Forcepoint Names John Sorensen as Senior Vice President of Americas Sales

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 2, 2025 by itnerd

Forcepoint today announced John Sorensen has joined the company as Senior Vice President of Americas Sales. He will focus on field execution, strengthening partner engagement and aligning closely with customer priorities while reshaping the Americas sales organization for how data is protected today in the AI era. Sorensen will report to Rick Hanson, President of Go-to-Market.

Organizations face a widening visibility-to-control gap as sensitive data moves fluidly across tools, teams and formats — generated by AI automation, shared in documents and collaboration apps, or pulled into analyses far from where it began. Traditional tools may detect a risky action forming but often cannot respond quickly or accurately enough to prevent a breach or compliance failure. As data becomes both a catalyst for innovation and a growing source of exposure, customers need clearer, more immediate ways to intervene, not simply observing when risk emerges.

Forcepoint’s AI-native data security approach closes that gap by helping customers identify sensitive data in context, understand how it is being used, evaluate intent and risk signals, and automate protection within a unified, single-policy framework. Delivered through Forcepoint’s Data Security Cloud, recent advances in deep discovery, classification, risk scoring and continuous protection enable organizations to translate visibility into accurate and precise control across modern enterprises and government environments.

Sorensen brings more than three decades of security and technology leadership to Forcepoint. He most recently served as Vice President of Global Sales for Data Security at Entrust. He also brings prior Forcepoint leadership experience, having previously served as the company’s Vice President of Global Sales Strategy and Execution —perspective that strengthens continuity at a time when customers are reassessing data protection. Earlier in his career, he held executive roles at Symantec, RSA Security and McAfee, with responsibilities spanning revenue strategy, channel expansion and leading high-performing sales teams. 

Security leaders and analysts researching actionable strategies to manage AI-driven data risks can access on-demand sessions from AWARE 2025, Forcepoint’s annual virtual user conference on AI and data risk. 

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Quorum Cyber Recognized As A Microsoft Security Excellence Awards Finalist

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 2, 2025 by itnerd

Quorum Cyber today announced it is a Data Security & Compliance Trailblazer award finalist and a Security Service Partner of the Year award finalist in the Microsoft Security Excellence Awards. The company was honored among a global field of industry leaders that demonstrated success across the security landscape during the past 12 months. 

Quorum Cyber has been named as a finalist in at least two categories at the Microsoft Security Excellence Awards since 2023, showing remarkable consistency in providing the highest standards of service delivery and satisfaction to customers worldwide. 

This year’s recognition closely follows news, in November 2025, that Quorum Cyber was named as a finalist of the 2025 Microsoft Security Partner of the Year Award. The company was honored among a global field of top Microsoft partners for demonstrating excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology.

At the Microsoft Security Excellence Awards on January 26th, 2026, Microsoft will celebrate finalists in six award categories honoring partner trailblazers, solution innovators, customer and technology champions, and changemakers. This is the sixth year Microsoft is recognizing partners for their outstanding work in the security landscape. All finalists are members of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA), an ecosystem of leading security vendors comprised of software development companies and services partners that have integrated their security products and services with Microsoft’s security technology. 

MISA was established to bring together Microsoft leaders, software development companies and services partners to work together to defeat security threats and make the world a safer place. The industry veterans in MISA and Microsoft will vote to select the winners of the Microsoft Security Excellence Awards, providing an opportunity for colleagues to honor their peers for delivering exceptional work to our shared customers.

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CISA Warns of OpenPLC ScadaBR Vulnerability After ICS Attack

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 2, 2025 by itnerd

The CISA has warned of an flaw called the ‘OpenPLC ScadaBR’ flaw, tracked as CVE-2021-26829, that was recently leveraged by hackers to deface an industrial control system (ICS). Meaning that it is related to critical infrastructure.

More details here: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2025/11/28/cisa-adds-one-known-exploited-vulnerability-catalog

Martin Jartelius, AI Product Director at Outpost24, provided the following comments:

“This vulnerability is four years old, and while the project is still in use, it has largely been replaced by other solutions for many users. Both existing vulnerabilities in the platform require authentication, and the observed intrusion occurred in a honeypot, meaning it must have been configured with an intentionally weak or default password. The group then opted for “defacement,” meaning they changed the appearance of the application rather than abusing the known file-upload issue to achieve code execution on the system.

