Rational Security

President Obama makes one last pivot to Asia in an official visit. The United States kills the Taliban’s leader. And a State Department inspector general report scolds Hillary Clinton and others for their use of private email.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An EgyptAir jet crashes en route from Paris to Cairo, immediately sparking fears of terrorism. Hackers are targeting the presidential candidates’ campaigns. And the intelligence community may scrutinize social media accounts of people applying for security clearances. Plus, listener questions! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new study on “sextortion” reveals a widespread crime few people are talking about. Is a profile of presidential adviser Ben Rhodes a puff piece or a clever hit job? And president Obama faces a lawsuit over war powers from an unlikely source.    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump becomes the presumptive Republican nominee for president after an overwhelming primary victory in Indiana. Iraq and Syria are in meltdown—why is this time any worse? And the Supreme Court gives the thumbs up to new hacking powers for law enforcement.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The U.S. is ramping up cyber operations against ISIS. Anotherstandoff over the FBI’s access to a locked iPhone ends, but aremore fights around the corner? And the mystery of the curious habeas cases popping up at Guantanamo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lawmakers want to give families of the 9/11 victims the power to sue Saudi government officials, but the Obama administration says that’s a terrible idea. Syrian peace talks are in jeopardy of falling apart, but a ceasefire seems to be offering some reprieve. And Facebook swears it won’t try to rig the presidential election against Donald Trump. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...

A Navy officer is accused of spying, possibly for Taiwan and China. President Obama wades into the debate over how much government information should be classified. And a family in Kansas is trapped in a special kind of Internet hell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The hugely popular messaging system Whatsapp is now encrypting everything for 1 billion people. The financial shenanigans of the rich and powerful are laid bare in the Panama Papers, the biggest leak of all time. And Bernie Sanders has his own embarrassing interview with a newspaper editorial board.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The dispute between the FBI and Apple over a dead terrorist’s iPhone comes to an end, but new fights are just around the corner. Why did bombings in Pakistan and Iraq get so little attention compared to the attacks in Brussels? And the Justice Department indicts seven Iranians for allegedly launching cyber attacks on U.S. banks and a dam in New York.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mo...

Terrorists attack Brussels in a series of bombings. The FBI tells Apple, “Just kidding! We can maybe hack the iPhone after all.” And Donald Trump sits down with the Washington Post editorial board, and no one’s sure what he said.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Obama nominates Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. An American ISIS defector is in Kurdish custody. And major Web sites have been delivering malware to their readers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Republican national security experts declare Donald Trump unfit to be president. Who would actually advise a President Trump? And President Obama pulls back the curtain on the inner workings of his foreign policy. Plus, in Object Lessons, Ben and Tamara are on the road again.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A New York magistrate judge says the government can't force Apple to help the FBI extract information from an iPhone. Forty percent of analysts at the U.S. military's Central Command say the “integrity” of their reports is flawed. And Ben and the president of Estonia have a tweet-a-tweet about the going dark problem.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FBI Director Jim Comey bites into Apple. The Obama administration unveils its plan for closing Guantanamo. And the Homeland Security Department will start scouring social media for warning signs of violent extremism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We join our friends at the Steptoe Cyberlaw Podcast and the Lawfare Podcast for a evening of national security discussion, food, alcohol, and live audience questions. We go to town on the news about Apple. We talk about a new movie about Stuxnet on steroids. And we counter some violent extremism.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could things get worse in Syria? Oh yes! The U.S. brings charges against an ISIS member in the death of an American hostage. And Republicans are divided over who supports waterboarding more.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The administration is revamping its efforts to staunch ISIS recruitment. The NSA makes the line between cyber attacks and defense even blurrier. And Ben has a plan to solve the going dark problem. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Arab Spring five years later. What have we learned about the future of peace and stability in the region? Who is the mysterious fourth American hostage freed by Iran? And the next wave of surveillance reform is coming for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Four Americans are freed in a prisoner swap with Iran. Twitter is facing a lawsuit over jihadist messages posted on the site. And Secretary of Defense Ash Carter is cracking down on...everybody!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Obama delivers his final State of the Union address. And Iran delivers ten sailors back into U.S. custody after briefly detaining them. Plus, in Object Lessons, leadership...what does it smell like?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kim Jong-un says North Korea tested a hydrogen bomb. The Russians may have caused a blackout in Ukraine with a cyber attack. And President Obama plans to do a lot of foreign travel in his final year in office.  Plus, in Object Lessons, why are embassies sending out such crappy holiday gifts?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast, the gang wraps up the year that was 2015. What were the most important stories of the year? And what's the big story we'll all be talking about in 2016? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

GOP presidential candidates debate foreign policy and dare each other to carpet bomb the hell out of the Islamic State. And are the Saudis finally ready to get serious and take on ISIS? Special guest Will McCants joins the podcast this week.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Barack Obama tries to reassure the nation that ISIS is not winning. Donald Trump has a different plan to keep America safe. And John Kerry is so over the Middle East peace process.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Obama is sending 200 more special operations forces to Iraq to combat ISIS. China seems to be hacking the U.S. less. And a Taliban ally is holding an American man hostage.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.