To Fight Ransomware, Turn to Incident Response Professionals
The UK Home Office is consulting on a ban on ransomware payments for public‑sector bodies and critical national infrastructure, alongside a broader payment‑prevention regime and mandatory incident‑reporting. Critics argue the proposal could leave under‑resourced firms tangled in legal hoops while criminals continue to profit. They recommend integrating accredited cyber incident‑response providers to guide victims, negotiate payments and supply intelligence. A two‑track system—market‑accredited responders or a 72‑hour government review—aims to preserve oversight while speeding recovery.
The West’s Ukraine Sanctions Strategy Has Lost Its Way
Western allies initially prepared a sweeping maritime ban on Russian crude, aiming to choke the Kremlin’s oil revenues. The sudden escalation of the Israel‑Iran conflict pushed Brent crude from $65 to roughly $100 per barrel, reviving global energy concerns and...
Europe’s AML Package: A Strong Framework at the Wrong Time?
The EU adopted a sweeping Anti‑Money Laundering Package in May 2024, creating a single AML regulation, a new directive and the Anti‑Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) based in Frankfurt. The framework expands oversight to 40 high‑risk cross‑border institutions and extends the crypto...
How North Korea Is Modernising Its Defence
North Korea is accelerating a comprehensive defence modernisation driven by combat experience in Ukraine and a deepening technology partnership with Russia. Korean People’s Army units have integrated reconnaissance drones into artillery fire‑control, slashing sensor‑to‑shooter cycles from hours to minutes. Russian...
NATO’s Rutte Is Doing a Tough Job. Europeans Should Help
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is meeting President Donald Trump in Washington as the alliance prepares for its July summit in Ankara. Rutte’s behind‑the‑scenes diplomacy aims to blunt Trump’s criticism of NATO, secure continued U.S. arms for Ukraine, and rally...
Corporations Must Re-Learn How to Be Geopolitical Actors
Executives who rose after the Cold War now confront a world where geopolitical instability dominates corporate risk assessments. A McKinsey survey shows 59% of CEOs rank geopolitics as the top threat to growth, eclipsing trade policy, inflation and domestic politics....
Crypto Moratorium Is the Right Starting Point for Political Finance Reform
The UK government has introduced a temporary moratorium on cryptocurrency donations to political parties, acting on the Rycroft Review’s recommendations. The move targets growing concerns that crypto can mask foreign financial interference in UK politics. While critics argue the measure...
Four Alternative End States in Iran – the Only Good One Becomes Unlikely
U.S. and Israeli air strikes have crippled Iran's missile and nuclear sites but failed to achieve a decisive regime change. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has demonstrated a resilient “mosaic defence” that keeps the state intact, steering the outcome...
UN Norms: Tackling the Rise of Cyber Capabilities
The UN Open‑Ended Working Group (OEWG) wrapped up its 2025 cycle, reaffirming the 2015 GGE’s eleven cyber norms but delivering few fresh agreements. A new permanent Global Mechanism has been created to keep multilateral dialogue on state behaviour in cyberspace...
Who Pays the Price for Managing China-Related Risks in UK Universities?
The UK’s heightened focus on Chinese espionage has pushed universities into the front line of national‑security risk management. MI5’s February 2026 warning to over 70 vice‑chancellors highlighted pressures ranging from self‑censorship to exclusive funding and dual‑use technology transfers. At the...
Over 11,000 Munitions in 16 Days of the Iran War: ‘Command of the Reload’ Governs Endurance
In the first 16 days of the Iran conflict, coalition forces have expended 11,294 advanced munitions, costing roughly $26 billion. The rapid consumption has sharply depleted high‑end interceptors, long‑range strike missiles and sensor‑command assets, leaving critical stockpiles vulnerable. Industrial bottlenecks—particularly in...
The Strait of Hormuz Problem: What ‘Securing’ the Waterway Actually Requires
Iran has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz by using missile and drone attacks that have slashed commercial traffic by roughly 90%, while still allowing a limited flow of Iranian‑flagged vessels and a few Greek‑linked tankers. The United States has...
The Threat No One Is Talking About in Iran
Iran has covertly integrated an offensive biological weapons programme into civilian research institutes such as the Razi and Pasteur Institutes, recruiting former Soviet bioweapons scientists. Recent U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have heightened concerns that damage, abandonment or theft...
Is the UK About to See SOE Reborn? Think Again
In December 2025, new SIS chief Blaise Metreweli invoked the World War II Special Operations Executive (SOE) while outlining a more aggressive, effects‑based posture for the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service. The speech sparked speculation that SIS might revive sabotage‑style operations to...
Lessons From the French Army’s Transformation Towards a Modern ‘Fighting Army’
France’s Army is reshaping into a high‑readiness "Fighting Army" under the €413 billion LPM 2024‑2030 and the SCORPION programme, shifting from counter‑terrorism to peer‑conflict preparation. The reform delivers over 1,100 new vehicle variants, decentralises command to brigade level and targets a two‑brigade...