“As it is an ICS system, the incident is serious, but the key lesson is not to fear this outdated, unpatched system itself. Instead, we should recognize that there are attackers driven by hacktivism or simple cyber-vandalism actively looking for these types of exposed systems. These systems should never be exposed to the internet; organizations must adhere to ICS-CERT guidelines for proper isolation. We must also remember that this incident was visible. If someone had simply logged in and changed settings, there would have been no visual indication.

Over the years, we have seen small power plants with currents and frequency controls exposed directly to the internet — these systems are not toys, and to repeat myself, they should never be accessible without strict isolation and must not have direct internet exposure.”

This should highlight the need to protect critical infrastructure at all costs. Hopefully it doesn’t take a significant incident to get that message through.

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FME by Safe Software Now Runs Inside Snowflake, Delivering Faster, Safer, In-Database Data Integration

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 2, 2025 by itnerd

Safe Software today announced the availability of Safe Software’s FME Remote Engines Service on Snowflake Marketplace. Snowflake users now have the ability to run FME’s high-performance engine directly within Snowpark Container Services. This new deployment model results in faster, more secure data integration and transformation, reducing processing time by up to 30%.

Since 2019, Safe Software has collaborated with Snowflake to streamline migrations to Snowflake and connect to the many systems that they run on. By making Safe Software’s FME Remote Engines Service available on Snowflake Marketplace, the engine can now run inside customers’ Snowflake environments for increased performance and security.

This native integration means that users can now have the option to move FME data processing workflows that connect Snowflake from running outside Snowflake to running inside. The FME data ecosystem includes 1,000’s of systems, including but not limited to formats such as LiDAR point clouds (LAS/LAZ), cloud-optimized GeoTIFFs (COG), scientific datasets like NetCDF and HDF5, and complex BIM/CAD designs including Revit and IFC files and much more. This allows organizations to seamlessly fuse all their data, including their most advanced spatial, sensor, and 3D data, with their core business intelligence for more holistic and powerful insights.

To learn more about the combined power of Safe Software’s FME Remote Engines Service and Snowflake’s AI Data Cloud, please visit: https://fme.safe.com/partners/snowflake/.

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Radiant Logic Launches AI-Driven Remediation to Reduce the Attack Surface 

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 2, 2025 by itnerd

Radiant Logic, the pioneer of Identity Data Fabric and leader in Identity Security Posture Management (ISPM), today announced major enhancements to its RadiantOne Platform. The release introduces new AI-powered collaborative remediation, an agentic AI-first approach that leverages the Model Context Protocol (MCP) standard, and support for the Shared Signals Framework (SSF) with Continuous Access Evaluation Profile (CAEP). Collectively, these new capabilities transform visibility into continuous, actionable intelligence that triggers immediate responses to identity risks and policy violations, ensuring a more robust Zero Trust approach and resilient identity environment.  

The RadiantOne Platform unifies identity data across all human and non-human identities, delivers real-time observability of risks and anomalies, and remediates identified issues through the help of AI-powered recommendations and collaborative workflows with security staff, line managers and resource owners. Through seamless integration with existing IAM, IGA, and Zero Trust architectures, the RadiantOne Platform strengthens identity hygiene at the foundational data layer, ensuring that all downstream security controls—including SSO, PAM, and SIEM tools—ingest complete, accurate, and actionable identity data. This data-centric approach shrinks the attack surface, accelerates threat response, and transforms identity security from reactive monitoring to proactive, continuous posture management. 

Key Platform Capabilities: 

