Month: July 2026

The FIFA World Cup 2026 Threat Landscape Report reveals a substantial increase in cybercriminal activity as the FIFA World Cup 2026 gets underway. New research from Fortinet revels cybercriminals have already established infrastructure to exploit interest surrounding the FIFA World Cup 2026 and are, building a layered ecosystem of scams, phishing operations and malware campaigns designed to capitalise on one of the world’s largest sporting events. The findings from FortiGuard Labs suggest that the threat landscape is not emerging with the tournament – it is already operational. Between January and May 2026, more than 13,000 World Cup-themed domains were registered, with nearly 8.8% flagged as malicious or suspicious. The scale indicates a coordinated effort by threat actors to position infrastructure well ahead of peak fan engagement. For businesses and users alike, the pattern is straightforward – where attention goes, attackers follow. And the World Cup – driven by ticket demand, travel planning, merchandise sales, streaming searches and betting activity – offers an unusually dense concentration of high-value digital behaviour. Fake ticketing remains one of the highestrisk lures Ticketing scams remain the most visible threat because they exploit scarcity. Fraudulent websites impersonating official FIFA portals are being used to harvest credentials and payment data, often wrapped in urgency-driven messaging such as ‘limited availability’ or ‘last chance’ offers. FortiGuard Labs identified numerous counterfeit ticketing sites mimicking official FIFA pages that gather personal info, login details, billing, and payment data. In several cases, researchers found fake checkout flows designed to closely mimic legitimate ticket purchase journeys, lowering user suspicion during critical decision moments. Social media impersonation expands the attack surface Beyond ticketing, the ecosystem expands across multiple vectors. Social media impersonation has emerged at scale, with more than 1,700 suspected fake accounts identified across platforms including Facebook and Instagram. These accounts are being used to distribute phishing links, fraudulent livestream access, fake promotions and resale offers, often embedded within otherwise legitimate fan discussions. Malware is also part of the tournament threat landscape Malware distribution is also part of the threat architecture. The report highlights FIFA-themed applications and executables distributed through unofficial channels, including betting and streaming-related tools exhibiting behaviours associated with credential theft, persistence, encrypted communications and potential ransomware activity. Fake job postings target people looking for opportunity Job-related scams add another dimension, targeting the seasonal hiring spike around the tournament. Attackers are posing as recruiters and sponsors, directing victims to counterfeit login pages designed to capture Google and other credentials. In some cases, the campaigns are supported by coordinated infrastructure, including shared tracking IDs across multiple fraudulent domains – suggesting organised, repeatable operations rather than isolated attempts. Credential exposure raises the stakes The report also flags a deeper risk layer with large-scale credential exposure. FortiGuard Labs has identified thousands of FIFA-related entries in stealer malware logs tied to families such as Vidar, LummaC2 and RedLine, alongside hundreds of employee credentials and a far larger pool of user data drawn from previous breaches. While not all credentials are actively exploited, they provide a ready dataset for credential stuffing, account takeover and targeted phishing campaigns timed around peak tournament activity. The broader concern is not simply the diversity of attack methods but their convergence around a single global event. Sporting mega-events compress attention, urgency and financial transactions into a short window – creating ideal conditions for social engineering at scale.

