Gartner Predicts Half of Enterprises to Invest in Disinformation Security by 2027

The accelerating spread of AI-generated misinformation is forcing enterprises to rethink how they safeguard their brands, with Gartner predicting that by 2027, 50% of organizations will invest in disinformation security tools or TrustOps strategies—up from less than 5% today.

This dramatic increase reflects growing concern about the proliferation of synthetic media, automated bot networks, and coordinated influence operations that create unprecedented operational and reputational risks for businesses worldwide.

“Marketers can no longer afford to treat disinformation as someone else’s problem,” said Andrew Frank, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner. “The proliferation of automated bot networks means that even well-established brands can find themselves at the center of a synthetic outrage storm overnight.”

The threat landscape has evolved rapidly as AI tools have democratized the creation of convincing fake content. What once required sophisticated technical skills and substantial resources can now be accomplished with readily available applications, putting even the most trusted brands at risk of impersonation or misrepresentation.

Gartner’s analysis highlights an urgent need for enterprises to adopt formal trust-management strategies. TrustOps—an emerging operational discipline combining technology, governance frameworks, and cross-functional teams—is gaining traction as organizations seek systematic approaches to detect and counter digital deception.

Despite acknowledging these threats, many companies still lack board-level visibility into disinformation risks. This governance gap leaves businesses vulnerable at a time when synthetic media capabilities are advancing faster than organizational defenses.

“Disinformation is not just a technology or security issue—it is a marketing imperative,” Frank emphasized, noting that bot-generated fake outrage can now trigger viral crises within hours, dramatically compressing response timelines for corporate communications teams.

Several response strategies are gaining prominence as the threat evolves. Content verification standards, particularly Content Credentials (formerly known as the Content Authenticity Initiative), are expected to become central to authenticating brand communications. These digital signatures, which verify the origin and editing history of media, provide a technical foundation for distinguishing legitimate brand content from sophisticated deepfakes.

The market for advanced narrative intelligence tools is also expanding rapidly. These technologies enable continuous media monitoring across platforms and languages to identify coordinated influence campaigns in their early stages. By spotting unusual patterns in message spread or account behavior, organizations can neutralize disinformation attempts before they reach critical mass.

Industry experts note that technology alone won’t solve the problem. Behavioral science is emerging as a necessary component of enterprise readiness strategies, helping organizations educate consumers and employees to recognize and question manipulated content. This human firewall complements technical solutions in creating comprehensive defense systems.

The financial impact of disinformation attacks can be substantial. Recent industry studies have shown that major brands subjected to coordinated fake news campaigns have experienced stock price declines averaging 5-7% in the immediate aftermath, with some taking months to recover consumer trust and market value.

In response, forward-thinking organizations are establishing cross-functional “trust councils” that bring together expertise from communications, security, legal, and technology teams. These structures help ensure coordinated responses when disinformation incidents occur.

Gartner is urging marketing and communications leaders to elevate disinformation resilience to a strategic priority requiring boardroom attention. The firm recommends conducting regular simulations of disinformation scenarios to test response capabilities and identify vulnerabilities before they’re exploited.

As enterprises navigate this challenging landscape, industry-wide standards and collaborative approaches will be crucial. Several industry groups are already working to establish common frameworks for content provenance and verification, recognizing that protecting trust in digital communications requires collective action across the business ecosystem.

With the barrier to creating convincing fake content continuously lowering, organizations that fail to develop robust trust protection strategies may find themselves increasingly vulnerable in an information environment where authenticity can no longer be assumed.