It's a rough business, from traveling the world scouting exotic locations to knowing the correct position of your trigger finger on your pistol to understanding how to clear a room in a hostage situation. And all of that comes before your fingers even hit the keyboard. Join State Secrets Podcast host Suzanne Kelly as she welcomes spy writer extraordinaire Mark Greaney to talk about his latest book, The Hard Line, what he learned from writing with Tom Clancy and what actually goes into writing a best-selling spy novel.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.