The ITPro Podcast

Digital sovereignty has quietly become one of the most urgent requirements in the tech sector. Once a matter for policy debate, this is now a critical business issue and as much a matter of resilience as one of compliance.Indeed while we’ve spoken about the need for digital sovereignty before, recent geopolitical developments have cast the debate in far starker light. With European governments and businesses leaning heavily into digital sovereignty, it’s clear there’s an emerging race to secure critical workloads.Just how important will digital sovereignty be in 2026?In this episode, Jane and Rory discuss all things digital sovereignty – how it’s being realized, the scale of the transformation, and how we could see things play out.Read more:Sovereign infrastructure spend to triple in Europe as fifth of workloads stay localWhat is a sovereign cloud?Sovereign cloud services are now the “bare minimum” expected by customers, and hyperscalers are scrambling to meet demandWhat the new AWS European Sovereign Cloud means for enterprisesWhat the new Microsoft Sovereign Cloud push means for European customersCIOs wrestle with Europe's new digital sovereignty approachCan the UK achieve AI sovereignty?

This episode was first published on 18 July 2025.Cyber attacks can feel a layer detached from the real world. Yes, businesses frequently see IP stolen, get frozen out of systems, or have data wiped by malicious actors. But if you haven’t got your finger on the pulse, cyber attacks can also fail to register in your day to day.But there are instances where cyber attacks come crashing into the lives of everyday people, and become impossible to ignore: when attackers go after critical infrastructure and operational technology. Breaches and malware attacks at power and water plants, against core supply chain organizations, or against transport networks can all cause catastrophic damage, enormous financial losses – and even lead to deaths.In this episode, Rory speaks with Magpie Graham, technical director of intel and services at Dragos, to discuss attacks on operational technology, critical infrastructure, and the future of large-scale cyber attacks.Read more:What is operational technology – and why is it at risk?Manufacturing firms are struggling to handle rising OT security threatsWhen everything connects, everything’s at riskFormer NCSC head says the Jaguar Land Rover attack was the 'single most financially damaging cyber event ever to hit the UK' as impact laid bareCISA shares lessons learned from Polish power grid hack – and how to prevent disaster striking again