Ideas

Promote Open Source to a Full Member of the Intelligence Community

The exploitation of publicly or commercially available information must be recognized alongside spies, signals intelligence, and other established branches of practice.

Policy

Biden Goes After China’s Cyber Attackers

U.S. and allies blame China’s government, announce new measures to fight a massive cyber criminal ring akin to Russia’s, but threaten no sanctions yet.

Ideas

How the Intelligence Community Can Get Better at Open Source Intel

Several factors make it harder to use publicly available information in all-source assessment than classified information.

Science & Tech

CIA’s Last Classified Fax Machines Are About to Retire

A secure email system dubbed Gray Magic will replace the legendary analog technology.

Science & Tech

How to Detect Sarcasm with Artificial Intelligence

Humans make inferences about tone and meaning, but algorithms can find hidden relationships between words to detect irony and intentional falsehood.

Ideas

America Needs Competitive Intelligence

Agencies ought to be thinking about how to bring U.S. capabilities to bear on adversaries’ vulnerabilities, in competition as well as in conflict.

Science & Tech

Former NGA Head to Join Satellite-Imagery Firm

An intelligence chief who embraced transparency says AI will shape the next chapter of imagery analysis.

Science & Tech

A Better Way to Spot Deep-Faked Satellite Images

Training AIs to look at 26 subtle features may help thwart attempts to peddle fraudulent imagery.

Threats

Petraeus Trashes Biden Decision to Quit Afghanistan

Pulling out now is an “unforced error,” the former commander of U.S. troops in Afghanistan said. Other former war leaders say the threat can be managed.

Threats

New ODNI Report Sees Growing Cyber Threats, COVID-Related Instability

Intelligence heads will brief lawmakers on Wednesday about threats from China, Russia, others.

Ideas

The Intelligence Community’s Deadly Bias Toward Classified Sources

Its willful blindness to publicly available information is hurting national security.

Science & Tech

Senators Offer to Let NSA Hunt Cyber Actors Inside the US

After SolarWinds hack, Gen. Nakasone seeks some sort of a fix for the cybersecurity ‘blind spot’ against Russia, China, but others cite privacy concerns in potential expanded authorities.

Ideas

What We Learned in the DNI’s New Election Report

The newly released assessment is more complex and comprehensive than its 2017 predecessor, reflecting just how much the issue of foreign interference has evolved.

Policy

Khashoggi Report Blames MBS; Biden Skips Sanctions For Crown Prince

Punishing MBS would put the United States in a “hostile” position with Riyadh, an administration official told reporters.

Policy

CIA Nominee Vows To Probe Mysterious Microwave Attacks

Longtime diplomat Bill Burns sailed through his confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

Science & Tech

New AI Can Detect Emotion With Radio Waves

There are national security and privacy implications to an experimental UK neural network that deciphers how people respond to emotional stimuli.

Ideas

How to Fight Domestic Extremism and Win Public Trust

After years of partisan politicization, national security leaders and workers need to be clear about how they'll keep us safe from each other.

Policy

Biden's NSA May Face Legal Fight Over Trump-Installed Lawyer

Acting SecDef Miller warns firing Michael Ellis could bring new allegations of unfair retaliation.