Shutting Down ISIS' Digital Platforms
One day before Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, the 31-year-old Tunisian immigrant who killed 84 people by plowing a rented refrigerator truck into the Bastille Day crowd […]
Opinion
Terrorism and Paradigm Shifts and Pyrrhic Victories
The latest terrorist attack in Nice, France on Thursday, reminded us of the long struggle in the global war on terrorism since 9/11. The West […]
Intelligence and Policy in the Face of Terrorism
A slightly different version of this article appeared recently in the Washington Times. General Hayden has requested that we reprint it in The Cipher Brief following Thursday’s […]
The Effectiveness of Bug Bounty Programs
As hackers continue to grow more sophisticated, many firms are struggling to find ways to ensure that their systems are secure. In support of that […]
Sloppiness in Handling Highly Classified Information is Widespread
FBI Director James Comey’s 5 July statement on the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private e-mail server was exactly what we would expect from a professional […]
Why the U.S. Should Ratify the Law of the Sea Treaty
Although the United States participated in the negotiations that culminated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which came into […]
Some National Security Lessons from the Past
At a June 23 National Security Council meeting, according to notes once marked EYES ONLY, Top Secret, “The President said if he knew any way […]
Ungoverned Space: A National Security Challenge
Whoever the American people elect to be our next president in November, she or he will inherit numerous problems, including terrorism, the hollowing out of […]
Russia and Europe's Interdependence
Tensions between Russia and NATO have escalated to near Cold War levels since Vladimir Putin’s seizure of Crimea and ongoing support of separatists in the […]
Integrated Intelligence Key To Combatting Dynamic Threats
The NATO Alliance faces an increasingly complex, diffuse threat environment. Consequently, we are always striving toward more integrated intelligence to stay a step ahead. NATO […]
NATO and Cyberwar Strategy: Proceed with Caution
NATO has much to discuss at its annual summit in Warsaw on July 8 – 9. From the implications of the UK’s decision to exit […]
ISIL: You just can’t take them out and it’s over
The United States is involved in a “global, and long-term effort to defeat ISIL (the Islamic State), and ensure that other violent extremist groups, such […]
Risking All in the Defense of Liberty
Thinking about the Fourth of July, Independence Day, always takes me back to my school days when I studied the Revolutionary war and learned about […]
Maybe It is About Guns (At Least Partly)
After Orlando (and now Istanbul on top of San Bernardino and Paris and Brussels), will we ever feel safe again? Why can’t our governments protect […]
The North Korea Threat
North Korea is threatening the Global Community with its reckless nuclear and missile behavior. They have consistently disregarded U.N. Security Council Resolutions and have made […]
Beyond Illegal Orders: Concern About a Misuse of Executive Power
During this unusual political season, I hear a recurring question from former, present, and aspiring intelligence officers. It’s a question that I have rarely heard […]
Financing Nuclear Modernization: Tough Decisions for the Next President
The next president, Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, will have to make hard decisions about whether to go ahead with the current, enormously costly, U.S. nuclear […]
At the Gates of Fallujah
An assortment of Iraqi forces will drive Islamic State from Fallujah. Then the real trouble will start. In addition to army and police, a number […]