Ideas

We Have Met the Enemy, and It Is Us: Restoring American Power

Getting the nation’s house in order — restoring our integrity and dignity — is a precondition for reestablishing our standing in the world.

Ideas

Put Societal Resilience at the Center of Defense Planning

It’s already foolish to focus too narrowly on military attack and response. Soon it will be fatuous.

Policy

CBP Proposes to Expand Biometric Data Collection at Border

A proposed rule would allow the program to expand beyond pilot sites and collect more data from more people.

Threats

A Big 2020 Election Hack Never Came. Here’s Why

America’s cyber defenders are getting more proactive — and more chatty.

Threats

Robocalls Told at Least 800,000 Swing State Residents to 'Stay Home' on Election Day. The FBI Is Investigating.

A firm that tracks robocalls said more than 3 million calls were made on Nov. 3, which contained a cryptic message instructing people to “stay safe and stay home.” The tactics join other efforts to confuse voters this election cycle.

Ideas

Great Power Competition Comes Home to America

Our leaders’ efforts to heal divisions among our fellow citizens are key to national defense.

Science & Tech

US Elections Are Safer from Foreign Interference, But Gaps Remain

Four years after a big wake-up call, federal, state, and local governments are working harder and more closely to ward off threats.

Policy

Trump’s Border Wall Is Costing Taxpayers Billions More Than Initial Contracts

Federal spending data shows modifications to contracts have increased the price of the border wall by billions, costing about five times more per mile than it did under previous administrations.

Ideas

The Third Coronavirus Surge Has Arrived

This week’s COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations make clear that the U.S. is once again sinking deeper into the pandemic.

Policy

FBI Feeds Intel to DoD for Offensive Cyber Ops, Director Tells Congress

Wray's new cyber strategy, rolled out earlier this month, aims to “impose risk and consequences on cyber adversaries.” 

Ideas

Foreign Hackers Cripple Texas County’s Email System, Raising Election Security Concerns

The malware attack, which sent fake email replies to voters and businesses, spotlights an overlooked vulnerability in counties that don’t follow best practices for computer security.

Ideas

Three Ways to Clean Up the Toxic Minefields of Social Media

Safeguarding the social media ecosystem from hate speech and disinformation is all about tracking data and empowering users.

Ideas

The Pentagon Is Funding the Destruction of Cultural Heritage

Construction of Trump’s border wall is undermining not just sacred sites but the rule of law itself.

Ideas

Could Trump Deploy US Cyber Command Against Protestors?

It’s time to set better limits on the U.S. military’s ability to operate against Americans.

Policy

From Racism to Russia, Top General Says Army Must Change

Gen. McConville addressed the nation’s internal unrest, trust of the military, even QAnon, in a wide-ranging interview with Defense One.

Ideas

We Know How to Prevent Megafires. We're Just Not Doing It

This week has seen the 2nd- and 3rd-largest California wildfires ever. There's near-total scientific consensus on how to stop the next one.

Ideas

The Week QAnon Became Everyone’s Problem

The conspiracy theory-based movement poses a different type of terrorist threat.