  • AI-Powered Collaborative Remediation: RadiantOne now integrates directly with collaborations suites such as Slack and Microsoft Teams to open real-time investigation channels the moment a complex identity issue is detected using natural language. This brings remediation directly into the tools where teams already work. RadiantOne’s AI Data Assistant (AIDA) acts as an embedded analyst and facilitator, supplying the full context, guiding stakeholders through the decision flow, and helping them select the appropriate remediation path. This collaborative model shifts the investigative load away from central security teams, reducing manual effort by up to 80 percent, while empowering the first line of defense to participate directly in identity risk resolution. 
  • Composable Remediation Strategies: When it comes to taking action on identity risks and anomalies, many organizations rely on established operational workflows that route remediation through ITSM tools, IGA systems, or orchestration platforms. RadiantOne’s new composable remediation capability allows teams to configure how remediation actions are triggered, whether directly on identity data or through collaborative workspaces, IGA systems, and orchestration engines such as n8n and Zapier.  
  • Agentic AI-First Architecture with MCP Support: Radiant Logic is preparing enterprises for the next evolution of security by enabling multi-agent architectures. The platform now supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP), giving agents secure access to unified identity data and real-time observations. With AIDA available through MCP, these agents can answer context questions and orchestrate decisions based on domain-informed intelligence. This creates a pathway for autonomous identity operations that maintain accuracy and governance. 
  • Standards-Based Intelligence with SSF CAEP: The platform now introduces support for Shared Signals Framework and Continuous Access Evaluation Profile (SSF CAEP) signal emitters. As the unified identity data layer, RadiantOne can detect identity anomalies and trigger CAEP events in real time. This capability provides continuous, cross-system security signals that strengthen interoperability, improve enforcement, and accelerate incident response across modern identity ecosystems. 

RadiantOne’s latest advancements are engineered for the realities of modern IAM, where dynamic attack surfaces and emerging Agentic AI demand a unified, continuously governed identity foundation. By consolidating and enriching identity data into a single system of record, RadiantOne enables complex organizations to proactively reduce risk, modernize fragmented infrastructures, and evolve toward an intelligent, Agentic AI-driven security posture. These enhancements reinforce Radiant Logic’s role as the data backbone for IAM modernization and Zero Trust. 

For more information, visit radiantlogic.com. 

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Qilin Remains Top Ransomware Group in November as Akira and Clop Close In

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 2, 2025 by itnerd

 Comparitech has released its monthly ransomware roundup for November 2025. The research examines ransomware trends in 2024 and 2025, including both confirmed and unconfirmed attacks by month. It explores the number of attacks across key sectors, including business, healthcare, government, and education, and compares these figures to October’s findings.

Additionally, the research looks at ransomware claims by industry, comparing October to November 2025, identifies the most prolific ransomware strains, and analyses attacks by ransomware group and by country in November. A brief sector-specific analysis of the attacks is also included. The research found that Qilin continued to hold the top spot for the number of claims (107), though Akira (100) and Clop (94) closed in on its lead throughout November.

Key findings include: 

  • 659 attacks in total — 38 confirmed attacks (confirmed by the entity involved)
  • Of the 38 confirmed attacks:
    • 22 were on businesses
    • 10 were on government entities
    • 2 were on healthcare companies
    • 4 were on educational institutions
  • Of the 621 unconfirmed attacks*:
    • 544 were on businesses
    • 18 were on government entities
    • 30 were on healthcare companies
    • 17 were on educational institutions
  • The most prolific ransomware gangs were Qilin (107), Akira (100), and Clop (94)
  • Qilin had the most confirmed attacks (5), followed by INC (3) and Akira, Clop, Everest, and Beast (2 each)
  • Where hackers provided the data theft size (in 276 cases), over 31,200 TB of data was allegedly stolen. This huge figure stems primarily from Qilin’s claim on a US manufacturer where it alleged to have stolen “31,063,838.00 GB”.
  • The US saw the most attacks (354), followed by Canada (34), the UK (17), and Germany and India (14 each)

*12 attacks were on unknown companies that couldn’t be attributed to a specific sector.

Here is a link to the research: https://www.comparitech.com/news/ransomware-roundup-november-2025/ 

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Iran’s MuddyWater targets critical infrastructure in Israel and Egypt, masquerades as Snake game

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 2, 2025 by itnerd

ESET researchers have identified new MuddyWater activity primarily targeting organizations in Israel, with one confirmed target in Egypt. The victims in Israel were in the technology, engineering, manufacturing, local government, and educational sectors. MuddyWater, also referred to as Mango Sandstorm or TA450, is an Iran-aligned cyberespionage group known for its persistent targeting of government and critical infrastructure sectors, often leveraging custom malware and publicly available tools, and has links to the Ministry of Intelligence and National Security of Iran. In this campaign, the attackers deployed a set of previously undocumented, custom tools with the objective of improving defense evasion and persistence. New backdoor MuddyViper enables the attackers to collect system information, execute files and shell commands, transfer files, and exfiltrate Windows login credentials and browser data. The campaign leverages additional credential stealers. Among these tools is Fooder, a custom loader that masquerades as the classic Snake game.

