Cyber risk in 2026 is no longer a future concern or an IT‑only issue — it is a material business and financial risk that finance leaders are expected to understand, govern, and respond to.

Threat actors are operating faster and at greater scale, increasingly leveraging AI to automate, target, and personalize attacks. At the same time, organizations are introducing AI tools across finance and operations, often without fully appreciating the new risks those systems create — from data exposure to decision‑making accountability.

This is unfolding alongside heightened global instability. Geopolitical tension has accelerated nation‑state cyber activity and special‑interest attacks, expanding both the frequency and impact of incidents across organizations of all sizes.

Regulators are responding in kind. Emerging requirements — including Bill C‑8 (Cybersecurity Act) — reflect a clear shift: executive and financial leaders are now expected to understand cyber exposure, oversee preparedness, and lead with transparency when incidents occur.

This session connects these realities through a finance‑leader lens. It is not technical and not theoretical. The focus is on what CFOs, controllers, and CPAs need to be thinking about now to manage risk, protect enterprise value, and navigate the year ahead with confidence.

What You Will Learn

Participants will gain practical insight into:

• How threat actors are using AI in 2026 — and why this has fundamentally changed the speed, scale, and impact of cyber incidents
• The less visible risks created by AI tools already operating inside organizations
• How geopolitical instability is driving increased nation‑state and special‑interest cyber activity
• What emerging regulations, including Bill C‑8, signal about leadership responsibility and accountability
• Where finance leaders should focus to reduce exposure, strengthen resilience, and support informed decision‑making