Navigate the Noise: A Hub for Misinformation & Disinformation Resilience

Why Misinformation/Disinformation Matters

Misinformation isn’t just a reputational issue. It creates operational, psychological, and strategic risks across global organizations.

Today’s environment is defined by geopolitical tension, rapid technological change, and nonstop information flow. In that context, identifying and countering misleading narratives is an essential organizational capability.

AI dramatically accelerates the challenge. Deepfakes, synthetic images, and auto-generated content now spread far faster than verification systems can respond, creating immediate consequences for security, trust, and wellbeing.

These risks are no longer theoretical. Our 2025 Risk Outlook report identified misinformation as a major disruptor to global stability, driven in part by the growing use of generative AI. By mid-2025, International SOS experts warned that organizations “have not truly begun to reckon with the threats posed by generative AI-based mis- and disinformation,” highlighting a widening gap between awareness and preparedness.

This concern did not fade. The risk was identified again as a key threat facing organizations in our 2026 Risk Outlook report, reinforcing that the challenge is intensifying rather than receding.

What this means for organizations:

• Operational Continuity: False information can disrupt decision-making and crisis response.
• Employee Wellbeing: Exposure to conflicting or alarming narratives can heighten anxiety and mistrust.
• Reputation & Trust: Once credibility is eroded, rebuilding it takes far longer than the initial damage.
• Duty of Care: Ensuring that employees receive accurate, verified information is a core component of organizational responsibility.

Organizations that proactively build information resilience are better positioned to protect people, operations, and credibility.

AI and Mis/Disinformation

Source: DeepStrike “Deepfake Statistics 2025: AI Fraud & Data Trends”

The rapid rise illustrated above shows how artificial intelligence has transformed manipulated content from an emerging nuisance into a systemic information risk. Deepfake production is projected to exceed 8 million files in 2025, a sixteenfold increase from 2023, making fabricated audio, images, and video dramatically harder to detect at scale.

Europol forecasts that by 2026, up to 90 percent of online content may be synthetically generated. As the volume and realism accelerate, traditional verification methods struggle to keep pace, eroding trust, complicating crisis response, and creating new vulnerabilities for organizations.

Effective governance, employee readiness, and reliable information partnerships are becoming essential components of resilience in this evolving landscape.

Political Instability and Crisis Amplify the Threat

Periods of political unrest and rapidly unfolding crises create conditions where misleading narratives spread faster than verified information. In these moments, employees, stakeholders, and the public look for clarity, yet conflicting claims, speculation, and manipulated content fill the gap. The result is slower decision-making, heightened anxiety, and competing versions of reality that complicate coordination.

For organizations, this isn’t just a communications issue. Misinterpreted travel advisories, rumors about safety conditions, and false reports circulating on social media can disrupt operations, trigger unnecessary escalations, or delay protective measures. The organizations that perform best are those that plan for information volatility, establish trusted sources in advance, and train teams to recognize and respond to contested narratives under pressure.

Defining the Terms: Misinformation vs. Disinformation

Misinformation and disinformation are often discussed together, but they refer to two very different behaviors, and understanding that difference is essential for responding effectively. The distinction rests on intent, even though the outcomes can be equally disruptive.

Misinformation

• Intent: No intent to deceive; the person believes the information is true.
• Motivation: Acting quickly, misunderstanding a source, or trying to be helpful.
• Source: Honest mistakes, outdated information, or well-meaning individuals.
• Examples:
  
  
  • Sharing incorrect store hours based on memory
  • Forwarding last year’s travel disruption alert
  • Circulating a headline without realizing it refers to an old event

Disinformation

• Intent: Deliberately deceptive.
• Motivation: Influence public opinion, provoke reaction, cause confusion, or gain financially.
• Source: Coordinated groups, fabricated identities, manipulated media, AI-generated content.
• Examples:
  
  
  • Fabricated endorsements attributed to public figures
  • Deepfake videos designed to influence perception
  • Manufactured stories meant to polarize or manipulate sentiment

Why the Distinction Matters

A piece of disinformation becomes misinformation the moment a well-meaning person shares it. Regardless of motivation, both forms distort understanding, influence decisions, and weaken institutional trust.

How False Information Spreads, and Why it Matters for Organizations

False narratives move fast and across many channels. They can originate from:

• Social media and messaging platforms, where rumors gain rapid traction.
• Bot networks and coordinated online campaigns, which amplify and distort narratives.
• AI-generated content that mimics real voices, images, and videos

This combination of speed, reach, and believability makes detection and response more challenging than ever before. The drivers behind these narratives vary. Some are rooted in financial incentives or attention-seeking, while others are politically motivated, ideological, or intentionally designed to damage reputations or influence perception. Regardless of motivation, once these narratives spread, they can quickly shift understanding, shape behavior, and distort decision-making. For organizations, the consequences are tangible.

Misinformation can disrupt crisis response, create confusion during fast-moving events, undermine security awareness, heighten employee anxiety, and erode internal and external trust. When decisions depend on accurate information, even small inaccuracies can have operational impact, and the longer a false narrative circulates, the harder it becomes to correct.

Examples of Misinformation and Disinformation

Misinformation and disinformation surface in ways that directly affect how organizations operate. They disrupt workflows, shape perception, and complicate response efforts when pressure is highest. Real-world incidents show how quickly false narratives spread and why preparedness is critical. 

Health and Security: False Narratives with Real Consequences

During public-health and security incidents, the spread of inaccurate information can undermine official guidance and endanger individuals on the ground. As explored in Truth Under Siege, AI-driven misinformation can distort risk perception, causing employees to delay essential precautions or ignore verified alerts. Mixed messaging during fast-moving situations can also lead to delayed or incorrect decisions, increasing both health and security risks and eroding trust when conditions shift.

Workplace Dynamics: The Ripple Effect of Political Misinformation

Misinformation often thrives during election cycles and politically charged events. What begins online can quickly spill into the workplace, creating tension, rumor cycles, and disengagement. The US Election Briefing: Misinformation and Workplace Dynamics demonstrates how competing narratives can erode internal trust, and how transparent internal communication can stabilize teams amid polarized climates.

Cyber Crises and Digital Vulnerabilities

False information frequently accompanies cyber incidents, amplifying fear and confusion. In Digital Defence: Navigating Cyber Crises and AI Misinformation, experts discuss how misinformation spreads alongside technical disruptions, often outpacing the facts. Organizations that integrate verification into cyber-response protocols are better positioned to manage both the technical and reputational dimensions of an incident.

Crisis Management: Learning from Complexity

Disinformation thrives in uncertainty. The Rethinking Crisis Preparedness Insight Report shows how unverified claims can compound confusion during emergencies, leading to delayed decisions and inconsistent messaging. The organizations that recovered most effectively were those that treated information integrity as part of their crisis-management discipline, rehearsed, coordinated, and proactive.

Each of these examples underscores a single truth: resilience depends on preparation. False information can’t always be prevented, but its impact can be minimized through awareness, verified intelligence, and practiced response.

Training, Workshop & Support Offerings

Countering Misinformation & Disinformation: Practical Training for Organizations

Equip your teams with the tools and confidence to detect, verify, and respond to false information before it impacts your people or operations. This instructor-led online session blends real-world case studies, interactive exercises, and expert guidance to strengthen organizational resilience in an increasingly complex information landscape.

Upcoming session: January 27, 2026 · Virtual

What You’ll Learn

• Recognize emerging misinformation and disinformation threats early.
• Apply structured verification frameworks and tools effectively.
• Integrate information integrity into crisis and risk-management processes. 

Seats are limited to ensure interactive participation and scenario-based discussion.

Register Now →