In this campaign, initial access is typically achieved through spearphishing emails, often containing PDF attachments that link to installers for remote monitoring and management (RMM) software hosted on free file-sharing platforms such as OneHub, Egnyte, or Mega. These links lead to the download of tools including Atera, Level, PDQ, and SimpleHelp. Among the tools deployed by MuddyWater operators is also the VAX One backdoor, named after the legitimate software which it impersonates: Veeam, AnyDesk, Xerox, and the OneDrive updater service. 

The group’s continued reliance on this familiar playbook makes its activity relatively easy to detect and block. However, in this case, the group also used more advanced techniques to deploy MuddyViper, a new backdoor, by using a loader (Fooder) that reflectively loads MuddyViper into memory and executes it. Several versions of Fooder masquerade as the classic Snake game, hence the designation, MuddyViper. Another notable characteristic of Fooder is its frequent use of a custom delay function that implements the core logic of the Snake game, combined with “Sleep” API calls. These features are intended to delay execution in an attempt to hide malicious behavior from automated analysis systems. Additionally, MuddyWater developers adopted CNG, the next-generation Windows cryptographic API, which is unique for Iran-aligned groups and somewhat atypical across the broader threat landscape. During this campaign, the operators deliberately avoided hands-on-keyboard interactive sessions, which is a historically noisy technique often characterized by mistyped commands. Thus, while some components remain noisy and easily detected, as is typical for MuddyWater, overall this campaign shows signs of technical evolution – increased precision, strategic targeting, and a more advanced toolset. 

The post-compromise toolset also includes multiple credential stealers: CE-Notes, which targets Chromium-based browsers; LP-Notes, which stages and verifies stolen credentials; and Blub, which steals login data from Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Opera browsers.

MuddyWater was first introduced to the public in 2017 by Unit 42, whose description of the group’s activity is consistent with ESET’s profiling – a focus on cyberespionage, the use of malicious documents as attachments designed to prompt users to enable macros and bypass security controls, and primarily targeting entities located in the Middle East.

Notable past activities include Operation Quicksand (2020), a cyberespionage campaign targeting Israeli government entities and telecommunications organizations, which exemplifies the group’s evolution from basic phishing tactics to more advanced, multistage operations; and a campaign targeting political groups and organizations in Türkiye, demonstrating the group’s geopolitical focus, its ability to adapt social engineering tactics to local contexts, and reliance on modular malware and flexible C&C infrastructure.

ESET has documented multiple campaigns attributed to MuddyWater that highlight the group’s evolving toolset and shifting operational focus. In March and April 2023, MuddyWater targeted an unidentified victim in Saudi Arabia, and the group conducted a campaign in January and February 2025 that was notable for its operational overlap with Lyceum (an OilRig subgroup). This cooperation suggests that MuddyWater may be acting as an initial access broker for other Iran-aligned groups.

For a more detailed analysis of the latest MuddyWater campaign, check out the latest ESET Research blogpost “MuddyWater: Snakes by the riverbank” on WeLiveSecurity.com. 

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Forward Edge-AI Ships First Quantum-Resistant Hardware to National Central University in Taiwan and Secures 5th Patent

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 2, 2025 by itnerd

Forward Edge-AI, Inc today announced two major milestones in advancing quantum-resistant communications: the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for its patent application covering attack-resilient, trust-verified communications, and the company has successfully delivered its Isidore Quantum® One-Way Data Diode to National Central University (NCU) in Taiwan.

Breakthrough Deployment to National Central University

The delivery of Isidore Quantum® to National Central University marks a significant milestone in cross-national research collaboration on next-generation cyber defense technologies. The deployment advances quantum-resistant data security research and demonstrates the operational readiness of Forward Edge-AI’s technology in critical infrastructure environments. Traditional one-way diodes, which rely on fiber optic hardware isolation, cannot support encryption, encryption typically requires two-way exchanges for key negotiation. Isidore Quantum achieves a breakthrough: it enables true one-way data flow while simultaneously supporting NIST-approved post-quantum encryption using AES-256 GCM and ML-KEM.

This capability is unique and addresses a critical vulnerability: traditional one-way diodes prevent unauthorized network access but do not protect data in flight from Harvest Now, Decrypt Later (HNDL) attacks. Without encryption, data flowing through conventional diodes remains vulnerable to interception and future decryption. Isidore Quantum solves this by combining unidirectional enforcement with quantum-resistant encryption, ensuring captured data remains protected even against future quantum computers.