Tenon Group, a global technology-enabled services organization operating across security services including manned guarding and remote monitoring, facility management, and software-driven business solutions, has announced the appointment of Sanjay Baweja as Executive Director on the Tenon Group Board. A distinguished business leader with over 35 years of experience across Telecom, E-Commerce, Technology, Renewable Energy, and Real Estate, Mr Baweja is widely recognized for his expertise in finance, strategy, business transformation, mergers & acquisitions, capital markets, and corporate governance. A Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) and Cost Accountant (ICWA), he has played a pivotal role in shaping growth journeys and transformation agendas across some of India’s most respected organizations. Mr. Baweja most recently served as Managing Director & Global CEO of OnMobile Global Limited, where he led the company’s global strategy and business transformation initiatives. Prior to this, he held several prominent leadership positions, including Group CFO at Flipkart, Global CFO at Tata Communications, CFO at Suzlon Energy, and Group President – Strategic Initiatives at Bhartiya Group. He has also served in senior leadership roles at Bharti Airtel and Emaar MGF, building a distinguished track record of driving operational excellence, financial discipline, value creation, and sustainable business growth across diverse sectors. Throughout his career, Mr. Baweja has been associated with organizations at critical stages of growth and transformation, helping strengthen governance frameworks, improve financial performance, drive strategic initiatives, and create long-term stakeholder value. His extensive experience across listed companies, global enterprises, and high-growth organizations makes him a valuable addition to the Tenon Group Board. As Executive Director on the Tenon Group Board, Mr. Baweja will contribute towards strengthening the Group’s strategic direction, governance framework, growth roadmap, and long-term value creation agenda. His leadership and boardroom experience will further enhance Tenon’s capabilities as the Group continues to expand its technology-led security services, facility management solutions, remote monitoring platforms, and software-driven business offerings across global markets. Commenting on the appointment, Maj. Manjit Rajain, Global Chairman, Tenon Group, said, “We are delighted to welcome Mr Sanjay Baweja to the Tenon Group Board. Sanjay brings with him an exceptional blend of financial leadership, strategic foresight, operational excellence, and governance expertise built over a distinguished career spanning more than three decades. His experience across globally respected organizations such as Tata Communications, Flipkart, Suzlon Energy, Bharti Airtel, and OnMobile Global provides him with a unique perspective on building and scaling businesses in dynamic and rapidly evolving industries. “As Tenon continues its transformation into a technology-led global services organisation, Sanjay’s deep understanding of growth strategy, business transformation, capital allocation, and corporate governance will be invaluable. We are confident that his leadership and insights will play a significant role in strengthening our businesses, accelerating innovation, and creating long-term value for all stakeholders.” Reflecting on his appointment, Sanjay Baweja said, “I am delighted to join the Board of Tenon Group at a significant phase of its growth journey. Over the years, Tenon has established itself as a trusted partner delivering technology-enabled security services, facility management solutions, remote monitoring capabilities, and software-driven business solutions across multiple markets. The Group’s commitment to innovation, operational excellence, customer-centricity, and governance has enabled it to build a strong reputation and a scalable platform for future growth. “I look forward to working closely with the Board and leadership team to further strengthen the Group’s strategic vision, support its growth ambitions, enhance governance standards, and help unlock new opportunities across its businesses. Together, we will continue building a future-ready organisation that creates sustainable value for clients, employees, partners, and shareholders.”

The Second Global South Artificial Intelligence Law and Governance Dialogue 2026, convened online, concluded with the formal adoption of the Global South Legal Architecture for Artificial Intelligence Governance and Accountability, a structured, operational instrument designed to translate the Global South’s stated principles on AI into national statute, sectoral policy, and enforceable practice. Convened by Dr. Pavan Duggal, Advocate, Supreme Court of India and a globally recognised authority on AI law and cyberlaw, the Second Global South Artificial Intelligence Law and Governance Dialogue 2026 brought together judges, senior government officials, regulators, scholars, technologists and civil-society leaders from across Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe. The Architecture is conceived not as another declaration of principle but as operational scaffolding. It builds upon – and does not seek to replace – the instruments already