Science & Tech

The Future of Intelligence Sharing Is Coming Together in the Syrian War

Fifteen years after 9/11, America's intelligence community finally has a rapid, modern sharing system.

Threats

The NSA Has No Idea How Many Americans It’s Spying On

Lawmakers, who are being asked to approve FBI access to wiretapped data, want some basic answers first.

Ideas

Here’s the Latest Evidence Torture Doesn’t Keep Us Safe

It all comes down to the neurological consequences of stressors.

Science & Tech

US Spies Want a Laser Gun That Can Detect Bombs from 100 Feet Away

If the device can be produced and later miniaturized, it may end up resembling a gun or grocery-store scanner.

Science & Tech

How the Senate Encryption Bill Resembles Chinese Law (And How it Does Not)

The legislation would bring the U.S. jurisprudence into greater harmony with China.

Ideas

China's Latest Bizarre Propaganda Videos Use Batman and Mr. Bean to Explain State Secrets

The five videos try to describe two laws that lay out the party’s stance on national security. They get very bizarre very quickly.

Science & Tech

The Obama Administration Is Struggling to Reform the Security Clearance Process

OPM, ODNI and other agencies are failing to meet their own deadlines on a wide array of measures aimed at sniffing out internal threats.

Science & Tech

Here's What the Pentagon Wants Its Satellites to Do in 15 Years

The ability to take on new missions will help tomorrow’s constellations survive war in space.

Ideas

The FBI Should Tell Apple About the iPhone Vulnerability, If It Can

White House cybersecurity guidelines suggest disclosure, but the feds may not actually have the information.

Science & Tech

US Intelligence Wants Computers That Spot Fake Fingerprints

Researchers at the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Agency aim not only to spot prosthetic thumbs, it will also learn to predict attacks never seen before.

Ideas

Let Russia's Planes Keep Flying Over US, Just Like Ike Wanted

The Pentagon dithered while Moscow upgraded. It’s time to catch up — not scrap the Open Skies Treaty.

Ideas

When It Comes to Tech and Terrorism, the Government Is Asking for the Wrong Kind of Help

There are many ways the tech industry can help turn up the heat on terrorists without compromising the rest of us.

Business

Obama's Security Clearance Overhaul Lands with a Thud Before Lawmakers

The plan, which tasks the Pentagon with safeguarding new investigations, appears to just be 'window dressing on a broken home.'

Science & Tech

The FBI's War on Phones Is Bigger Than You Think

Apple’s lawyers revealed the feds want access to about a dozen devices after San Bernardino.

Science & Tech

FBI to Apple: It's About Justice, Not Precedent

Despite growing pressure from the Justice Department, the tech company still refuses to unlock one of the San Bernardino shooters' iPhone for authorities any time soon.

Science & Tech

The NSA's Terrorist-Hunting Computer for Pakistan May Have Targeted Innocents

A new report suggests that the agency has been using a machine-learning program to identify potential terrorists, but thousands of Pakistanis may have been mislabeled.

Science & Tech

The Big Budget Crunch Awaiting America's Spies

The U.S. intelligence community overall budget may rise in the months ahead, but spending on information technology will not, a new report says.

Policy

Spy on Me All You Like, More Americans Say

A new poll shows more people are fine with increased national-security surveillance.

Ideas

Death of the GRU Commander

An American general remembers Russia's complex military intelligence chief, who shaped the Ukraine incursion — and worked hard to bridge the East-West gap.

Science & Tech

The Obama Administration’s Encryption Views Are All Over the Map

Some government officials are focused on catching criminals, while others worry about empowering hackers.