Cipher Brief Expert View: Changing NSA’s Email Collection Program
The National Security Agency (NSA) announced on Friday a change in its intelligence collection under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence and Surveillance Act (FISA). […] More
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Network Take: Trump Shakes Up the NSC, Removes Bannon
President Donald Trump reorganized his National Security Council (NSC) on Wednesday. In a surprise move, chief strategist Stephen Bannon has been removed from the council, […] More
State of Play Review: Homeland, “The Flag House"
In Homeland’s latest episode, the CIA’s Dar Adal tightens the screws further on those struggling to foil his plot. He directly threatens President-elect Keane, conspires […] More
State of Play Review: Homeland,“Sock Puppets”
Another Homeland episode means Dar Adal commits yet another heinous deed. In this episode, Dar allows the Mossad to kidnap top CIA asset Majid Javadi, […] More
The Cipher Brief Dead Drop: March 17
WHO’S YOUR MCMASTER? Politico had a fascinating scoop this week which asserts that President Trump has overruled a decision by his National Security Advisor, General […] More
Georgetown Salon Series: Russian Hacks Just ‘Tip of the Iceberg’
The controversy surrounding alleged Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election shows no sign of waning, dominating the conversation during The Cipher Brief’s Georgetown Salon […] More
The Sky is [not] the Limit: the Evolution of the Standard Missile
The military called it Operation Bumblebee: a secret program to develop a weapon that – like the insect – could take off vertically, change directions […] More
Fmr. CIA Acting Dir. Michael Morell: "This Is the Political Equivalent of 9/11"
The Washington Post report on a secret CIA assessment concluding that Russia intervened in the U.S. Presidential election with the intention of helping President-elect Donald […] More
Securing a Seamless Presidential Transition
The recent election of a new President and Vice President of the United States marks the beginning of another transition period at the White House. […] More
The Cipher Brief Special Report: Global Views on the U.S. Election
Most Americans agree that the 2016 presidential election is one of the strangest in their history – and that feeling extends beyond U.S. borders. Governments […] More
Zika: A National Security Threat?
Calls for more funding to fight the Zika virus have intensified in the last week as concerns over the implications of a potential crisis in […] More
Why Former CIA Director Hayden May Take a "Pass" on the Presidential Election
Now that the Presidential candidates will soon be getting classified intelligence briefings, critics on both sides have raised questions about whether either candidate is fit […] More
Trump at the RNC: National Security Implications
The Republican National Convention ended Thursday night with nominee Donald Trump vowing to be the “law and order candidate.” His speech was peppered with national […] More
In Defense of Globalization
So, why America’s apparent turn toward nationalism, nativism, and even isolationism? How could the nation most responsible for leading this great and grand strategy to […] More
Considering a Domestic Intelligence Service
After the San Bernardino terrorist attack there were the usual cries “to do something” to better protect the nation. We will surely again hear similar […] More
All the Tools in the Tool Chest
When the Cipher Brief asked me to write an article assessing how well the FBI has done since 9/11 in protecting our country from terrorism […] More
The FBI’s Intelligence Mission
In the years since 9/11, the FBI has refocused its efforts beyond law enforcement to include, and even prioritize, intelligence gathering and counterterrorism operations. As […] More
DHS launches private sector training pilot program
The Department of Homeland Security launched a pilot project on Monday to place employees into private sector companies for training stints of up to six […] More