Commercial Ascendancy in Space: Navigating the Nexus of Innovation and Security

Commercial Ascendancy in Space: Navigating the Nexus of Innovation and Security

The ascent of commercial enterprises in space has redefined the contours of global exploration, propelling technological frontiers while casting intricate challenges to international security. No longer the sole province of state actors, the orbital domain now thrums with private ventures deploying vast satellite networks and envisioning extraterrestrial habitats. This transformation, however, invites a pressing question:…

Episode 241: Is the Growing Role Of Commercial Entities in Space a Security Threat with Almudena Azcárate Ortega

This week on The International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen is joined by Almudena Azcárate Ortega to explore the rising role of commercial entities like Starlink in space security. Many commercially operated systems are dual-use, intermingling civilian and military services in manners that are often ambiguous and can heighten tensions, raising questions about targetability and the…

Almudena Azcárate Ortega 

Almudena Azcárate Ortega 

Almudena Azcárate Ortega is the lead Space Security Researcher at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). She has published widely and briefed UN Member States on the topics of space security law and policy and has presented her research in multiple fora. She has led UNIDIR’s participation in several multilateral discussions, including the 2022-2023…

Interference in Orbit: Legal Ambiguity, Strategic Risk, and the Future of Space Governance

Interference in Orbit: Legal Ambiguity, Strategic Risk, and the Future of Space Governance

In an increasingly congested and contested domain, the question of whether interference with satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constitutes an act of war is no longer theoretical. The proliferation of satellite constellations, the strategic entanglement of civilian and military uses, and the rise of ambiguous state behaviour in orbit have created an unstable environment…

Kai-Uwe Schrogl

Kai-Uwe Schrogl

Professor Dr. Kai-Uwe Schrogl is the President of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL), the global association of space lawyers from more than 50 countries on all continents. He served from 2014 to 2016 as chair of the Legal Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) and was from…

Episode 231: Whether Interference with Satellites in LEO is Act of War with Kai-Uwe Schrogl

This week on The International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen speaks with Dr. Kai-Uwe Schrogl, one of the world’s leading experts on international space policy and the former Chair of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space Legal Subcommittee. In this critical episode, they explore the growing risks in Low Earth Orbit…

Fraud in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Innovation, Exploitation, and the Future of Financial Risk

Fraud in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Innovation, Exploitation, and the Future of Financial Risk

In the rapidly digitizing global economy, fraud has emerged not merely as a persistent nuisance but as a transformative and persistently international risk. The convergence of digital payments, mobile banking, and artificial intelligence has enabled new efficiencies for consumers and businesses alike, but it has also created fertile ground for exploitation. In 2024, global losses…

Jason Costain

Jason Costain

Jason Costain is a fraud trouble-shooter and the founder of Javloc.com, a boutique fraud consultancy that provides specialist fraud advice. Jason has spent 30 years fighting fraud; building and leading successful banking fraud defence teams for some of the world’s biggest banks. Jason specialises in fraud defence systems, scam prevention, biometric authentication, big data and…

Episode 227: Fraud and KYC with Jason Costain

This week on The International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen speaks with Jason Costain, one of the UK’s leading fraud strategists and the founder of Javloc, a specialist consultancy in financial crime prevention. In this deep-dive episode, they examine the accelerating threat landscape shaped by fraud, artificial intelligence, and the unintended consequences of digital innovation. From…