Additionally, unlike traditional diode systems that require expensive fiber optic infrastructure, Isidore Quantum operates seamlessly on both fiber and copper networks. This means organizations can deploy quantum-safe, one-way data protection without costly infrastructure replacement, dramatically reducing deployment time and capital expense.

The patent, U.S. Patent No. 12,452,301 B2, titled “Methods, Systems, Apparatuses, and Methods for Facilitating Attack-Resilient Communications Between Devices,” secures Forward Edge-AI’s leadership in developing hardware-based cryptographic resilience for critical communications, a foundational advance for post-quantum security. The patented system introduces a trusted network switch architecture that maintains secure communications between devices, even under attack or when exposed to compromised networks. Unlike traditional encryption, which relies solely on software protocols, Forward Edge-AI’s solution embeds cryptographic verification and isolation directly into the network hardware layer. This ensures message integrity, authenticity, and confidentiality, even in environments where adversaries have advanced computational capabilities.

The innovation enables:

  • Tamper-resistant encryption relays between trusted elements
  • Dynamic re-encryption and authentication of data packets in transit
  • Hardware-enforced trust boundaries that isolate compromised components
  • Cryptographic switching as low as sub-millisecond when under attack—a critical breakthrough for operational continuity

Traditional security requirements mandate cryptographic failover within 30 seconds or less during attack scenarios. Forward Edge-AI’s patented architecture achieves switching as low as sub-millisecond under attack conditions, exceeding government specifications by orders of magnitude. While switching times can vary based on network conditions, ranging from sub-millisecond to as high as six seconds, the system consistently performs well below the 30-second threshold that no competing solution has yet met.

This innovation was made possible through U.S. Government support under Agreement Number FA8075-23-C-0003, awarded by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The government retains certain rights in this invention, underscoring its national security relevance.

Preparing for Q-Day and the HNDL Threat

As global cybersecurity leaders warn of Q-Day, the moment quantum computers can break today’s encryption, Forward Edge-AI’s technology addresses the urgent need to defend against Harvest Now, Decrypt Later (HNDL) attacks. Isidore Quantum encrypts data unidirectionally using AES-256 ML-KEM and ML-DSA post-quantum algorithms, ensuring that data captured today remains protected well into the future of quantum computing, a capability traditional one-way diodes cannot provide. “Q-Day isn’t a distant risk; it’s a certainty,” said Eric Adolphe. “Our patented Switch Isidore architecture provides the trust fabric needed to secure command, control, and communications across defense, finance, and critical infrastructure sectors in the quantum era.”

Isidore Quantum has been tested and validated in 23 pilots across the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Space Force, and Microsoft, achieving <0.5 millisecond latency and up to 2 Gbps throughput. The device consumes less than 8 watts of power, operates silently without fans, and is exportable under license exception ENC (ECCN 5A002). “Every competitor still has something in the lab. We have something in the field,” said Ross Coffman, President of Forward Edge-AI and retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General. “Given the federal mandate to begin the post-quantum transition by December 2025, only proven solutions like ours can meet the deadline.”

The White House’s Executive Order 14144 requires all federal agencies to begin the post-quantum transition by December 2025 and complete it by 2030. Isidore Quantum allows organizations to comply instantly, without disruption, re-certification, or re-architecture.

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Hisense Says That This Holiday Season, Size Matters

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 2, 2025 by itnerd

 This holiday season, size matters.

It may sound shallow, but when we are talking about television, bigger is most certainly better. Innovations in the space are rapidly advancing, giving moviephiles, series bingers, gaming enthusiasts and sports fans larger and larger screens from which to choose.

If there is a tech lover on your list, chances are good they will not be disappointed with big entertainment being delivered on big screens.

Hisense alone introduced five new ultra-big screen TVs or laser projectors to the Canadian market in 2025, each of which are a great option to add to the gift list.

Ultra-Large Screens

The technology in panel televisions is supporting bigger and greater screens, bringing cinema-quality viewing into the home. Hisense is the global leader in televisions with screens of 100 inches or larger.   

