Growth

The majority of crimes today have a digital footprint and technology both enables crimes to occur and for law enforcement to work, creating an ever changing and more complex relationship between the two in a race for one to always be at least two steps ahead of the other.  

Fast moving digital technology has helped create a new genre of criminals who are educated, tech savvy and can sell their skills for nefarious purposes. The ever-growing issue of serious and organised crime depends on sophisticated technology linking a variety of criminal activities, including child sexual abuse and exploitation, people trafficking, and drug smuggling, making the perpetrators harder to trace. 

The increasing use of AI by criminal gangs makes detection ever harder and as a criminal tool, AI can be used for purposes like intimation, humiliation, and harassment. Criminals will use AI tools like ChatGPT for writing assistance, allowing inexperienced writers to craft effective marketing messages that lure in potential victims of so-called romance fraud and can also be responsible for encouraging murderous acts and radicalisation.  

For the law enforcers too, AI can become a powerful tool in predictive policing and assist in forensic data analysis and testing the parameters of privacy and data protection.  

The borderless nature of technology-driven crime also creates new practical and legislative obstacles for those tasked with law enforcement and how they collaborate in the name of justice.  

This annual Holyrood ‘Law Enforcement in a Digital Age’ event builds on what we learnt from the inaugural event shaped around last year’s INTERPOL General Assembly and will explore the main issues that digital technology brings to both enabling crime and fighting it. 

This is a physical/online conference supported by Trust4Futures programme which will cover areas of expertise in digital trust, and will run on Tuesday, 24 June 2025 in Edinburgh and Istanbul. It also co-hosts the Scottish Blockchain Summit.

9:45-10:00: TRUST4Futures

10:00- 10:30 Keynote: AI and Cyber

10:30-11:15: Fireside chat: Federico Charosky, Quorum Cyber

11:15-11:30 Deep Tech Skills in Digital Trust

11:30-12:00 Innovation Demonstration: Homomorphic Encryption and Privacy-aware ML

12:00-12:30 Innovation Demonstration: Post Quantum Cryptography and Zero Knowledge Methods

12:30-13:00:The Future of Cybersecurity, Derek A Whigham, Lloyds Bank

13:00-14:00 Lunch

14:00-14:30 Trusted Data Sharing Platforms, Amit Gupta, Acubed.IT

14:30-15:00 Cybersecurity and Quantum Computing, Madjid Tehrani, ENU

15:00-15:30 Cybersecurity, AI and The Future

15:30-15:45 Coffee break

15:45-16:30: Fireside chat: Bruce Schneier

Join leading voices from government, enterprise, and energy as we explore how blockchain is transforming financial services, public sector infrastructure, and green energy in Scotland.

The Scottish Blockchain Summit brings together thought leaders, policymakers, and innovators for a high-impact, one-day experience. This complimentary event will explore how blockchain is reshaping finance, enabling transparent public services, and accelerating Scotland’s green transition.

Backed by the Scotland Blockchain & Digital Trust Taskforce (SBDTT) and produced by the team behind the London Blockchain Conference, this summit shines a spotlight on local success stories and global breakthroughs — all with Scotland’s innovation agenda in mind.