State Secrets

The Cipher Brief
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  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

State Secrets is a weekly interview podcast featuring Cipher Brief experts and national security leaders.

  1. JAN 20

    AI, Infrastructure, and the New Front Lines of National Security

    From cyber vulnerabilities to supply chain risk, Cipher Brief Expert and former National Intelligence Manager for Counterintelligence Sandrea Hwang tells State Secrets Podcast host Suzanne Kelly why modern national security threats are no longer distant or abstract and why protecting data, infrastructure, and innovation now requires whole-of-society cooperation.

    27 min

  2. JAN 13

    What the Writer Found in the Spy Archive

    Cipher Brief CEO & Publisher Suzanne Kelly catches up with former BBC Correspondent and Author Gordon Corera to talk about the spy story he found in the archives: the subject of his new book, The Spy in the Archive: How One Man Tried to Kill the KGB as well as what he's learned from decades of covering the world of espionage and his assessment of MI6's new Chief.

    30 min

  3. JAN 5

    Does 'Marines' Fulfill the Mission for Netflix?

    Cipher Brief CEO & Publisher Suzanne Kelly sits down with Executive Producer Sebastian Junger to talk about the Netflix documentary 'Marines' and whether today's fighting force is the one we need in today's threat environment.

    25 min

  4. 12/18/2025

    Taking Clancy's Franchise and Executive Power to New Heights

    In this edition of the State Secrets podcast, we're talking with two men who are carrying one of the most legendary torches in modern thriller history.  Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson are the powerhouse duo behind the tier one series and are the authors of the latest novel in the Tom Clancy, Jack Ryan universe - Executive Power.  Host Suzanne Kelly talks with them about a covert team wiped out in Angola and a high-stakes hostage with action playing out on a global scale, of course.  In other words, all the good stuff.

    29 min

  5. 12/09/2025

    Inside Russia's Secret War: A Conversation with Sean Wiswesser

    Join Suzanne Kelly as she delves into the world of Russian intelligence with former CIA operations officer Sean Wiswesser. Discover the intricacies of Russian operations, the impact of propaganda, and the ongoing secret war led by Putin. Gain insights into the challenges faced by the Russian people and the global implications of state-sponsored actions. Don't miss this eye-opening episode of the State Secrets Podcast.

    36 min

  6. 12/01/2025

    Peace Through Strength in an AI Era: Inside the Reagan National Defense Forum

    What does "peace through strength" mean in 2025—when AI, drones and great-power rivalry are reshaping the battlefield? In this episode of State Secrets, Cipher Brief CEO Suzanne Kelly sits down with David Trulio, President & CEO of the Reagan Foundation and head of the Reagan National Defense Forum (RNDF), to unpack how one of the nation's most influential defense gatherings is responding to a far more dangerous world. Trulio walks through the origin story of RNDF, why it was designed as a bipartisan space for national security leaders, and how this year's forum, taking place at the Reagan Library in California, shapes the tone of debate. Kelly and Trulio discuss this year's agenda - from AI and "deterrence by design" - to fixing the defense industrial base and making acquisition fast enough to compete with China. They also explore former President Ronald Reagan's enduring principles—from "trust but verify" to the centrality of allies and partners—and how those ideas are being stress-tested today in Europe, the Middle East and in the Indo-Pacific.

    29 min

  7. 11/26/2025

    Getting Candid with Gen. Stan McChrystal (Ret.) on Character and Controversy

    In this episode of State Secrets, Cipher Brief CEO & Publisher Suzanne Kelly talks with retired four-star Gen. Stan McChrystal, who served as Commander of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and is author of the new book, On Character: Choices That Define a Life, about what character really means in an era where everything feels political, whether intended or not.

    33 min

  8. 11/24/2025

    Information Warfare The New Frontline

    Former NSA senior executive Mike Driscoll joins Cipher Brief's Brad Christian to dissect how America - and its allies - win or lose in the cognitive domain. From post-9/11 SIGINT dominance and its pitfalls to today's OSINT revolution powered by AI, Driscoll details why democracies keep ceding the narrative, what Oct. 7 revealed about messaging at speed, and how to rebalance "the exquisite" with the open. They break down gray zone tactics, attribution lags, tunnel warfare, and the policy/risk mindset shifts needed to shrink decision timelines from months to seconds. Driscoll argues that education, public-private integration, and mission-driven AI are now decisive. If you care about how the next conflict is fought - and who shapes the truth - this conversation is essential.

    44 min
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4.6
out of 5
93 Ratings

About

State Secrets is a weekly interview podcast featuring Cipher Brief experts and national security leaders.

Information

  • Creator
    The Cipher Brief
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    State Secrets

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