February 12, 2026
In this episode of Local to global: The power of small business, host JJ Ramberg sits down with Shamina Singh, Founder & President of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, and Brian Cute, Interim CEO and Director of Capacity & Resilience at the Global Cyber Alliance, to explore what Southeast Asia’s fast-growing digital economy reveals about the cybersecurity challenges facing micro, small and medium-sized businesses everywhere.
Together, they unpack what cyber-risk looks like on the ground, from phishing, ransomware, and malware to low-tech scams like QR-code sticker switching. They also examine why the damage rarely stays local; when a small supplier gets hit, disruptions can cascade through regional networks and even global supply chains.
The good news is that their collaboration in Southeast Asia is also surfacing solutions that the rest of the world can borrow. Singh and Cute share what works, including public-private partnerships that deliver practical toolkits, localized training, and basic cyber hygiene that businesses can adopt, especially as AI-driven fraud and deepfakes make scams harder to spot.
“Local to global: The power of small business” is a podcast series from GZERO Media's Blue Circle Studios and Mastercard, exploring why small businesses are poised to play an even bigger role in the future of the global economy.
More For You
TOKYO, JAPAN - FEBRUARY 8: Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), places a red paper rose on the name of an elected candidate at the LDP headquarters on general election day on February 08, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. Voters across the country headed to polls today as Japan's Lower House election was held.
Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon - Pool/Getty Images
When Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called snap elections last month, it was a big gamble. Holding a winter election just four months into her tenure with no real policy record to run on?
Most Popular
What's Good Wednesdays
What’s Good Wednesdays™, February 11, 2026
Sponsored posts
Football wins, local economy scores
Walmart sponsored posts
Walmart’s $1 billion investment is strengthening associate careers
Tune in on Saturday, February 14th at 12pm ET/6pm CET for the live premiere of our Global Stage from the 2026 Munich Security Conference, where our panel of experts takes aim at the latest global security challenges.
Microsoft unveiled a new set of commitments guiding its community‑first approach to AI infrastructure development. The strategy focuses on energy affordability, water efficiency, job creation, local investment, and AI‑driven skilling. As demand for digital infrastructure accelerates, the company is pushing a new model for responsible datacenter growth — one built on sustainability, economic mobility, and long‑term partnership with the communities that host it. The move signals how AI infrastructure is reshaping local economies and what people expect from the tech shaping their future. Read the full blog here.
Armed Israeli soldiers walk through an alley in the Old City of Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, on February 7, 2026. The Israeli army routinely secures routes and gathering points when settlers visit the city.
Photo by Mosab Shawer/Middle East Images/StringersHub/Sipa USA
The Israeli government unilaterally passed measures that allow Jewish settlers to purchase land in the West Bank, overriding past laws that effectively banned the sale of property there to anyone other than Palestinian residents.
© 2025 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group media company.
