ISRS is in Davos. Engaging global leaders on strategic risk, democratic resilience, and the security challenges shaping 2026 and beyond. We’re pleased to be attending both the World Economic Forum and the Cyber Future Dialogue.

Forget Guerrillas and IEDs - The Next Asymmetric War Will Be Engineered

Forget Guerrillas and IEDs - The Next Asymmetric War Will Be Engineered

OPINION — For most of modern history, asymmetric conflict conjured a familiar image: guerrillas in the hills, insurgents planting roadside bombs, or terrorists striking with crude weapons. The weak have traditionally offset the strong with mobility, surprise, and a willingness to take punishment.

thecipherbrief.com

The next asymmetric war isn’t guerrillas and IEDs - it’s engineered through AI, biotech, and code. @davevenable.com on synthetic asymmetry in @thecipherbrief.bsky.social www.thecipherbrief.com/asymmetric-war

Forget Guerrillas and IEDs - The Next Asymmetric War Will Be Engineered

OPINION — For most of modern history, asymmetric conflict conjured a familiar image: guerrillas in the hills, insurgents planting roadside bombs, or terrorists striking with crude weapons. The weak ha...

thecipherbrief.com

Europe is moving ahead with a “Drone Wall.” Not concrete, but a layered defense of sensors, jammers, and interceptors across NATO’s eastern flank. Its goal: make hostile drones costly, risky, and ineffective. #DroneDefense #NATO #HybridWarfare

ISRS is thrilled to congratulate Admiral McRaven, commander of Joint Special Operations Command and U.S. Special Operations Command, for receiving the America's Future Series' Magelles Award last night! Well deserved. We were incredibly honored to be a part of it.

NATO’s Eastern Sentry at a Glance A quick breakdown of how the alliance responded to Russia’s drone incursion in Poland: www.isrs.ngo/fpb/natos-re...

Russia’s drone incursions over Poland aren’t just kinetic, they’re cognitive. The goal? Confuse, normalize, divide. ISRS breaks it down: * Grey-zone airspace pressure * GNSS jamming + narrative fog * Article 4 meets ambiguity warfare www.isrs.ngo/fpb/poland-r...

🇻🇪 The Caribbean heats up: Venezuela's militia massing, U.S. destroyers off the coast, and drone bans cloaking visibility. It’s not just kinetic, it’s cognitive. New ISRS Flashpoint Briefing: Synthetic asymmetry WFP pullback Lawfare moves www.isrs.ngo/fpb/venezuel...

ISRS’s Mykola Volkivskyi will speak at the UN World Information Transfer on Global Geopolitics After the Alaska Summit. Open to the public via Zoom 27 August, 12:00 EST zoom.us Meeting ID: 881 7964 5785 Passcode: 240207

🇺🇦 Strength. Freedom. Resilience. Today we celebrate Ukraine’s Independence Day and honor the people who embody the unshakable spirit of liberty. ISRS stands with Ukraine, today and every day, as it defends sovereignty and builds a brighter, democratic future.

The next great power contest isn’t over land or oil, it’s over AI. ISRS unpacks Trump’s AI Action Plan, Europe’s regulatory push, & global risks ahead. www.isrs.ngo/fpb/the-next...

Don’t miss it: ISRS’s Mykola Volkivskyi goes live on TRT World in 20 minutes to discuss the Trump–Zelenskyy talks. www.youtube.com/live/_G7iMuW...

LIVE: Watch TRT World

YouTube video by TRT World

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AI is moving into military & diplomatic decision making. Studies show LLMs can escalate crises, even simulate nuclear first strikes. The risks are real. The time for safeguards is now. Read more: www.isrs.ngo/fpb/escalati...

Trump & Putin meet in Alaska without Ukraine at the table. ISRS maps 4 alternative futures, from a freeze-in-place armistice to renewed escalation, with fresh indicators to watch. Full FPB: www.isrs.ngo/fpb/trump-pu... #Ukraine #Geopolitics #ISRS #Diplomacy

Russia’s cognitive warfare playbook is live in Moldova: Telegram bots, fake scandals, and dark money ahead of September’s election. www.isrs.ngo/fpb/moscows-...

Why can’t China afford a Russian loss? Because if Moscow loses, the U.S. can pivot fully to Asia, and Taiwan moves to center stage. This isn’t neutrality. It’s strategy. www.isrs.ngo/fpb/why-chin...

“It’s not just code, it’s credibility.” Secret Blizzard disguised its malware as Kaspersky, exploiting a banned brand to slip into high-value systems Threat intel expert Jake Warren says "it’s about exploiting trust" Read the full Flashpoint Briefing: www.isrs.ngo/fpb/secret-b...

