological Future is a Shared Mission
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE / OPINION — In an era where technological innovation is the new frontier of global competition, the United States stands at a critical […] More
Why ‘Ronin’ is an Espionage Classic
CHALK MARKS / COLUMN — If you craft a list of professionals who by virtue of their job knowingly undertake an effort they expect to […] More
Honoring the Oath Taken by Intelligence Officers Means More than Politics
OPINION — A poster I recently saw at CIA Headquarters reminded me of a project on which my late colleague and friend, Patty Brandmaier, and […] More
Can ‘Excellence’ be Taught? A Review of the book, Learned Excellence
BOOK REVIEW: Learned Excellence: Mental Disciplines for Leading and Winning from the World’s Top Performers By Eric Potterat and Alan Eagle/Harper Business Reviewed by Kenneth […] More
E-Commerce Lessons for Espionage
OPINION — I recently enjoyed an overdue reunion with some college friends, wrongly assuming war stories from this retired CIA officer would wow my pals […] More
Gen Z and CIA is a Relationship in Need of Counseling
OPINION — As a mere “wretched pensioner” in retirement (words taken from my good friend and former CIA colleague Doug Wise), I spend a great […] More