Science & Tech
Look Who's Worried About the NSA's 96 Percent Retention Rate
It might seem counterintuitive that someone maintaining a workforce of 30,000 coders and analysts is concerned about too much loyal talent.
Ideas
The Intelligence Community Must Remove Barriers to Minority Recruitment
National security demands a more diverse workforce to understand the world, but several things stand in the way.
Business
After OPM Hack, Security-Clearance Requests Will Run Through the Pentagon
The White House directive comes as the OPM shifts its background investigations to a newly-created National Background Investigations Bureau.
Science & Tech
Why Amazon's Data Centers Are Hidden in US Spy Country
You'll need to go back to where a lot of significant moments in Internet history took place: the Cold War.
Science & Tech
US Intel Community Taps Encryption-Busting Tech Firm for Digital Spying
The venture capital arm of the CIA is buying in to a Canadian company that says it can access certain encrypted technologies.
Threats
The Number of Foreign Fighters in Iraq and Syria Has Doubled
A study says up to 31,000 people from 80-plus countries have joined the Islamic State and other extremist groups.
Science & Tech
Kazakhstan's New Encryption Law Could Be a Preview of US Policy
The Central Asian country will require 'back doors' that will allow the government to surveil and censor Internet traffic.
Threats
Obama's Dog Whistle on Encryption
By linking encryption with terrorism, the president seemed to hint at a policy shift.
Ideas
Give Thanks for the OSS
As today’s security depends increasingly on intelligence and special operators, Congress should act to honor those who paved their way.
Policy
Intelligence Whistleblowers Need More Protection, Advocate Group Argues
A new report criticizes the White House for its heavy use of the 1917 Espionage Act amid complaints of retaliation against whistleblowers in the Defense and Justice Departments.
Threats
Clapper Doesn't Rule Out Possibility That ISIS Took Down Russian Jetliner
But the director of national intelligence, speaking at the Defense One Summit, called it ‘unlikely.’
Threats
What Fighting Terrorism Can Teach Us About Confronting China
A conversation with Rear Adm. Paul Becker, former intelligence director for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Ideas
Why Do Top Government Personnel Keep Using Private Email for Official Business?
As government breaches continue, it's hard to argue that 'security' alone is a good enough reason to keep official communication on official servers.
Threats
Don’t Be Shocked the CIA Head Was Hacked
How can a random teenager break into the CIA director’s private email? The problem isn’t technical.
Threats
And Yemen Burns With Washington's Blessing
The Saudis keep hitting civilians — a wedding party on Monday, killing 120 — and blaming U.S. intelligence for bad targets.
Business
Too Much Intel Sharing Still Happens at the Speed of Red Tape
A new study finds that bureaucratic delays reduce the value of data exchanged by industry and agencies.
Science & Tech
Meet the Man Reinventing CIA for the Big Data Era
An exclusive interview with CIA's new director of digital innovation about his agency’s biggest change in decades.
Science & Tech
How NGA Is Turning Disaster-Relief Mapping Into a Game
A Q&A about GeoQ, the open-source disaster mapping system from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
Ideas
In Defense Of The ISIS Intelligence Whistleblowers
The entire profession is nervous about allegations that could mean top brass at a combatant command violated the sacrosanct professional code of intelligence.
Threats