Cyber & Fraud Centre Scotland adds AI board session

Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland has partnered with Kallidin to add an artificial intelligence session to its Cyber Executive Education Programme, expanding training for senior leaders on cyber security and fraud risk.

The new module was introduced after participants reported growing concern about AI’s effect on organisational risk. Kallidin will deliver it as part of the one-day courses for Chief Executive Officers, directors and Non-Executive Directors.

The existing programme covers legal and regulatory responsibilities, cyber threat intelligence, crisis communications and incident response. The new AI session adds a strand focused on how business leaders should assess both the opportunities and risks created by the technology.

AI module focus

Kallidin’s session, titled “Data and AI: The Sword and the Shield”, will examine AI as both a business tool and an operational risk. Topics include shadow AI use within organisations, supplier and vendor AI risk, data governance, and steps leaders can take to adopt AI securely.

The change reflects a broader shift in boardroom priorities as companies face pressure to respond to fast-moving AI developments. Senior executives are also dealing with a rise in cyber incidents involving AI, alongside growing concern over how employees, suppliers and attackers are using the technology.

Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland is an Edinburgh-based cyber social enterprise. Kallidin is an AI and data consultancy founded earlier this year by John Brodie, Warwick Beresford-Jones and Samuel Riddington.

Leadership guidance

“AI is rapidly changing the way organisations operate, creating significant opportunities for innovation and growth. However, it is also introducing new risks that boards and senior leadership teams cannot afford to ignore. The feedback from our Executive Education Programme participants was clear: they want balanced guidance on AI that cuts through the hype. Too often, the volume of competing opinions and headlines leaves leaders unsure where to start. This new session will help leaders understand both the opportunities and the threats, while reinforcing that the foundations of good cyber security remain just as important as ever. We’re delighted to bring Kallidin into the programme. Their deep expertise in data science and AI, combined with their no-nonsense approach, makes them an ideal partner to help executives build confidence and capability in this rapidly evolving area,” said Jude McCorry, Chief Executive Officer, Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland.

McCorry is Chief Executive Officer of Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland.

The programme is designed as executive-level training rather than technical instruction. It focuses on governance, oversight and decision-making, an area that has become more urgent as AI tools move into day-to-day business processes without always being subject to clear controls.

Kallidin said one of the main obstacles to successful AI adoption is that many organisations struggle to move projects into wider use. The consultancy was created to tackle stalled deployments by addressing data bottlenecks and helping companies prepare internal systems and teams for AI initiatives.

That position aligns closely with the themes covered in the new session. Issues such as shadow AI, supplier exposure and data governance have become central concerns for boards trying to understand where responsibility for AI sits and how risks should be managed across the business.

Boardroom shift

“For boards and executive teams, the question is no longer whether AI will reshape their organisation – it’s whether they will lead that change or be forced to react to it. Many organisations are already experiencing the realities of AI adoption, whether that’s employees using AI tools without oversight, increasing pressure from customers and suppliers, or growing expectations around productivity and innovation. At the same time, cyber criminals are leveraging AI to scale and enhance their attacks. Our goal is to provide leaders with a practical understanding of where the real risks lie, where the opportunities exist, and what actions they should be taking now,” said John Brodie, Co-founder, Kallidin.

The addition of the AI module suggests executive cyber education is widening beyond security controls and incident response to include strategic questions about emerging technology. It also points to rising demand from boards for practical guidance on how AI affects governance, risk management and organisational resilience.

For Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland, the partnership adds AI-specific content to an established programme focused on helping senior decision-makers understand cyber and fraud responsibilities. For Kallidin, it puts the consultancy in front of leaders seeking advice on how to address AI-related risk without losing sight of existing security fundamentals.