How a Screwdriver Salesman Helped Fuel U.S. Airstrikes in Nigeria
Spotty research from a Christian activist has been used by Republican lawmakers to justify U.S. intervention in the country.
Disinformation
The Human Algorithm: Why Disinformation Outruns Truth and What It Means for Our Future
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — In recent years, the national conversation about disinformation has often focused on bot networks, foreign operatives, and algorithmic manipulation at industrial scale. Those concerns are valid, and I spent years inside CIA studyi…
Why the U.S. Is Losing the Cognitive Competition
EXPERT OPINION — In order for the U.S. to successfully compete for global influence against its adversaries and to avoid a kinetic fight, we must excel at cognitive warfare; that is military activities designed to affect attitudes and behaviors. This …
Lawmakers ‘Bullseye and Bait’ in AI-Driven Deepfake Campaigns
OPINION — Elected officials are both the bullseye and the bait for AI-driven influence campaigns launched by foreign adversaries. They are targeted with disinformation meant to sway their opinions and votes, while also serving as the raw material for …
Telecom Bust Near the UN Reveals New National Security Vulnerability
DEEP DIVE — When Secret Service agents swept into an inconspicuous building near the United Nations General Assembly late last month, they weren’t tracking guns or explosives. Instead, they dismantled a clandestine telecommunications hub that investig…
Expert Q&A: Taiwan Prepares for China’s Next Move
EXPERT Q&A — Taiwan’s recent Han Kuang military exercises tested the island’s responses to a potential full-scale Chinese invasion. The drills not only simulated military strikes and blockade elements, but also gray zone warfare operations like cybera…
Deepfakes and the War on Trust
OPINION — It started with a voice. In early July, foreign ministers, a U.S. Member of Congress, and a sitting U.S. governor received urgent messages that seemed to come directly from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The voice messages and texts sent ov…
China’s Disinformation Offensive in Taiwan
CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING – TAIPEI, Taiwan—During last year’s Presidential election in Taiwan, rumors swirled that Victor Lai Ching-te of the anti-Beijing Democratic Progress Party fathered an illegitimate child. Rumors also circulated that his running m…
Iranian Blackout Affected Misinformation Campaigns
Dozens of accounts on X that promoted Scottish independence went dark during an internet blackout in Iran.
Well, that’s one way to identify fake accounts and misinformation campaigns.
TikTok and EU regulation: Legal challenges and cross-jurisdictional insights
According to TikTok’s recent Digital Services Act (DSA) transparency report, the platform has 159 million monthly active users in the EU, representing roughly 35.5 % of the EU population.