The UK’s Online Safety Act was meant to protect users. But it may be doing the opposite. @mrr3b00t.bsky.social weighs in, urging policymakers to form a challenge advisory board of practitioners in cyber, intel, and privacy to prevent unintended consequences. www.isrs.ngo/fpb/how-the-...

China is exporting more than fiber to Central Asia. They’re embedding digital control -- surveillance, telecom lock-in, and hidden backdoors. ISRS calls it digital soft-colonialism. Here’s what’s at stake → www.isrs.ngo/fpb/chinas-e...

From hacktivists to criminal proxies, the line between combatant and civilian is blurring fast: lieber.westpoint.edu/non-state-cy...

Non-State Cyber Actors in the 12-Day War – The Gray Zone of LOAC, Part I - Lieber Institute West Point

Non-state actors linked to both Iran and Israel were actively targeting the opposing sides throughout the so-called 12-Day War.

lieber.westpoint.edu

Spain just gave Huawei access to its wiretap systems. This isn’t just a tech contract, it’s a trust crisis. In @thecipherbrief.bsky.social, we explain why Europe needs serious intelligence guardrails. Read here: www.thecipherbrief.com/huawei-spain... #Huawei #CyberSecurity #Europe #IntelFailure

🧵 Russia’s drones aren’t just made in Russia. They’re powered by China. Engines. Electronics. Even HW‑T8‑80F pick‑and‑place machines building the circuit boards that guide kamikaze strikes on Ukraine. Let’s break down the hidden supply chain /1

North Korea’s freelance IT operatives are infiltrating global companies. ISRS Advisory Council member @malwarejake.bsky.social warns: “If these ops are revenue-driven, you’re highly unlikely to detect DPRK actors through technical means alone.” Read more: www.isrs.ngo/fpb/north-ko...

Flashpoint Briefing: China’s naval provocations are no longer confined to the South China Sea. From lasers in the Red Sea to standoffs in the Yellow Sea, Beijing is testing global boundaries: www.isrs.ngo/fpb/china-es... #Geopolitics #MaritimeSecurity #ISRS

🇺🇦 “This call reaffirms U.S. support for Ukraine’s sovereignty.” ISRS Board Member Mykola Volkivskyi spoke to AlQahera News about the Zelensky–Trump call & Russia’s latest attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure. Watch: youtu.be/shlCRwI6_3A?...

المسيرات تشعل سماء كييف.. هجمات روسية عنيفة تهز أوكرانيا

YouTube video by AlQahera News - القاهرة الإخبارية

youtu.be

🇫🇷 “France must lead on energy security—because no one else can.” ISRS’s Brigham McCown outlines why France is critical to securing Europe’s future at Les Rencontres Économiques in Aix. www.lesrencontreseconomiques.fr/en/debats-id... #EnergySecurity #Geopolitics #LesRencontresEconomiques #EU

Securing Europe’s Future: France’s Pivotal Role in Energy Security

Introduction When it comes to energy, finding common ground across Europe and within the European Union’s institutions can sometimes be challenging. This difficulty can be explained as the need to sim...

lesrencontreseconomiques.fr

Iran launched missiles at a U.S. base in Qatar. No casualties. Maximum message. Read the full breakdown from ISRS: www.isrs.ngo/fpb/iran-ret... #FlashpointBriefing #ISRS #Geostrategy

U.S. strikes Iran. Enrichment at 60% = no civilian use. This was about deterrence. ISRS Flashpoint Briefing: www.isrs.ngo/fpb/us-strik...

The ICC doesn't really even have the option to run email securely on-prem with Exchange anymore as MSFT phases it out. I just read this article from @davevenable.com on diversifying your dependencies and it sure feels relevant to the ICC right now: www.thecipherbrief.com/cyber-critic...

The Next War Won’t Target Cities, It Will Target Choke Points.

OPINION — In the age of strategic disruption, critical infrastructure is both the terrain and the target. The West’s optimization of systems for efficiency and scale has inadvertently created a landsc...

thecipherbrief.com

Henry Mance@henrymance.ft.com · last yr.

Huge implications from this: Microsoft cut off the email of the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, because of his work on Israel www.nytimes.com/2025/06/20/t...

New from ISRS Chair @davevenable.com for @thecipherbrief.bsky.social The next war won’t target cities, it will target chokepoints. Critical infrastructure is now the frontline of strategic disruption. Read why resilience is the new deterrence: 🔗 www.thecipherbrief.com/cyber-critic...