adopted by the Global South, including the New Delhi Accord on Artificial Intelligence Law and Governance (2025), the New Delhi Declaration on Artificial Intelligence (February 2026), the New Delhi Compact on Artificial Intelligence Accountability (May 2026), the AI Accountability Framework 2026, the Global Agentic AI Liability Framework, and the Universal Declaration of AI Accountability Rights adopted at the International AI Accountability Forum 2026. A distinguished opening The proceedings featured a keynote address by Hon’ble Justice Suraj Govindraj, Judge, High Court of Karnataka, setting the judicial and constitutional context for AI law, governance and accountability, and a Special Address by Dr. Manoj Kumar, Additional Secretary, Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India. Professor Christoph Stueckelberger, Professor of Global Ethics in Asia and Africa, addressed the ethical challenges confronting the Global South in the age of AI. Across the day’s sessions, chaired by the Convenor, Dr. Pavan Duggal, the platform featured voices from every region of the Global South and beyond, including Lebanese cyberlaw scholar Mona Al Achkar Jabbour, Ambrose Ruyooka of Uganda’s Ministry of ICT & National Guidance, Rosa Delgado from Peru, Latin America, Alfredo Ronchi, Secretary General EC Medici Framework, Prof Sarah Fox, eminent British academician, Axel Lehmann of the World Federation of Scientists, Saakshar Duggal, eminent AI Law expert, Amandeep Singh of the Bureau of Police Research & Development, Manoj Chugh corporate governance guru, and Drishyaa Duggal AI Psychology evangelist alongside leading academics, regulators and industry leaders from across Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe. What the architecture establishes A three-layer legal architecture. The instrument is built on three concentric, independently operative layers – a dedicated national statute on artificial intelligence and accountability in each Global South nation; sector-specific national policies spanning health, education, finance, agriculture, public administration, law enforcement, judicial processes, electoral integrity, defence and digital public infrastructure; and a continuously updated layer of living standards and best practices that allows governance to evolve without statutory amendment at every turn. Seven non-negotiable pillars – the common minimum denominators that must inform every national instrument and sectoral policy: Novel building blocks. The Architecture introduces a set of original instruments, including a Global South Algorithmic Sovereignty Index, an Inter-Global South AI Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) Compact, a Civilizational AI Audit standard, a Doctrine of Algorithmic Non-Alignment, a Right to Algorithmic Refusal for indigenous and tribal communities, a Reverse Burden of Proof for Foreign AI Providers, a Sovereign Data Repository Principle, and a Global South AI Harm Notification Protocol. Institutional engine and early deliverables The Architecture establishes two complementary Working Groups – a Working Group on Global South Algorithmic Sovereignty, drawn initially from the Dialogue’s speakers, scholars and practitioners, to serve as the doctrinal and technical engine; and a State-anchored Working Group on Global South AI Governance, to which ministries and designated nodal officers across the Global South will be invited, charged with translating doctrinal output into harmonised national positions and multilateral submissions, including to United Nations preparatory processes. Two early deliverables were identified: “This Architecture belongs, from the moment of its adoption, to the nations and institutions of the Global South that will take it forward,” said Dr. Pavan Duggal, Convenor of the Dialogue, “It is offered without proprietary claim and with a single conviction: that the algorithms which shape a citizen’s life must be subject to the laws of their land, the values of their civilization, and the consent of their community. Algorithmic sovereignty, the prevention of cognitive colonialism, and the anchoring of agentic-AI liability are no longer aspirations for the Global South – under this Architecture, they are commitments.” Pathway forward The outputs of the Architecture – the work of both Working Groups and the text of the MLA Compact – are to be channelled into the United Nations preparatory process for the global AI scientific model and related multilateral instruments. The Architecture is designed to remain operative for the Global South Group of Nations, whether or not it is absorbed by other multilateral processes, and remains open for endorsement, signature, accession and national adoption by all States of the Global South. About the Global South Artificial Intelligence Law and Governance Dialogue The Global South Artificial Intelligence Law and Governance Dialogue is an international platform dedicated to amplifying the voice and agency of developing nations in shaping the law, policy and governance of artificial intelligence. It convenes jurists, policymakers, scholars, regulators and industry leaders from across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East to develop equitable, inclusive and sovereignty-respecting approaches to AI governance.

