‘This Doesn’t Need to be Defeat. But at the Moment, it Damn Well Feels Like It’
Cipher Brief Expert Nick Fishwick CMG retired in 2012 after nearly thirty years in the British Foreign Service. He did postings in Lagos, Istanbul and […] More
UK
The UK’s Next Steps on Cybersecurity
Conrad Prince served as the Director General for Operations and Deputy Director of GCHQ from 2008 – 2015. In those roles he led GCHQ’s intelligence […] More
What a Biden Administration Means for the World
The Cipher Brief is a non-political media outlet focused on publishing expert perspectives on national security issues. We are committed to presenting multiple opinions to […] More
ISIS Terrorists Known as ‘The Beatles’ To Face Justice in the United States
Bottom Line Up Front El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey, two ISIS members known as ‘The Beatles,’ will face justice in the United States […] More
The Latest
Streatham Attack in the UK Another Case of Terrorist Recidivism
Bottom Line Up Front Sudesh Amman committed a terrorist attack in Streatham, London over the weekend after having served half of a prison sentence […] More
The Use of Disinformation in the British Election
Bottom Line Up Front On the heels of the London Bridge terrorist attack and the looming Brexit process, tensions were high as British citizens […] More
Brexit and Flashbacks to the Past in Northern Ireland
Bottom Line Up Front Deeply dissatisfied with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit proposal, disgruntled Unionists in Northern Ireland have gathered to loudly voice […] More
Houthis Drone Attack Targets Major Saudi Oil Facilities
Bottom Line Up Front Over the weekend, Houthi rebels launched a drone attack against Saudi Arabia, targeting the Saudi Aramco crude stabilization facility in […] More
The Chaotic Endgame of Brexit
Bottom Line Up Front UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s August 28 request to suspend Parliament has spurred political anxiety as the UK’s scheduled October […] More
Maritime Security in the Gulf
Bottom Line Up Front Amidst escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf, officials from the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) recently met with their counterparts in […] More
Iran Crisis Spills over to UK
Bottom Line Up Front Iran’s recent responses to U.S. pressure, including to the UK-led seizure of a Syria-bound Iranian oil tanker, have brought the […] More
A Political Breakthrough in Sudan?
Bottom Line Up Front Following months of fighting, Sudan’s current ruling military government and the political opposition have forged a power-sharing agreement. What happens […] More
A Global Conversation with General Philip Breedlove
Ripped straight from the headlines, there are a number of current, inter-related political and security issues that could have a significant impact on the U.S.’ […] More
How Do Allies Tackle 5G When They Don’t See Eye to Eye?
A number of U.S. companies including Google, Intel, Qualcomm and others are limiting business with Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei after the White House issued an […] More
Balancing Liberty and Security in the Fight Against Terrorist Propaganda
Bottom Line Up Front A new U.K. law criminalizes accessing terrorist propaganda online, punishable by a prison sentence of up to 15 years. Responding […] More
Reluctant Justice for Returning Foreign Fighters and Families
Bottom Line Up Front As the last territory held by the so-called Islamic State is reclaimed, the issue of what to do with returning […] More
Britain’s Top Security Threats in 2019
2018 was a year dominated by a new range of worries for national security experts in Britain. Brexit and a series of untraditional statements from […] More
Consequences of the ‘Ever-Nearing,’ ‘Never-Clearing’ Brexit Negotiations
Bottom Line Up Front On December 11, the British Parliament will vote on a ‘finalized’ deal for exiting the European Union (EU). The deal […] More
Five Eyes Intel Sharing Unhindered By Trump Tweets
Bottom Line: While President Donald Trump’s tweets at times unnerve America’s closest allies, especially those that attack U.S. intelligence and law enforcement, the “Five Eyes” […] More