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Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

A Profound Loss: How Veteran Suicide Touches Us All

The Hidden Costs We All Share Kristin Wood and Sarah Kneller are Co-Founders of August Interactive. They have spent much of the last two years [...] More

What’s on The Cipher Brief’s Digital Channel

GIMME SOME SPACE: After nearly six years at the helm of the Space Development Agency, Derek Tournear is making an exit, leaving behind projects like satellite mega-constellations and laser links. The SDA isn’t saying why, just that he’s off to a “new opportunity.” In the meantime, Deputy Director Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo gets to keep the chair warm as acting director.The Dead Drop is now updating throughout the week. Why? Because there's just too much good gossip in the national security world these days for a once-a-week collection. BRING ON THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR: On Friday afternoon – as had been rumored for a while, [...] More

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State Secrets

In this wide-ranging conversation, former CIA senior leader Sheetal Patel warns about the vulnerabilities the U.S. faces from evolving drone threats, drawing lessons from Ukraine’s successful deep-strike operations against Russia. She highlights the lack of clear authorities, resources, and interagency coordination for defending against small drone swarms in America. Patel also stresses the crucial role of the private sector in rapidly advancing both drone and counter-drone technologies and underscores the growing counterintelligence risks U.S. companies face from foreign adversaries like China. The discussion extends to U.S.–India relations, where recent tariffs threaten to undermine years of strategic progress against Chinese influence.

Cover Stories: Spies, Books & Entertainment

Author and former Marine Elliot Ackerman’s latest tale is about an ex-CIA Ground Branch operator who goes by his call sign, “Skwerl” and a former Afghan special ops pilot who goes by the name “Big Cheese” so you’re probably already getting a good picture of Ackerman’s latest novel Sheepdogs, which follows Skwerl and Cheese on a globe-trotting adventure from Uganda to Marseille. Cipher Brief CEO & Publisher Suzanne Kelly welcomed Ackerman to the Cover Stories Studio to talk about missing handlers, hidden cargo and shadow war.