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Disinformation defence to become enterprise imperative by 2027

Naushad K. Cherrayil
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Disinformation defence to become enterprise imperative by 2027
  • World Without Truth calls on CMOs and senior leadership to make disinformation resilience a boardroom concern, adopt industry-wide standards, and push for regulatory involvement.
  • Only those organisations that invest in disinformation defense and cultivate trust at every level are likely to maintain brand integrity in an era of rampant digital manipulation.
  • Book details how automated bot networks and sophisticated manipulation techniques can thrust global brands into viral crises within hours

By 2027, half of all enterprises are expected to invest in disinformation security and TrustOps strategies, a dramatic rise from less than 5% today, according to a new forecast from technology research and advisory firm Gartner, Inc.

The research—spotlighted in Gartner’s recently published book, World Without Truth—warns that the rapid spread of AI-driven misinformation and synthetic media is reshaping the stakes for brand management, reputation, and customer trust.

Digital deception: a new boardroom challenge

Co-authored by Gartner experts Andrew Frank, Dave Aron, and Richard Hunter, World Without Truth details how automated bot networks and sophisticated manipulation techniques can thrust global brands into viral crises within hours. “Marketers can no longer afford to treat disinformation as someone else’s problem,” Frank stated. He emphasised that the very integrity of corporate brands is now at risk, demanding a proactive, enterprise-wide response.

Strategic recommendations

The authors argue for a multi-pronged approach to disinformation defense:

  • Content Verification & Certification:
    Marketers must adopt verification standards like Content Credentials to verify the authenticity of digital assets and stave off the impact of deepfakes and synthetic media.
  • TrustOps & Cross-Functional Collaboration:
    Organizations are urged to develop TrustOps frameworks—a holistic approach to managing trust supported by operational policy, technology, and dedicated cross-functional teams. Trust Councils and transparency initiatives are key as distinguishing truth from deception becomes increasingly difficult.
  • Narrative Intelligence & Media Listening:
    Advanced narrative intelligence and media monitoring tools are essential for detecting and neutralizing emerging influence operations before they affect brand equity.
  • Behavioral Science & Nudging:
    By leveraging behavioral science, brands can foster healthy skepticism and critical thinking among both consumers and employees to build resilience against misinformation.

Frank underscored that disinformation is now “a marketing imperative,” not just a security or technology issue. As public trust in institutions wanes, even established brands face vulnerability to engineered outrage, with fake viral crises fueled by bots putting decades of customer loyalty at risk. Despite this, Gartner’s research reveals most organizations have yet to elevate this threat to a strategic priority.

Festive demand, AI boom drive India’s third-quarter PC sales

Mohammed Fahad
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Festive demand, AI boom drive India’s third-quarter PC sales
  • Next-generation AI notebooks break new ground, crosses the 100,000-unit threshold in a single quarter for the first time.
  • AI-enabled notebooks steal the spotlight, with shipments skyrocketing by 126.5% year on year.
  • HP retains market leadership with a 26.6% overall share, followed by Lenovo with 18% and Acer with 15%.

India’s traditional PC market soared to new heights in third quarter of 2025, achieving its highest-ever quarterly shipments at 4.9 million units—a robust 10.1 per cent year-over-year (YoY) increase, according to IDC data.

The surge surpasses the previous Q3 record of 4.5 million units set just last year, signaling sustained momentum in both commercial and consumer demand.

The premium notebook category (priced above $1,000) posted an 8.5 per cent YoY growth, propelled by keen interest from both enterprise buyers and tech-savvy consumers. Notably, AI-enabled notebooks stole the spotlight, with shipments skyrocketing by 126.5 per cent YoY.

Basic AI notebooks, leveraging hardware-based AI features, accounted for nearly 86 per cent of all AI notebook shipments—buoyed by aggressive discounts and attractive cashback offers. Meanwhile, next-generation AI notebooks each broke new ground, crossing the 100,000-unit threshold in a single quarter for the first time.

Double-digit growth

Growth was robust across the board. The commercial segment expanded 11.4 per cent YoY, as ongoing enterprise refresh cycles and heightened demand from small and medium businesses (SMBs)—up 18.8 per cent and 13.1 per cent YoY, respectively—propelled the sector.

The consumer market reached a new benchmark, with shipments peaking at 2.8 million units, underscoring aggressive pre-festive stocking by leading vendors.

The e-tail channel excelled, making its best quarterly showing to date with 997,000 units shipped. “Consumer buying patterns have shifted, with many delaying purchases after the back-to-school season to take advantage of deep discounts during e-tail festivals. This prompted vendors to scale back Q2 shipments and build up inventory for Q3’s sales bonanza,” said Bharath Shenoy, research manager at IDC India & South Asia.

