State Secrets

The Future of Intelligence in the Age of AI | VADM Trey Whitworth

Artificial intelligence, drones and commercial satellites are transforming the way intelligence is collected, analyzed and used — but as technology delivers answers faste

Held Hostage by Iran: What Emad Shargi Wants America to Understand

Iranian-American businessman Emad Shargi spent more than five years detained in Iran, enduring solitary confinement, brutal interrogations, a mock execution and a 10-year

Gen. David Petraeus: The U.S. Must Prepare for a Revolution in Warfare | Iran, Ukraine, China & Drones

Former CIA Director and retired U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus joins The Cipher Brief CEO & Publisher Suzanne Kelly for a wide-ranging conversation about the wars reshapin

Former NSA Chief Gen. Paul Nakasone: AI Is Changing the Cyber Battlefield

Artificial intelligence is transforming cyber warfare - and former NSA Director and U.S. Cyber Command Commander Gen. Paul Nakasone says the speed of that transformation

What Ukraine Is Teaching the World About the Future of War | Rear Admiral (Ret) Mark Montgomery

Recorded on location in Kyiv, Rear Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery joins Suzanne Kelly for a timely State Secrets conversation on how Ukraine is reshaping the future of wa

NATO's European Test: Ukraine, Russia and the Future of the Alliance

Speaking from the NATO summit in Ankara, Nick Fishwick assesses the alliance's most urgent challenges, from Europe's push to increase defense spending to the need for gre

The Drone Revolution Is Rewriting the Rules of War

The battlefield is changing faster than most governments can adapt. In this episode of State Secrets, Cipher Brief CEO Suzanne Kelly sits down with retired General Phil

General David Petraeus: The Future of War Has Already Arrived—Is America Ready?

How will wars be fought in the next decade—and is the United States prepared? In this exclusive conversation, The Cipher Brief CEO Suzanne Kelly sits down with General

THE FUTURE ACCORDING TO HOLLYWOOD — AND THE NSA

What happens when one of Hollywood's most influential futurists sits down with a former NSA Director? In this special State Secrets conversation, Ronald D. Moore—the cr

Can America Innovate Faster Than China? Steve Blank & Pete Newell on the Future of Defense

America's national security challenges are evolving faster than ever—and the traditional defense innovation system is struggling to keep pace. In this episode of State

2084: The Future of War, AI, Climate Conflict—and Humanity's Survival

What happens when artificial intelligence, climate disruption, geopolitical rivalry, and information warfare collide? In this episode of the State Secrets Podcast, Ciph

Inside Jack Ryan: Ghost War — Director Andrew Bernstein on CIA Realism & Modern Espionage

What does it take to make a modern espionage thriller feel real? In this episode of State Secrets, Suzanne Kelly sits down with acclaimed director Andrew Bernstein to d

China, Cyber War & the Five Eyes Fight: Rachel Noble on the New Front Lines of National Security

Former Australian Signals Directorate Director-General Rachel Noble joins State Secrets with Suzanne Kelly for a rare insider's look at the cyber battles shaping modern n

The Narrative Kill Chain

Jennifer Ewbank dives deep into how algorithmic manipulation and AI are reshaping the battlefield of information.   As threats evolve, our understanding of them must to

CIA in Mexico: The Hidden Risks Behind U.S. Intelligence Missions

The reported deaths of two CIA officers in Mexico have sparked questions, sharp reactions, and widespread speculation. But what really happened - and what does it reveal

What the Future of Conflict Looks Like: Petraeus on Iran Endgame & Ukraine's Drone War

What does "success" look like in a conflict with Iran - and what comes next? In this in-depth conversation, General David Petraeus joins The Cipher Brief's Suzanne Kelly

Tradecraft and Deception: Understanding Russia's Intelligence Machine

In this episode of State Secrets, former CIA Senior Operations Officer Sean Wiswesser examines the evolution of Russian intelligence - from Soviet-era tradecraft to moder

ISIS Reawakens: What the Bondi Attack Signals for Global Terror

A mass-casualty attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach in December 2025 shattered assumptions about the decline of ISIS - and raised urgent questions about what comes next. In

David Ignatius on War with Iran, the Future of Espionage, and 50 Years of Reporting

Washington Post columnist and bestselling novelist David Ignatius joins State Secrets to reflect on more than five decades covering intelligence, war, and global power. I

China's Fancy Dragons in the Sky Hold Hidden Clues for National Security

Investor Gilman Louie has spent much of his career focused on future national security.  Tapped by former CIA Director George Tenet to be the first CEO of the Agency's ve