Dr. Shakil Afridi: How a Valuable U.S. Intelligence Asset Became a Liability
EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY — The house had been watched for quite some time. The home in Abbottabad was just about a mile from the Pakistani Military Academy […] More
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Disinformation Series: Hostile Social Manipulation
The Cipher Brief is running a special series on disinformation over the next several months. We’ll introduce you to experts in the field who will […] More
Disinformation 101
As protesters filled the streets of Hong Kong calling for democratic rights, agents of influence were operating behind the scenes to affect the way the […] More
The Real Threat Posed by EMPs
The national security threat posed by an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) is not the kind of thing you hear talked about often in Washington’s national security […] More
National Security Science: Earthquake or Nuclear Test?
With ongoing and often frustrating nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea and heightened tensions between nuclear neighbors India and Pakistan over Kashmir, having a […] More
Countering Violent Extremism in the United States
The U.S. has been fighting a global network of violent Islamic extremist organizations like ISIS and Al-Qaeda for close to 20 years, but as the […] More
Cipher Brief Experts Weigh in on Gordon’s Departure
The resignation of both Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and his deputy Susan Gordon, both taking effect on August 15th, mean big changes are […] More
Where Will Protests Lead Hong Kong?
The director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs office says the city is experiencing its worst crisis since the colony returned to China from […] More
Stopping Violent Extremism
This weekend’s back to back shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio highlight, in the deadliest way, growing concerns that the U.S. is fighting […] More
Keeping NYC Connected and Safe: A CIG Conversation with NYC’s CISO
The Cyber Initiatives Group is a group of public – private and academic thought leaders who share their unique expertise with the greater cyber community through […] More
NSA’s New Directorate Expected to Strengthen Offensive Capabilities
NSA Director General Paul Nakasone announced last week that he is creating a new cybersecurity directorate that will focus on – among other things – […] 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
Mexico’s Role in Border Security
The Cipher Brief is taking a look this week at the national security situation along the southern border. On Sunday, Congressman Will Hurd told NBC, […] More
The Real National Security Challenges at the Border
The Cipher Brief is taking a look this week at the national security situation along the southern border. On NBC, the only Congressional Republican who […] More
How Iran Targets U.S. Businesses
U.S. businesses are being warned to harden their defenses in anticipation of potential cyberattacks as tensions between the U.S. and Iran continue to escalate. President […] More
Deadlier Skies: Risks and Benefits of Drone Technology
Last week, the U.S. nearly launched retaliatory attacks against Iran for the shooting down of a U.S. military drone that was operating in the region. […] More
The Politics at Play in Iran
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says his country “will not wage war against any nation”, as tensions continue to escalate between the U.S. and Tehran. U.S. […] More
Limited Options for Dealing with Iran
A spokesman for the Iranian atomic agency said Monday that within 10 days, the country will pass the allowed limit for low-grade uranium enrichment under the nuclear […] More
The Hypersonic Arms Race
U.S. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan recently warned that the U.S. “is not moving fast enough to stay ahead” of its rivals in space, specifically […] More
Defending New York City’s Digital Front Line
Defending New Yorkers against criminals and terrorists has been a priority for city leaders and law enforcement for quite some time, but in the last […] More
A Day to Remember
Memorial Day began as a way to remember those who died while in military service to their country. Here at The Cipher Brief, we wanted […] More
How Do Allies Tackle 5G When They Don’t See Eye to Eye?
A number of U.S. companies including Google, Intel, Qualcomm and others are limiting business with Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei after the White House issued an […] More
An Expert View on the White House’s Executive Order to Bolster Cyber Workforce
The White House issued a recent Executive Order on America’s Cybersecurity Workforce in an effort to put a renewed focus on the federal government’s deficit […] More
Who Should Give the Kill Command?
The Department of Defense is seeking a significant budget increase for further development of lethal autonomous weapons programs (LAWS). While technology and the use of weapons […] More