HP maintains lead

  • HP Inc. retained market leadership with a 26.6 per cent overall share, dominating the commercial segment at 34.6 per cent. However, the company saw a 10.4 per cent YoY dip in its consumer segment, attributed to heightened competition and a slow transition to its new OmniBook series.
  • Lenovo held the second spot with an 18 per cent market share as its consumer business rose 14.3 per cent YoY, powered by festive discounts and strong performance in the small office segment (+46.9 per cent YoY).
  • Acer Group placed third with a 15 per cent share, excelling in the commercial desktop category (33.1 per cent share) thanks to robust government and enterprise demand.
  • Dell Technologies secured the fourth position at 14.6 per cent, demonstrating improvement in both consumer (10.3 per cent share) and commercial segments.
  • Asus rounded out the top five at 10.2 per cent, recording its best-ever commercial quarter, particularly in the SMB segment.

Positive outlook

Despite several strong quarters, analysts remain optimistic about ongoing enterprise refresh cycles and government-led digital initiatives.

“Windows refresh orders are expected to remain healthy, but aggressive channel inventory pushes could prompt corrections in the SMB sector, and global processor supply constraints could lead to minor shipment delays,” noted Navkendar Singh, associate vice president, IDC India, South Asia & ANZ.

Short-term adjustments are anticipated on the consumer front due to elevated inventory levels. Nonetheless, demand for notebooks remains resilient and is expected to stay robust into the first half of 2026.

Ransomware group claims major breach at Dubai-based NAFFCO

TCN Bureau
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Ransomware group claims major breach at Dubai-based NAFFCO
  • NAFFCO joins the growing list of high-value industrial and manufacturing sector targets hit by ransomware gangs in 2025

Dubai-based National Fire Fighting Manufacturing FZCO (NAFFCO), a leader in fire protection systems and equipment, has reportedly fallen victim to a significant cyberattack.

The INC Ransom group, a well-known cyber extortion collective, likely linked to Russia, emerged in July 2023 has claimed responsibility for the breach, listing NAFFCO on their dark web leak site on November 17.

In a statement posted online, the threat actors took aim at NAFFCO’s “Passion to Protect” slogan, jeering, “We do not know for certain how well they protect their clients, but they could not protect themselves.” The group alleges to have exfiltrated approximately 1TB of corporate data, including highly sensitive documentation.

Data compromised

INC Ransom provided screenshots, claiming to demonstrate their access to a trove of confidential materials. According to the group, the stolen data set includes:

  • Passport copies and employee identification documents
  • Fiscal and financial records, including spreadsheets and budgets
  • Internal emails and correspondence
  • Human Resources records and personnel files
  • Strategic development plans

The full extent of the breach is yet to be independently verified. However, NAFFCO, with annual revenues reportedly reaching $4.4 billion, joins the growing list of high-value industrial and manufacturing sector targets hit by ransomware gangs in 2025.

Ongoing threats to industrial sector

Security analysts have noted the accelerated targeting of industrial firms over the past year, with ransomware actors seeking not just direct financial gain, but also to exert pressure by threatening large-scale data leaks.

A spokesperson for NAFFCO has not yet commented on the incident. Cybersecurity experts recommend that all organisations in critical infrastructure and industrial manufacturing assess their security postures, as threat actors increasingly target operationally vital sectors.

This breach underscores the persistent challenges companies face in safeguarding digital assets, even as they strive to protect the lives and property of their customers around the world.

US set to approve first advanced AI chip sales to Saudi Arabia’s Humain

Ana Mary Joseph
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US set to approve first advanced AI chip sales to Saudi Arabia’s Humain
  • Should the deal move forward, it stands to benefit global semiconductor giants including Nvidia Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD), which have sought greater access to the fast-growing Middle East AI market?
  • Humain is targeting deployment of up to 400,000 AI chips by 2030, with an expected short-term spend of around $50b on semiconductors.

    The United States is poised to authorise the first sales of advanced artificial intelligence chips to the Saudi AI company Humain, in what would mark a significant win for the state-backed venture and a milestone in US–Saudi technology cooperation.

The approvals are expected as part of a broader AI collaboration agreement between Washington and Riyadh, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.

The deal, potentially finalised this week, comes as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday to advance the partnership.

President Trump confirmed the ongoing negotiations, telling reporters in the Oval Office, “We are working on that,” and noted the agreement would involve “certain levels of chips.” Market sources estimate the initial approvals may amount to tens of thousands of semiconductors, although official figures have not been disclosed.

Security concerns

US authorities have closely monitored semiconductor exports to Saudi Arabia since 2023 amid global concerns over AI hardware ending up in China.

The proposed arrangement includes explicit security conditions and follows assurances from Riyadh that it would restrict AI chip dealings with Beijing—with the head of the Saudi AI investment fund publicly committing to divest from China if asked by the US.

Humain CEO Tareq Amin stated the company had pledged not to procure hardware from Huawei Technologies, China’s AI leader, to meet US requirements.

Should the deal move forward, it stands to benefit global semiconductor giants including Nvidia Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD), which have sought greater access to the fast-growing Middle East AI market. Humain is targeting deployment of up to 400,000 AI chips by 2030, with an expected short-term spend of around $50 billion on semiconductors, according to the crown prince.
Humain, whose board is chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed, represents a central pillar of Saudi Arabia’s $1 trillion push into artificial intelligence. Launched earlier this year at Trump’s visit to the kingdom, Humain has rapidly emerged as a focal point for Saudi ambitions to become a global AI powerhouse.

