Soleimani and the True Measure of Deterrence
CONVERSATION STARTER — Few would argue that the January 3 drone strike that killed Iranian General and Quds Force Commander General Qassem Soleimani was a […] More
International
Is the Maximum Pressure Campaign Working with Iran?
As the U.S. continues to announce new sanctions aimed at Iran, there are some signs that indicate the U.S. policy of applying maximum pressure on […] More
Reconsidering Great Power Competition Below Armed Conflict
The Gray Zone is that place between war and peace where actors use a range of elements at their disposal to effect outcome. We see […] More
Mexico’s Strategic Security Problem
Nine American women and children were killed by suspected drug cartel members in an attack in northern Mexico earlier this month, refocusing attention on the […] More
The Cipher Brief’s OSINT Trend Line Report
The Cipher Brief’s NEW Open Source Collection Report (OSINT) uses open source data to track trends around the world that impact national and global security. […] More
Signs of Iranian Strategy
It was a busy weekend of activity for Iran, much of it rooted in its desire to seek ways around U.S. sanctions that are targeting […] More
New Lessons Lead to New War Plans for India and Pakistan
India believes it won the hostilities which followed the Pulwama attack in February 2019. According to New Delhi the attack on Balakot not only punished […] More
Avoiding War in the Fifth Domain
Few today would argue that the threat surface in cyberspace has expanded significantly in the past decade. Just ask your fridge. From the new risks […] More
What (or Who) is Driving the U.S. Border Crisis?
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 […] More
Raising the Drawbridge with an “International Cyber Stability Board”
(Ed note: Follow co-author Dr. Catherine Lotrionte’s sessions at RSA this week: Nation States Behaving Badly: The Evolving Rules of the Game in Cyberspace March […] More
The Global Divide Over the 5G National Security Risk
Fresh off the heels of the Munich security conference, a rift remains between the U.S. and its allies over their approach to 5G networks and […] More
Putin’s Great Year
A recent poll conducted by a Russian polling group, suggests that domestic trust in Vladimir Putin is at its lowest level in more than a […] More
Moscow’s History of Accusing Americans of Espionage
French philosopher Voltaire claimed that “if God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.” The Kremlin, whenever it wishes to free a […] More
EXCLUSIVE: On Nobility and the CIA’s War in Afghanistan
OPINION — On December 31, The New York Times published a piece that claimed Afghan forces “trained and equipped by CIA agents or contractors” were […] More
Britain’s Top Security Threats in 2019
2018 was a year dominated by a new range of worries for national security experts in Britain. Brexit and a series of untraditional statements from […] More
The Urgency of Resetting Relations With China
Bottom Line Up Front: The Trump Administration is confronting China on issues that have been developing for years and have percolated to the top of […] More
Avoiding ‘Fire and Fury’ with North Korea
Bottom Line Up Front: Six months after the historic June 11, 2018 Summit between President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jung Un, the American public […] More
Cyber: “The System is Blinking Red Once Again”
At a recent private D.C. dinner, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen gathered with academics and cyber experts from the private sector to talk candidly about […] More