Is This Our Digital Sputnik Moment?
“Just as we pulled together as a nation in the early days of the space race, we simply must redouble our efforts to develop the […] More
Archive for the ‘CIA’ Category
China’s Post-Ukraine Playbook
Cipher Brief Expert and retired CIA Senior Executive Mark Kelton took part in a Russia panel during the recent Cipher Brief Threat Conference, along with […] More
The Potential of Integrating Intelligence and Intuition
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — When I was just starting out at CIA, there was an analyst in my group who worked in a particularly methodical way. […] More
The Spies Sent Back to the Cold
EXPERT ANALYSIS — Since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine began, Europe has embarked on a purge of Russian spies that has been described as “the largest mass […] More
Did The Cold War Ever Really End?
Sonya Seunghye Lim, Former Chief of Station, CIA Sonya Seunghye Lim is a former Chief of Station with the Central Intelligence Agency where she had […] More
US Intelligence is only as Good as what goes into it
OPINION — Officers in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)’s Directorate of Operations (DO) have a penchant for action and readiness to serve in any circumstance. […] More
The US is Engaging in a Strategy to Share Intelligence on Russia More Broadly. Is it Worth the Risk?
As US and European diplomacy efforts to de-escalate tensions along the Ukraine border — where nearly 130,000 Russian troops have amassed — seem to have […] More
The Value of a Well-Placed Spy in Moscow
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — I hope CIA has an agent like Dmitry Polyakov operating in Moscow right now. A Major General in Soviet Military Intelligence (the […] More
CIA Deputy for Digital Innovation Talks Mission, Partnerships and Espionage Challenges
CIA Deputy Director for Digital Innovation Jennifer Ewbank said recently “the cyber forces and other threats that we confront across the digital landscape are formidable […] More
A Roadmap for AI in the IC
A Roadmap for AI in the Intelligence Community (Editor’s Note: This article was first published by our friends at Just Security and is the fourth […] More
Havana and the Global Hunt for U.S. Officers
EXPERT OPINION — More than 200 U.S. officers have been hunted around the globe and targeted by an adversary using a mysterious weapon that causes […] More
Wars are not Won by Evacuations
Mark Kelton, Former Deputy Director, CIA’s Counterintelligence, National Clandestine Service Cipher Brief Expert Mark Kelton is a retired senior Central Intelligence Agency executive with 34 […] More
What Intelligence was there on Afghanistan?
When The Washington Post reported this week that CIA Director William Burns slipped into Afghanistan on Monday to meet with Taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar, […] More
What Iran’s Election Tells Us About Where It’s Headed
Hard-line cleric Ebrahim Raisi won Iran’s presidential election on Saturday in a move that is expected to bolster the conservative legacy of the country’s supreme […] More
Why the China – Russia Relationship Should Worry You – Part Two
Ties between Russia and China go far beyond mutual lessons-learned and policy coordination. They have entered into cooperative arrangements that pose clear dangers for the […] More
The US Intelligence Community Needs a ‘Wild Bill’ Moment
Ellen McCarthy, Former Asst. Secretary of State for Intelligence & Research Cipher Brief Expert Ellen E. McCarthy was appointed by President Trump to be the […] More
China’s Risky Record on Climate
US Climate Envoy John Kerry is in China ahead of a Climate Summit next week hosted by US President Joe Biden. As tensions between the […] More
Report: An Analysis of Bitcoin’s Use in Illicit Finance
As Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies rise to record levels ahead of the direct offering of crypto exchange Coinbase, former Acting CIA Director Michael Morell is […] More
And One More Thing: Further Thoughts on How the IC Can do Better
Carmen Medina, Former CIA Deputy Director of Intelligence Cipher Brief Expert Carmen Medina is a former CIA Deputy Director of Intelligence. A 32-year veteran of […] More
The Robot, the Targeter and the Future of U.S. National Security
Eric Washabaugh, Former CIA Targeting & Technology Manager Eric Washabaugh served as a targeting and technology manager at the CIA, where he served from 2006 […] More
Exclusive: Spy Chief Gets Welcome Endorsement
In a letter obtained by The Cipher Brief this week, former CIA Directors and Acting Directors, including former Director Gina Haspel, endorsed CIA Director Bill […] More
The US Intelligence Community’s Complicated Relationship with Telework
Jim Danoy, Former Executive, Defense Intelligence Agency Cipher Brief Expert Jim Danoy is a former defense intelligence executive and served as the National Intelligence Manager […] More
The IC Must Move Forward, Not Go Back
Carmen Medina is a former CIA Deputy Director of Intelligence. A 32-year veteran of the Intelligence Community, she is also the author of Rebels at Work: […] More
A Consequential Killing in Tehran
The killing of Al Qaeda’s second in command reportedly at the hands of Israeli operatives working in Tehran signals a significant reduction among al Qaeda’s […] More