As India advances toward a future shaped by intelligent infrastructure, digital transformation, and AI-driven security ecosystems, CP PLUS continues to reinforce its position at the forefront of the nation’s taechnological evolution. Demonstrating its steadfast commitment to innovation-led nation building, the company marked a powerful presence at two of the industry’s most influential platforms this May – InnoMetro 2026 and CCTV TECH INDIA 2026. These prestigious gatherings brought together policymakers, infrastructure leaders, security experts, system integrators, technology pioneers, and digital transformation visionaries to collectively shape the future of India’s mobility and surveillance landscape. At both events, CP PLUS emerged not merely as a participant but as a thought leader driving conversations around intelligent surveillance, cyber-secure ecosystems, smart command centers, and future-ready infrastructure. At InnoMetro 2026, CP PLUS showcased its vision for a safer and smarter mobility ecosystem powered by Made-inBharat innovations. As India rapidly modernizes its railway and metro infrastructure under the broader vision of sustainable urban mobility, intelligent surveillance is becoming a cornerstone of operational resilience, passenger safety, and infrastructure efficiency. Aligning with this transformative momentum, CP PLUS highlighted its advanced portfolio of AI-enabled surveillance technologies engineered specifically for the evolving needs of rail and metro environments. Adding depth to the industry dialogue, M.A. Johar, President – Project Business at CP PLUS, joined an important conference session titled ‘Leveraging Digital Technologies in Railways: Opportunities, Risks, and Readiness.’ During the discussion, he shared valuable insights into how emerging technologies such as AI-powered analytics, centralized monitoring systems, intelligent video management, and integrated command centers are reshaping railway security and operational readiness across the nation. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Johar emphasized that the future of rail infrastructure lies not only in connectivity and speed, but also in the ability to create intelligent, responsive, and secure ecosystems capable of adapting to evolving risks and passenger expectations. He further highlighted CP PLUS’s continued focus on building scalable, indigenous surveillance technologies tailored to India’s rapidly expanding infrastructure landscape. Further strengthening its industry leadership this month, CP PLUS also made a significant impact at CCTV TECH INDIA 2026, a premier platform dedicated to the future of surveillance technology and integrated security systems. Centered around the compelling vision of ‘Securing Surveillance: From Components to Command Centers,’ the event served as a dynamic forum for discussing the next generation of intelligent surveillance ecosystems, cybersecurity integration, AI-driven monitoring, and operational intelligence. CP PLUS leveraged the platform to showcase how the convergence of surveillance hardware, intelligent software, analytics, and cyber resilience is shaping a more connected and secure India. Representing the brand during the inaugural session titled ‘Building Secure & Intelligent Surveillance Ecosystems for India,’ Sanjay Arora and Ms. Swati Samaddar shared expert perspectives on the growing importance of intelligent surveillance infrastructure in safeguarding modern enterprises, public spaces, critical infrastructure, and smart city ecosystems. Their participation underscored how surveillance today has evolved far beyond passive monitoring, emerging instead as a strategic layer of intelligence capable of enabling proactive threat detection, operational optimization, predictive insights, and enhanced situational awareness. Adding further momentum to these conversations, Omar Farooq participated in the insightful session ‘From Data to Decisions: VMS, SOC & Cybersecurity in CCTV Systems.’ During the discussion, he highlighted the increasing significance of integrated Video Management Systems (VMS), Security Operations Centers (SOC), and cyber-secure surveillance architectures in ensuring operational continuity and intelligent decision-making across large-scale deployments. His insights reflected the growing reality that surveillance ecosystems today must not only capture information but also transform data into actionable intelligence while remaining resilient against evolving cyber threats. CP PLUS’ impactful participation across both events reflects the company’s larger vision of enabling India’s digital transformation journey through indigenous innovation, intelligent surveillance technologies, and future-ready security ecosystems. With a robust portfolio spanning AI-powered cameras, integrated command and control centers, advanced video analytics, intelligent VMS platforms, cybersecurity-focused solutions, and smart monitoring technologies, the company continues to play a defining role in building safer cities, smarter mobility systems, and resilient infrastructure networks for the nation. As India accelerates toward a digitally empowered future, CP PLUS remains steadfast in its mission to engineer technologies that not only secure environments, but also strengthen trust, intelligence, and preparedness across every layer of modern infrastructure.