What Analysts Missed Before Russia’s Invasion – and What They’re Still Missing
EXPERT OPINION — A recent report from Washington’s Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) is getting attention for calling out the failure of the […] More
Analysis
Dynamics in the Middle East are Shifting, but in which Direction?
The dynamics of the Middle East are changing. From a protracted pandemic to a rise in Chinese interest and influence in the region and a […] More
Inside the Bureau of Intelligence and Research
The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research, better known as INR, is charged with providing intelligence products in support of U.S. diplomatic efforts around […] More
An Energy Market Check In
ENERGY — 2020 has taken a toll on the world’s energy market, but just how bad is it? Experts say COVID-19, economic shutdowns and a […] More
The Latest
Beijing’s Push to Protect State Secrets puts US Firms at Greater Risk
Kyle Sullivan is China Practice Lead at Martin + Crumpton Group, a global risk intelligence advisory firm based in Arlington, Va. He previously spent 12 years […] More
Thinking in the Time of Coronavirus – Part Two
Cipher Brief Expert Carmen Medina is a former CIA Deputy Director of Intelligence and a 32-year veteran of the Intelligence Community. Medina is also author […] More
Thinking in the Time of Coronavirus – Part 1
Cipher Brief Expert Carmen Medina is a former CIA Deputy Director of Intelligence and a 32-year veteran of the Intelligence Community. Medina is also author […] More
Anticipating the Likelihood of Iranian-Backed Attacks
The Commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, General Kenneth F. McKenzie, recently warned that the presence of an additional 14,000 U.S. troops sent […] More
Harry Potter Fans: If Cyber were a Basilisk, It’s the Pipes
It is no secret that Hermione revealed that the basilisk traveled via the pipes in the second installment of the Harry Potter series. When I […] More
Lebanon’s Arab Spring
The Cipher Brief’s Expert Take column highlights the thinking of our experts based on their areas of expertise. Emile Nakhleh is a former member of […] More
What Are Protests in the Middle East Signaling?
Protesters came out in support of Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Sunday but they were followed by anti-government protesters who have been calling for a […] More
Libya’s Growing Criminal Enterprise
Bottom Line Up Front Throughout Libya’s civil war, widespread allegations have surfaced that strongman Khalifa Haftar operates as a modern-day warlord, using his power […] More
Restoring Deterrence with Iran
Putting Iran in a desperate situation without viable alternatives is likely to result in desperate responses. Two oil tankers carrying Japanese-related cargo were attacked in […] More
A Struggle to Control the World’s Wireless Networks
Bottom Line Up Front On March 6, Meng Wanzhou, CFO of the Chinese tech company Huawei, had an extradition hearing in Canada where she […] More
Iran: Maximum Pressure and Perfect Storms
Last spring, two weeks after the Trump Administration withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – the international arms control deal that curbed […] More
Inside Putin’s Head
UPDATED: As U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin emerge from their summit meeting in Helsinki, Finland, in which no aides were allowed […] More
What’s Up at The Cipher Brief: A Letter from the CEO & Publisher
I launched this company two and a half years ago on a very simple idea: let’s get a talented, experienced and vetted group of experts […] More
A License to Receive Intelligence?
Should government officials be licensed or pass a test before they can receive intelligence? The debate about whether to believe intelligence reporting on Russian hacking […] More
Managing Information & Risk in the Digital Age
It’s a cliché that we live in a world of exponential change. Having spent 32 years at the CIA, from 1978 until 2010, I thought […] More