Episode 350: The Human Blind Spot in Cybersecurity with Robert Siciliano

In this episode, we host Robert Siciliano to examine why the biggest vulnerability in cybersecurity is so often not the technology, but the people using it. Drawing on decades of work in fraud prevention, identity protection, and security awareness, Robert argues that most organisations still treat cyber risk as a compliance issue rather than a human one….

Episode 349: Latin America’s Violence Economy: Inequality, Growth, and State Capacity with Irvin Waller

In this episode of The International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen speaks with Irvin Waller about the often-overlooked role of interpersonal violence as a driver of international risk. While violence is frequently treated as a domestic issue, this conversation explores how high levels of homicide and violent crime can shape economic performance, weaken governance, and contribute…

Episode 348: Disinformation as Risk: Trust, Markets, and Influence

This episode with Thomas Barton, founder of the Council for Countering Online Disinformation (CCOD), explores the growing threat of online disinformation, examining how it has evolved from a political and media issue into a systemic risk for markets, institutions, and businesses. We discuss the often-overlooked domestic drivers of disinformation, how false narratives spread through financial…

Episode 347: Cartels, State Power, and Security in Mexico with David Mora

This episode with David Mora examines the evolving landscape of organised crime in Mexico, moving beyond narratives focused solely on drug trafficking to explore the broader systems of control, violence, and economic extraction that underpin cartel activity. We discuss how criminal groups have diversified across sectors, why strategies targeting cartel leaders have often led to fragmentation rather…

Episode 346: Life on the Frontier: Kaliningrad and the New Geography of European Security

In this episode, we host Dr Stanislaw Domaniewski to explore life on Europe’s eastern borders, focusing on Kaliningrad, the Polish-Russian frontier, and the politics of the European Union’s external edge. Drawing on his work on cross-border cooperation, border mobility, and the lived experience of border communities, Dr Domaniewski explains why these regions matter far beyond lines on…

Episode 345 The AI Bet: Huge Investment, Job Cuts, and Uncertain Returns

Today on The International Risk Podcast, we turn to the accelerating transformation of the global economy through artificial intelligence. Firms are making aggressive bets on future demand, and mid-market companies are grappling with rising costs, limited visibility, and mounting pressure to prove ROI. To help us make sense of this, we’re joined by Craig Unsworth, a…

Episode 344: Israel’s Dahiyeh Doctrine Returns to Lebanon with Paul Hefel-James

Today on The International Risk Podcast, we turn to Lebanon, where Israel’s invasion, the subsequent displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians, and political fracture are colliding in ways that could reshape Lebanon for years. As the conflict on the Lebanese front deepens, the questions are no longer just about ceasefires or border tensions, but…

Episode 343: Canada’s Defence Dilemma: Sovereignty, NATO, and the U.S. Alliance

In this episode, we host Norman Leach to explore whether Canada is entering a new era in defence policy. Drawing on his background in military history, defence commentary, and international business, Norman examines the deeper strategic questions now facing Ottawa: how sovereign Canadian defence policy really is, how far Canada can afford to depend on…

Episode 342: You Can’t Kill an Idea: War, Power and 40 Years as a Foreign Correspondent with Humphrey Hawksley

The global landscape feels increasingly unsettled. Conflict in the Middle East, Sudan and Ukraine to wider geoplitical, technological and climatic shifts, the world is going though a period of rapid change. At the same time, the nature of conflict and the way it’s reported has changed dramatically over the past few decades. So today we’re…

Episode 340: Iran Escalates: How Geopolitical Shock Becomes Organisational Crisis with K. Campbell

In this episode, we host K. Campbell to examine how the escalating conflict with Iran should be understood not only as a military confrontation but as a wider risk event with implications for shipping, supply chains, critical infrastructure, and corporate decision-making. Drawing on his background in intelligence and security risk management, Campbell explains why the key escalation…