The Cipher Brief

The Cipher Brief is an online platform focused on security discussions, linking the private sector with top security professionals. We provide insightful analysis of current news and events, aiding readers in understanding and managing the complicated and often unpredictable global security landscape. Founded by former CNN Intelligence Correspondent Suzanne Kelly, The Cipher Brief operates on the principle that simply reporting on security incidents or global threats is not enough to address larger issues. By involving the private sector in constructive conversations about solutions, we aim to drive progress and foster better outcomes.

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Listening to a Top Army Officer - and the Secretary of Defense

2 days ago | thecipherbrief.com | Walter Pincus

Posted: May 13th, 2025 OPINION – “The Army is moving quickly to adapt, field new capabilities, and restructure its formations to outpace our adversaries. ‘Transforming in Contact’ (TiC) delivers results in cycles as short as 12 to 18 months, ensuring that forces are always evolving.
Assessing Putin and the 'Axis of Authoritarians'

4 days ago | thecipherbrief.com | Tom Nagorski

A former CIA leader and Ukrainian Prime Minister worry about Putin's ambitions beyond Ukraine Posted: May 11th, 2025 CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING – On Friday, as Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed more than a dozen world leaders, including China’s Xi Jinping, for a Victory Day parade in Moscow and a collective stand against the West, a global gathering in Kyiv heard a very different message: a high-level assessment and critique of Putin — from leaders who have observed him from different...
Who’s Winning the Intelligence War in Ukraine?

6 days ago | thecipherbrief.com | Tom Nagorski

CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING – It’s often lost in all the news from the battlefield in Ukraine, and the various negotiations underway in pursuit of a peace deal: Who is winning the intelligence war in Ukraine? That question and others related to the way in which spycraft has impacted the conflict were the subject of a special session at the opening day of the Kyiv Security Forum Thursday.
New York Chief Cyber Officer: U.S. ‘Falling Behind’ - and Adversaries Aren’t Waiting

1 week ago | thecipherbrief.com | Tom Nagorski

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW – As the U.S. government considers restructuring and staff reductions to its cybersecurity departments, officials at the state level are watching closely – and hoping that the federal cuts and changes don’t damage their ability to deal with an unprecedented level of threats. Access all of The Cipher Brief’s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+ Member. Sign Up Log In
The 'Golden Dome' Missile Defense Plan – and a New Arms Race

1 week ago | thecipherbrief.com | Walter Pincus

Posted: May 5th, 2025 OPINION — “The space-based interceptor piece was not in the [missile defense] architecture plan as we were before January 27 [when President Trump announced his Golden Dome program].
Waltz, Rubio and the National Security Shakeup

1 week ago | thecipherbrief.com | Tom Nagorski

The world has grown more dangerous since Henry Kissinger held two top national security posts Posted: May 2nd, 2025 CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING – The announcement was made on the 101st day of the second Trump administration, and while some insiders said they saw it coming, it caught even some administration officials by surprise.
Can India and Pakistan be Brought Back from the Brink of War?

2 weeks ago | thecipherbrief.com | Tom Nagorski

A deadly attack in Kashmir raises fears of escalation between two nuclear powers Posted: April 30th, 2025 EXPERT INTERVIEW – One week after a deadly terror attack, India and Pakistan stand at the precipice of military conflict, and as one scholar and editor noted Tuesday, “the risks of escalation…are higher than ever.” The catalyst for the crisis is last week’s attack in the long disputed territory of Kashmir, in which gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists in Pahalgam, in the part of...
Expert Q&A: A Vietnam Veteran and CIA Leader on Lessons from the War

2 weeks ago | thecipherbrief.com | John McLaughlin

Posted: April 30th, 2025 EXPERT Q&A — John McLaughlin was drafted and sent to Vietnam as an intelligence officer in 1969. He would later have a distinguished career in the Central Intelligence Agency, ultimately serving as its Acting Director. We asked McLaughlin – who is also a Cipher Brief expert – to share reflections of his time in Vietnam, and the lessons he drew from his own experience and the U.S. experience writ large.
A U.S.-Philippines ‘Full-Battle Test’ Aimed at China

2 weeks ago | thecipherbrief.com | Walter Pincus

Posted: April 29th, 2025 OPINION — “Beijing’s aggressive maneuvers around Taiwan are not just exercises – they are dress rehearsals for forced unification…Russia’s growing military cooperation with China, including joint exercises in the Pacific, adds another layer of complexity to the Indo-Pacific security environment.
Space: A Final Frontier for National Security?

2 weeks ago | thecipherbrief.com | Tom Nagorski

EXPERT INTERVIEWS — The domain of space has become essential to 21st-century life, given the extent to which communications and navigation are now reliant on space-based systems. That reliance has made space a strategic domain as well — one where geopolitical competition on Earth is increasingly projected, and which is being weaponized in preparation for potential conflicts. It’s a future that not long ago would have seemed the stuff of science fiction; today, experts say, it’s all too real.