The White House Asks: Do We Stay in Afghanistan?
Amid rising frustration in the White House about the war in Afghanistan, reports have emerged about two major dynamics: a disagreement between National Security Advisor […] More
Tech/Cyber
Can the Law Restrain Nations in Cyberspace?
The top U.S. cyber diplomat will no longer have the direct ear of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The impending closure of the U.S. State […] More
A Candid Conversation with The White House’s Man on Cyber
The White House’s National Security team is expected to issue a report early this week outlining U.S. options for deterring adversaries in cyber space. The […] More
The Devil Was in the Details: The Failure of UN efforts in Cyberspace
Unsurprisingly, the fifth UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) ran into difficulties that proved fatal. Previous GGEs operated in a more favorable international climate. The […] More
Cyber Deterrence Cannot Be One Size Fits All
The fallout of major cyber attacks and espionage campaigns increasingly shapes interactions between nations. The vulnerability of the United States to such digital intrusions will […] More
An Isolated North Korea Turns to Cyber Coercion
On Friday, Ben Wallace, the Minister of State for Security for the United Kingdom, said in a BBC radio interview the UK government believes a […] More
North Korean Cyber Operations: Active, Noisy, and Lacking Strategy
Since roughly 2009, North Korea has been active and noisy in cyberspace. From the hacking of government web sites in South Korea and the United […] More
Pyongyang’s Move to Compel Adversaries in Cyberspace
In December 2014, while many were still preoccupied with the aftermath of the North Korean cyber attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment, South Korea was in […] More
Information Warfare and the Gulf Dispute
The use of cyber capabilities to influence geopolitical confrontations has become more and more common. Even those countries who are not major global powers are […] More
Cyber Deterrence Is Working – So Far
Beset by disruptive digital attacks, espionage, and cyber-enabled influence campaigns intended to sway public opinion, the United States and its allies are looking for ways […] More
Heading Off State-Sponsored Hacker Attacks
Time and time again companies, organizations, and government agencies have proven that they can’t completely secure their computer networks from hackers – particularly nation-states with […] More
Cyber Deterrence – Left of Virtual Boom
Disruptive and intrusive cyber activity pervades much of modern international relations. The trend towards the jockeying for global influence and geopolitical positioning through cyber means […] More
Coats: U.S. Lacks Capability to Prevent “Cyber 9/11”
Dan Coats, Director of National Intelligence, told the Aspen Security Forum today that he believes the U.S. national security community lacks the capability to prevent […] More
Hiding in Plain Sight: Maintaining A Spy’s Cover in the Internet Era
Tradecraft. A term popularized in the novels of John le Carré, but practiced by spies throughout history. Tradecraft includes a number of methodologies, ranging from […] More
Staying Secret in the Age of Social Media
Intelligence officers must often use a false identity — a legend or cover. How has social media and digital technology changed how they create and […] More
How Hostile Spies Study Social Media to Crack CIA Cover, Spot Likely Agents
Intelligence officers’ tradecraft is highly guarded for good reason. One of its most important aspects is establishing a cover identity so foreign governments and hostile […] More
Doubling Down on America’s Cyber Diplomacy
The main loss from the departure of Chris Painter, America’s top cyber diplomat, will not be the loss of one of the top U.S. civil […] More