From Cloud to AI: Engineering Next-Gen Data Centers

More from Cache Me If You Can All episodes →

1. 

   3 Jun 2026 · 36 min

   U.S. Cyber Force: Building a Service for the Digital Battlefield

   In this special edition of Cache Me if You Can, we explore the evolving cyber threat landscape facing the United States and what it would actually look like to stand up a dedicated U.S. Cyber Force. As cyberattacks on critical infrastructure become more frequent and sophisticated, questions around how the Pentagon organizes, trains, and equips cyber operators have become increasingly urgent. From state-backed operations like SolarWinds and Salt Typhoon to the rapid rise of AI-enabled cyber capabilities, the current force generation model is being tested by the demands of modern conflict in…

2. 

   20 May 2026 · 34 min

   Europe’s Cyber Deterrence Dilemma: Countering Russia in the Gray Zone

   In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we explore how cyber conflict and hybrid warfare are reshaping the European security landscape. As Russian operations increasingly blur the line between peace and war, Europe faces mounting pressure to rethink how it approaches deterrence, resilience, and competition in the digital age. Our guest, Dr. Alexander Klimburg, joins us to discuss his recent report, Enter Europe’s Cyber Deterrence, and unpack the evolving nature of Russian hybrid campaigns. We examine how cyber operations, disinformation, sabotage, and information warfare work together to…

3. 

   6 May 2026 · 24 min

   Innovation to Deployment: Fixing the Pentagon’s Acquisition Gap

   In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we examine a core challenge at the heart of U.S. technology competition: the Pentagon’s struggle to procure and field emerging technologies at the speed of innovation. Our guest, Jerry McGinn, joins us to unpack the Department of Defense’s latest push to transform its acquisition system, an effort aimed at accelerating how the military identifies, buys, and deploys capabilities in areas like AI, cyber, and autonomous systems. We explore why traditional procurement processes, built for slow-moving hardware programs, are ill-suited for today’s…

4. 

   22 Apr 2026 · 28 min

   SpaceX vs. Huawei: Innovation, Power, and the New Tech Rivalry

   In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we examine how two of the world’s most influential companies, SpaceX and Huawei, are increasingly shaping the trajectory of global technology competition. Once operating in entirely separate domains, space infrastructure and telecommunications, these firms are now converging across critical frontiers, including AI, connectivity, and data ecosystems. Our guest, Eva Dou, is an award-winning journalist and the author of House of Huawei. Drawing on years of reporting on China’s political economy and technology sector, Eva unpacks how Huawei’s rise and its…

5. 

   1 Apr 2026 · 31 min

   Iran’s Cyber Threat: What’s Real, What’s Noise and What Comes Ahead

   In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we examine Iran’s evolving cyber strategy and what recent activity reveals about the role of cyberspace in modern conflict. While headlines often highlight disruptive attacks and hacktivist activity, the reality of Iran’s cyber operations is more complex—blending state-backed actors, proxy groups, and information campaigns to shape perceptions, signal resolve, and complement activity across other domains. Our guests, Lauryn Williams, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow with the Strategic Technologies Program at CSIS; Dr. Nikita Shah, Senior Fellow with…

6. 

   18 Feb 2026 · 37 min

   Beyond the Cloud: The Future of Data Centers

   In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we go beneath the cloud to examine the physical infrastructure powering today’s digital economy: data centers. As demand for cloud services, AI workloads, and high-performance computing accelerates, data centers have become critical national assets—while also emerging as flashpoints for debates over energy use, land, labor, and local governance. Our guest, Chris Kimm, former Senior Vice President at Equinix, brings decades of experience operating and scaling global data center infrastructure at the intersection of technology, customers, and public…

7. 

   4 Feb 2026 · 10 min

   Sovereign Cloud and Sovereign AI, Explained

   In this special Cache Me If You Can episode, we bring you a CSIS event featuring Matt Pearl, Director of the Strategic Technologies Program, in conversation with Bill Whyman, Senior Advisor with CSIS Strategic Technologies and author of the new CSIS paper Sovereign Cloud–Sovereign AI Conundrum: Policy Actions to Achieve Prosperity and Security. The discussion explores the global push for sovereign cloud and sovereign AI, as well as the difficult tradeoffs governments face as they seek greater control over data, compute, and cloud infrastructure. Matt and Bill break down what cloud computing…

8. 

   21 Jan 2026 · 26 min

   Quantum Statecraft: Policy, Power, and the Next Tech Frontier

   In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we dive into quantum technology and why it’s quickly becoming one of the most consequential frontiers in U.S.-China strategic competition. Once confined to research labs and academic theory, quantum is now moving toward real-world applications that could reshape cybersecurity, intelligence collection, advanced sensing, and the global balance of power. Our guest, Dr. James (Jim) Lewis, former director of the Strategic Technologies Program at CSIS, draws on decades of experience spanning cyber policy, export controls, and high-tech competition with China…

9. 

   7 Jan 2026 · 30 min

   Space in the Digital Era: Security, Competition, and Governance Beyond Earth

   In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we explore how space has become a central arena for geopolitical competition, economic activity, and national security in the digital age. Once dominated by government-led exploration, space, particularly low Earth orbit, is now crowded with commercial actors, new technologies, and emerging security risks that challenge existing rules and norms. Our guest, Audrey M. Schaffer, senior vice president of global policy and government strategy at Slingshot Aerospace and former director for space policy at the National Security Council, draws on her…

10. 

    17 Dec 2025 · 29 min

    The Global Rulebook: Competing Visions for Tech Governance

    In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we examine how governments around the world are shaping the rules of the digital age. From the United States’ market-driven approach to the European Union’s rights-based frameworks, competing models of tech governance are redefining innovation, privacy, and security. Our guest, Shane Tews, nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and president of Logan Circle Strategies, draws on her experience across government, industry, and global internet governance to unpack debates over encryption, lawful access, and emerging technologies…