In October, energy major Saudi Aramco signed a nonbinding term sheet for a significant minority stake in the venture.

Geopolitical rivals

The company is building toward 6.6 gigawatts of computing power—approaching the scale of OpenAI’s Stargate infrastructure in the US—and has introduced products such as an Arabic-language chatbot and a proprietary operating system. Humain’s pitch to global partners emphasises the cost advantages of Saudi Arabia’s abundant, inexpensive energy to power massive data centres.

Since 2022, the US has imposed strict export curbs to prevent sensitive AI technology from reaching China, extending these controls in 2023 to countries deemed possible conduits for Beijing.

The new US–Saudi deal is interpreted as a signal to both domestic industry and geopolitical rivals that Washington remains committed to championing American technology partnerships in the Middle East, following months of negotiation and assurances from the Saudi side.

Further details, including the final volume of approved exports and the specific terms attached to security and re-export restrictions, have not been made public.

“AI is critical for us to keep the Saudi economy growing,” Crown Prince Mohammed said at the White House. The kingdom is investing heavily to meet soaring demand for computing power, seeking to secure its place at the forefront of global AI development.

UAE and Bahrain sign deal to deepen anti-money laundering

TCN Bureau
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UAE and Bahrain sign deal to deepen anti-money laundering
  • Both nations will expand collaboration across policy, supervision, and enforcement—sharing knowledge, expertise, and best practices, as well as developing joint training and awareness initiatives.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain have formalised a new agreement to enhance their cooperation in fighting financial crime, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the 41st Plenary Meeting of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF).

The MoU was signed between Hamid AlZaabi, Secretary-General and Vice Chair of the UAE National Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Financing of Proliferation Committee (NAMLCFTPFC), and Sheikha May bint Mohamed Al Khalifa, Chief Executive of The Financial Intelligence National Center and Chair of the Bahrain AML/CFT Committee.

“This agreement reflects the shared vision of the UAE and Bahrain to build a more coordinated, resilient, and effective regional response to financial crime,” said AlZaabi.

With the UAE and Bahrain set to jointly preside over MENAFATF in 2026, he noted that the partnership will be instrumental in advancing the region’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) goals.

Upholding transparency and integrity

Sheikha May bint Mohammed Al Khalifa underscored the significance of the accord, emphasising the value of a robust, formal framework for communication and coordination in upholding transparency and integrity: “We believe that this step will reinforce our joint cooperation and enhance our ability to address these challenges more effectively.”

Under the MoU, the UAE and Bahrain will expand collaboration across policy, supervision, and enforcement—sharing knowledge, expertise, and best practices, as well as developing joint training and awareness initiatives. The agreement also outlines mechanisms for the two nations to jointly develop regulatory and risk-based supervisory tools aligned with FATF standards.

Key provisions include the regular exchange of case studies on cross-border financial crime, collaborative research projects, and the creation of joint task forces to address emerging risks and enhance resilience against illicit financial flows. Both committees have also committed to periodic consultations to monitor the agreement’s implementation and to foster ongoing opportunities for cooperation.

The move comes as both nations prepare to lead MENAFATF and support its third round of mutual evaluations, signaling their intent to cement a more unified and robust framework against regional and international financial crime.

Need of the hour is unified Federal AI regulation, Trump says

Mohammed Fahad
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Need of the hour is unified Federal AI regulation, Trump says
  • President urges lawmakers to ensure the establishment of a federal standard either by passing standalone legislation or incorporating the measure into the National Defense Authorisation Act.
  • Since beginning his second term in January, Trump has made outpacing China in AI a cornerstone of his technology policy.

President Donald Trump called for a nationwide federal standard to regulate artificial intelligence, cautioning that disparate state-level rules could stifle growth and jeopardise the US lead in the global AI competition.

“Overregulation by the States is threatening to undermine this Growth Engine,” Trump posted on social media, emphasising that a patchwork of 50 different state regulatory regimes would disadvantage American innovators.

“We MUST have one Federal Standard instead of a patchwork of 50 State Regulatory Regimes,” Trump declared, asserting that the absence of unified rules could offer China an opening to surpass the US in AI capabilities.

Transforming US

Since beginning his second term in January, Trump has made outpacing China in AI a cornerstone of his technology policy. Early in his administration, he mandated the development of an AI Action Plan aimed at transforming the US into the “world capital in artificial intelligence,” while also seeking to streamline regulatory barriers to the sector’s expansion.

The rapid rise of AI has raised broad societal concerns—including the risk of election interference, fraud, and employment disruption—with policymakers debating the balance between innovation and security. Trump’s latest comments reflect worries across the business and technology sectors that fragmented regulation could hinder both investment and deployment.

The president urged lawmakers to ensure the establishment of a federal standard either by passing standalone legislation or incorporating the measure into the National Defense Authorisation Act (NDAA), the annual defense policy bill. “Put it in the NDAA, or pass a separate Bill, and nobody will ever be able to compete with America,” Trump said.

Trump did not elaborate on what specific elements his proposed federal standard would contain.

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