Protecting your organisation from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats is critical to preventing an operational and financial crisis. Malicious actors are taking advantage of rapid digitisation, from state-sponsored hackers to criminal syndicates, endangering public trust and financial stability. Efforts to safeguard systems are still dispersed, with unclear roles for governments, regulators, and industry, despite the obvious and immediate threat.

The goal of this session is to share ideas to strengthen an institutions' defences against cyberattacks through proactive defence tactics, increased cyber resilience, and international collaboration. I’ll also provide practical ways to close the cybersecurity gap, fortify regulatory frameworks, and provide reassurance that Security Practitioners can be the stable pillar of an institute in a world that is becoming increasingly digital.

Financial institutions are under increasing pressure to improve their cybersecurity posture as cyber threats rise in sophistication and size. This is necessary to meet increasingly stringent regulatory requirements as well as to safeguard sensitive assets. The threat landscape is changing quickly, revealing weaknesses in financial systems from ransomware and phishing schemes to insider threats and AI-driven attack vectors. The regulatory bar continues to rise, with institutions facing a complex array of requirements such as the FCA's Operational Resilience Framework, GDPR, and new laws like the EU AI Act and the UK Government's AI Opportunities Action Plan. Cybersecurity must now be completely integrated into corporate governance and business strategy; it can no longer be seen as a separate IT function in this context.

The goal of this session is to suggest recommendations on how CISOs and governance executives can foster a top-down culture of cyber resilience, as well as practical tips for implementing proactive measures against internal and external threats, ensuring board-level accountability, and coordinating.

Organisations encounter considerable challenges in achieving the full potential of AI as its adoption picks up speed. Challenges such as outdated IT architectures, fragmented data ecosystems, regulatory complexities, and organizational resistance often prevent AI initiatives from scaling beyond isolated pilot projects. To drive meaningful business impact, AI must be embedded into core operational and strategic frameworks rather than confined to experimental use cases. This requires a holistic Change Management approach that aligns people, processes, and platforms while ensuring AI systems remain ethical, transparent, and compliant with evolving global regulations like GDPR and the EU AI Act. Additionally, organizations must address concerns around data quality, governance, and security to build AI models that are not only innovative but also trustworthy.

The goal of this session is to outline strategies for integrating AI across the enterprise, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and overcoming technical and cultural barriers to unlock the full potential of AI-driven transformation.