ISIS’ Global Spread
ISIS has claimed responsibility for a series of Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka that killed more than 300 people and injured 500 more. A […] More
The Cipher Brief
ISIS’ Shifting Focus
ISIS has claimed responsibility for a series of Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka that killed more than 300 people and injured 500 more. Sri […] More
Russia’s U.S. Election Strategy by the Numbers
OPINION — At almost every crucial moment in the Mueller report, President Donald J. Trump is recorded having expressed concerns to advisors that reports of […] More
The CIA Director’s Real Skills
On April 16, The New York Times published an article (in which I am quoted) with the headline, “Gina Haspel Relies on Spy Skills with […] More
Setting Global Rules in Cyberspace
Christopher Painter has been on the vanguard of U.S. and international cyber issues for over twenty-five years and serves as a current Commissioner on the […] More
It’s Been Over 300 Days Since a Pentagon Press Briefing
For about six months now, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has used her briefing room so little that officials might as well turn it back into […] More
What to Make of North Korea’s Recent Weapons Test
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the testing of as a new ‘tactical guided weapon’ on Wednesday in the country’s first weapons test since […] More
Russia’s Second Chance in Libya
The Cipher Brief’s ‘Academic Incubator’ column features analysis and observations by current and recent students associated with national security-focused academic programs. Earlier this month, the […] More
The Evolving Terrorist Threat
The Cipher Brief was recently invited to take part in the University of New Mexico’s Intelligence Symposium, covering a number of national (and international) security […] More
The Long and Winding Road to Cybersecurity
Cipher Brief Expert Thomas Donahue retired from CIA after 32 years of service. He served as the Chief Editor of the President’s Daily Brief and […] More
What (or Who) is Driving the U.S. Border Crisis?
The number of monthly apprehensions based on illegal border crossings hovers north of 90,000 people. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), more […] More
What a Designated Terrorist IRGC Could Mean for the U.S.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council is taking retaliatory steps after President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the U.S. will designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard […] More
Innovation and How CIA Moves at the Speed of Mission
John Edwards spent 20 years at CIA in various operational and leadership positions. He also spent 12 years in the private sector, working with two […] More
5 Questions for PDDNI Susan Gordon
The Principal Deputy Director for National Intelligence (PDDNI) Susan M. Gordon spoke at the recent Cipher Brief Threat Conference about how technology and the role of […] More
A Rapp Sheet Worth Writing About
Bill Rapp’s real story is just as interesting as the ones he makes up. The former CIA Analyst began working in West Germany back when […] More
Are the U.S. and China Still Destined for War?
A lot has happened since China expert and Harvard Professor Graham Allison’s best-selling book on China, Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides […] More
Reminders for Hawks Clamoring to Attack Iran
OPINION — As Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Advisor John Bolton, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Saudi crown […] More
Closing the Gaps Before the Next War: The Army’s New Sense of Urgency
Close to six thousand people, including current military leaders and members of the defense industry, are gathered at AUSA’s 2019 Global Force Symposium in Huntsville, […] More