Ignite on Tour London 2025: Last week, Palo Alto Networks rolled into Magazine London for Ignite on Tour 2025, and honestly, it had a bit of everything — big ideas, real talk, hands-on labs, and a ton of sharp people swapping notes on what’s actually working in cybersecurity right now.
Alistair Wildman opened the day, setting the tone with a keynote about how AI is no longer just a buzzword — it’s here, it’s in the trenches, and it’s making a difference in how we fight increasingly complex threats. It wasn’t all high-level strategy either; Alistair pointed out some very real use cases where automation is freeing up SOC teams and letting them stay ahead of the curve.
Later, Nava Ramanan from the Ministry of Justice delivered a standout session. What stuck with most people was this simple but powerful message: “Security can actually help drive growth and innovation — it’s not just a defensive play.” You could tell this one resonated, especially with folks from highly regulated industries trying to move fast without breaking things.
A major theme threading through the entire event — AI as a game-changer in cybersecurity — took center stage during the panel featuring Meerah Rajavel, Rob Hale, Jitender Arora, Martin Jimmick, and Katy Fairchild, skillfully moderated by Sam Ainscow.
The panel didn’t just echo the AI buzz from the morning keynotes; it put it under a microscope. These business and security leaders dug deep into how AI is being operationalized at the leadership level — not just in the SOC, but across strategy, governance, and risk management. Conversations covered everything from leveraging AI to reduce SOC fatigue and increase threat detection speed, to addressing the board’s concerns about AI-driven decision-making and automation.
What made this panel click was the honesty: no silver bullets, just real-life challenges and how organizations are pragmatically adopting AI to boost security while staying aligned with business goals. It was clear that while AI is reshaping security operations, its success hinges on executive alignment and trust.
There were a few breakout sessions that people kept buzzing about during coffee breaks:
The AI-powered SOC deep dive: This one felt super relevant, especially for teams who are drowning in alerts. There were solid examples of AI reducing noise and focusing on real threats.
Zero Trust but make it real: Instead of just theory, this breakout got into the nitty-gritty of how organizations are actually rolling out Zero Trust models — warts and all. Lots of practical lessons.
Cloud-native security in hybrid environments: Given how messy cloud estates can get, this was a pretty honest conversation about what securing multicloud setups really looks like when the rubber meets the road.
What stood out was how grounded most of the sessions were. Sure, there were product demos (Cortex XSIAM, Prisma Cloud, etc.), but this didn’t feel like a sales-heavy event. It was more of a "we’re all in this together" atmosphere — lots of practitioners sharing battle scars, talking shop, and getting into the weeds.
To close things out, Baroness Karren Brady took the stage and delivered what many called one of the most inspiring sessions of the day. Known for her sharp business acumen and leadership on and off the field (yes, The Apprentice fans, you know), she spoke about resilience, leading through change, and how to balance risk and ambition with personal life — themes that hit home for a room full of security and tech leaders constantly navigating uncertainty.
Her session wasn’t just motivational fluff; it tied directly into how leadership plays a crucial role in building strong, security-first cultures inside organizations.
Ignite London 2025 wasn’t just a showcase for Palo Alto Networks — it felt like a legit meetup of security folks who are trying to stay ahead in a fast-moving space. Magazine London was a great venue — big open spaces and a riverside view that didn’t hurt.
Beyond the scheduled sessions, many attendees found immense value in spontaneous hallway conversations, where they exchanged war stories and solutions to common challenges. If you missed it, they’re planning more stops around the globe this year!
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