How Safe Would We Be Without Section 702?
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — A provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that has generated controversy around fears of the potential for abuse has proven to be crucial […] More
International
How the Middle East Conflict Leads Back to US National Security
In the Biden Administration’s highest-level face-to-face visit, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is traveling to the Middle East to seize momentum created by last week’s […] More
Intelligence Sharing in a Complicated World: The Future of Five Eyes
In the midst of World War II, facing multiple threats in a complicated series of engagements around the world, the US and the UK entered […] More
Afghanistan: How Six Good Reasons Can Still Lead to a Bad Decision
Cipher Brief Expert Tim Willasey-Wilsey served for over 27 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office where his focus was on South Asia and […] More
The Latest
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
Where Are Six Years of War in Yemen Going?
EXPERT ANALYSIS — At a time when western officials are focusing their attention toward national security threats posed by China, the war in Yemen is […] More
Britain’s Integrated Review: A Science and Tech Superpower with an Indo-Pacific Tilt
Nick Fishwick,Former Senior Member, British Foreign Office Nick Fishwick CMG retired in 2012 after nearly thirty years in the British Foreign Service which included postings […] More
How Can Blinken’s Bold Plan for Afghanistan Succeed?
Tim Willasey-Wilsey, Cipher Brief Expert Tim Willasey-Wilsey is a Cipher Brief Expert on Afghanistan and a visiting Professor of War Studies at King’s College, London […] More
President Biden’s Middle East: A Briefing with Norman Roule
President Joe Biden’s administration is aiming its Middle East agenda on adhering to campaign promises, examining current policies and undoing some that were enacted under […] More
A New World of Global Security: A Briefing with Sir John Sawers
The new COVID-19 national security world is one shaped by a host of national and global security issues that were impacted – both good and […] More
The Climate and U.S. National Security: A Conversation Series
CLIMATE — One of President Biden’s first areas of focus after taking office on Wednesday was on the climate, reinstating a commitment that the US […] More
Inside the Bureau of Intelligence and Research
The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research, better known as INR, is charged with providing intelligence products in support of U.S. diplomatic efforts around […] More
Operation Fortitude: A Lesson in Deception from D-Day
(Photo caption: Full-size dummy LCTs, codenamed BIGBOB, moored in South East England before the Normandy invasion (British Imperial War Museums, photograph H 42527, public domain). This […] More
An Energy Market Check In
ENERGY — 2020 has taken a toll on the world’s energy market, but just how bad is it? Experts say COVID-19, economic shutdowns and a […] More
US National Security Challenges: A Conversation Among Experts
Understanding expert perspective on where the US stands in the world with regards to national security is a key component of how The Cipher Brief […] More
Is Russia getting away with Murder?
(The Cipher Brief 2020 Threat Conference will host an interactive session on this topic during The Cipher Brief Threat Conference September 13-15. Find details in […] More
Global Knowledge Warfare: Using Strategic Imagination to Harness Uncertainty and Fear
Eric Shiraev, Political Psychologist, George Mason University “The Cipher Brief has become the most popular outlet for former intelligence officers; no media outlet is even […] More
Are Gas Deposits in the Mediterranean Worth a War?
The discovery of large gas deposits has refueled decades-old territorial disputes in the Mediterranean. In late July, Turkey announced it was dispatching a survey ship […] More
A Look Inside the Justice Department’s National Security Priorities
Last week, the Justice Department brought an indictment against two individuals accused of working with China’s Ministry of State Security to conduct a decade-long cyber […] More