RIP Cyber Coordinator: An Obituary
Rest in peace, Cyber Coordinator. The White House’s Special Assistant to the President and Cyber Coordinator has now been eliminated, apparently ending (or more likely […] More
federal government
In Defense of the FBI – and Comey – from One of their Own
Like some of you, perhaps, I have spent an inordinate amount of time consumed with the revelations about the latest tweet, or twist in the […] More
Social Security and Medicare Could Cripple National Security
When giving public or semi-public talks, I have long been asked “What single threat worries you the most? What keeps you up at night?” When […] More
Rosenblum: Superpowers Are Supposed to Stay Open
At it again. This week’s government shutdown is an all-too-familiar refrain for those of us with lengthy government service. Shutdowns – and the impact of […] More
The Latest
Sept. 11th Intel Vet Rasmussen Leaving NCTC
One of the longest serving senior American counterterrorism officials is stepping down, with the departure of Nicholas Rasmussen as head of the National Counterterrorism Center, […] More
Senator Balks at CIA Inspector General Nominee Over Torture Report
The Trump administration’s nominee for CIA inspector general faced tough questions from lawmakers over his handling of whistleblower complaints, and his handling of a classified […] More
Do Diplomatic and Defense Vacancies Risk U.S. Security?
When a new U.S. president takes office the January after an election, his or her administration takes over not only the world’s strongest and most […] More
The ‘World Doesn’t Wait’ for D.C. to Fill Top Jobs
North Korea is testing its nuclear program seemingly at will. Afghanistan and Iraq struggle with enormous security threats years after the U.S. intervened to help […] More
Personal Relationships Matter in Forging Foreign Policy
A new presidential administration needs a team of political and career appointees to run the government, including the world’s most powerful military and a vast […] More
Defusing Leakers Means Knowing What Makes Them Tick
Tackling insider threat — everything from leaking classified information to potential workplace violence — is a key part of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center’s […] 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
Cipher Brief Expert View: Trump's Cyber Executive Order
The long-awaited executive order on cybersecurity is out. It’s not dramatic or surprising (perhaps because drafts have been floating around Washington for weeks), but it […] More
Trump Treasury Counterterrorism Nominee Wins Wide Praise
Sigal P. Mandelker, President Donald J. Trump’s pick to be Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI), is being lauded by former officials contacted […] More
Comey to INSA: Privacy and Security “Crashing Into Each Other”
FBI Director James Comey was the guest of honor at an Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) Leadership Dinner Wednesday in Alexandria, Virginia. INSA is […] More
To the Government and Silicon Valley: Grow Up and Get Along
My late mother served as a sergeant in the Women’s Army Corps during World War II. She was nearly killed in 1944 by a “buzz […] More
Making the Unknowns Known in Space
NASA has never hesitated in the face of the unknown. The space agency landed men on the moon in less than a decade. It has […] More
Trump’s NSC: A Bureaucratic Balancing Act
The appointment of Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster as National Security Advisor was not the Trump Administration’s first shake-up on the National Security Council, and it […] More
The Next-Generation DNI
Saying you are in favor of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) is like suggesting you are a Republican in D.C. – the odds against […] More
Civilians and the Military Under Trump
In the wake of retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn’s resignation as National Security Advisor on Monday over his communications with the Russian Ambassador to the […] More