A High-level Briefing on Russia for the next U.S. President
EXPERT OPINION – Dear 47th President of the United States, congratulations on your victory and thank you for your willingness to serve as the leader […] More
CIA
The U.S. is in the Midst of a Perfect ‘Cognitive Warfare’ Storm
During the 2024 Cipher Brief Threat Conference, Dave Pitts joined Brad Christian, Mike Vickers, and Ralph Goff in a discussion about Gray Zone Operations; a […] More
CIA Director: ‘Very Real Danger’ of Wider Mideast War
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW – CIA Director William Burns warned Monday of “the very real danger” of a wider war in the Middle East, and urged Israel […] More
When Spymasters Talk: CIA and MI6 Chiefs On ‘Bully’ Putin and ‘Audacious’ Ukraine Raid
Spymasters rarely say much in public, and when they do, it’s usually a tightly scripted affair. That made this weekend’s joint appearance by CIA Director […] More
The Latest
How Does the CIA Recruit Russian Spies?
CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING — As any good intelligence officer will tell you, recruiting spies is a tough business. Not only do you have to identify […] More
After Trump Assassination Attempt, a Reckoning for America
EXPERT Q&A — In the wake of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, officials and […] More
Israel’s Fragile North and the Art of ‘Intelligence’ Diplomacy
EXPERT Q&A – Tensions along Israel’s northern border have been increasing over the past several weeks with Iranian-backed Hezbollah firing more than 200 military rockets […] More
A Summer Guide to Staying Cool with Spy Comedies
CHALK MARKS / OPINION — Spying isn’t a funny business. The stakes are too high, egos too big, mistakes too consequential. That isn’t to say […] More
A former CIA Officer Contemplates the Mission Ahead
OPINION — The transition away from any beloved career can be difficult, but for those who have had highly engaging, rewarding, and even exciting careers […] More
Congress Probes Russia Link to “Havana Syndrome”
SUBSCRIBER+ REPORTING — Congress waded into an explosive debate Wednesday, in the wake of revelations that Russia may have been behind the so-called “Havana Syndrome” […] More
HAL-9000 (and AI) Shouldn’t Keep You Up at Night
CIPHER BRIEF EXPERT OPINION — At the center of Stanley Kubrick’s visionary masterpiece “2001: A Space Odyssey,” HAL-9000 looms large as a symbol of artificial […] More
Chalk Marks: A Review of The Sympathizer
ENTERTAINMENT — “I am a spy, a sleeper, a spook, a man of two faces.” This opening sentence of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel The Sympathizer […] More
Ignore the Threat of Russian Intelligence Operations at Your Own Peril
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE EXPERT PERSPECTIVE / OPINION — The Russian Intelligence Services are getting a lot of attention in the U.S. media these days. It makes sense. […] More
When Conspiracy Theories Get Dangerous
SUBSCRIBER+ EXCLUSIVE – Conspiracy theories may have been around since humans began telling stories but today, the volume and spread of such theories is amplified […] More
Why ‘Ronin’ is an Espionage Classic
CHALK MARKS / COLUMN — If you craft a list of professionals who by virtue of their job knowingly undertake an effort they expect to […] More
Honoring the Oath Taken by Intelligence Officers Means More than Politics
OPINION — A poster I recently saw at CIA Headquarters reminded me of a project on which my late colleague and friend, Patty Brandmaier, and […] More
Can ‘Excellence’ be Taught? A Review of the book, Learned Excellence
BOOK REVIEW: Learned Excellence: Mental Disciplines for Leading and Winning from the World’s Top Performers By Eric Potterat and Alan Eagle/Harper Business Reviewed by Kenneth […] More
E-Commerce Lessons for Espionage
OPINION — I recently enjoyed an overdue reunion with some college friends, wrongly assuming war stories from this retired CIA officer would wow my pals […] More
Why the Classic Movie ‘Spy Game’ Gets it Right
OPINION — Many moons ago, when I started my training as an operations officer, the world and country were in a different place. Everyone I […] More