  • 116UX — A true game changer at a massive 116 inches, the 116UX is the world’s largest RGB Mini-LED television. It reproduces 100 per cent of the BT.2020 color gamut for lifelike colours and smooth transitions. Powered by the Hi-View AI Engine X, Hisense’s most advanced processor, the UX integrates dynamic light and colour management, synchronizing the backlight and panel for real-time optimization of image, sound and settings. Gamers benefit from 165Hz Game Mode Ultra and native VRR, ensuring smooth, responsive gameplay. The first-to-market RGB Mini-LED television, the 116UX is at the top of the portfolio that garnered Hisense the “Home Entertainment Brand of the Year” from TechRadar.
  • QD5N — An all-new 98-inch QLED 4K Google TV delivers vivid Quantum Dot colours, smooth motion and cinematic sound. It features a 4K AI Upscaler, Total HDR Solution, Filmmaker Mode, AI Sports Mode and Game Mode PRO with 144Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync™ Premium for ultra-responsive gaming. Dolby Atmos sound and a 2.1 channel subwoofer provide immersive audio. With Google TV, hands-free voice control and Bluetooth connectivity, the QD5N offers versatility for movies, sports and gaming.

Laser Projectors

It was a big year in the laser TV segment. For the sixth consecutive year Hisense held the top spot for laser TV sales worldwide, with a commanding 69 per cent market share. It has bolstered that reputation with three new laser projectors introduced to Canada in 2025:

  • M2 Pro Laser Mini Projector — A compact and portable device offering vibrant colours, fluid motion and 4K resolution, the M2 Pro is designed for flexibility. Powered by VIDAA Smart OS for easy streaming from top providers, it delivers a cinematic experience on screens as large as 200 inches. A breakthrough in portable home entertainment, the M2 Pro features wall colour adaption to ensure a crisp, vivid picture on almost any surface.
  • L9Q Laser Projector — Offering cinematic visuals, triple-laser technology and IMAX Enhanced / Dolby Vision certifications, the L9Q sets a new standard in home entertainment. The ultra-short throw projector and Ambient Light Rejection screen ensures brilliant images in any room, and the 6.2.2 channel Dolby Atmos system delivers theatre-quality immersive sound. The L9Q was noted by TechRadar as “a spectacular introduction” in the ultra-short throw laser category.
  • PT1 Laser Projector — Powered by Trichroma LPU Digital Laser Engine and AI technology, the PT1 Laser Projector offers lifelike colours, real-time image optimization and easy setup. The PT1 supports smart home integration and next-gen connectivity, transforming any room into a personalized theatre with IMAX-quality visuals and immersive audio.

Aside from new product introductions in 2025, some Hisense legacy products have earned top ratings from influential tech-focused outlets TechRadar and Tom’s Guide — and incidentally these products would make great holiday gifts:

  • U88QG* — Rated by TechRadar as the best mid-range TV, Hisense’s flagship mini-LED TV was praised for its “super-bright picture with precise local dimming” and “4K 165 Hz support with extremely low input lag.”
  • PX3-PRO — TechRadar’s best ultra-short throw laser projector, the PX3-PRO was recognized for its excellent performance and value.
  • U78QG* — Tom’s Guide called this the “go-to gaming TV of 2025” and positioned as “Best Under $1,000.” Praised for its 165Hz refresh rate and outperforming the TCL QM7K in brightness (SDR and HDR) and input latency.
  • U68QF* — Noted as a “terrific budget TV pick” by Tom’s Guide, the U68QF is described as an “affordable powerhouse of a TV” and a “clear exception” for its sheer value. Noted for good colour, terrific brightness, and two HDMI 2.1 ports delivering up to 144Hz playback.

*NOTE: Product codes may differ from those in the review, reflecting the difference in codes between Canada and the United States.

For more information, please visit hisense-canada.com.

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2026 Predictions From Leaseweb Canada CEO, Roger Brulotte

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 1, 2025 by itnerd

I have three 2026 Predictions from Roger Brulotte, CEO of Leaseweb Canada and they are as follows:

Prediction 1: AI Adoption Becomes Mandatory, Driving a Surge in GPU Demand and New Canadian Sovereign AI Infrastructure

“In 2026, AI stops being something companies experiment with and becomes something they cannot operate without. Last year many organizations were still standing at a distance, watching early adopters figure things out. This year the conversation shifts entirely. AI becomes essential for internal productivity, external services, and even competitive survival. That is going to create a major jump in demand for Canadian GPU infrastructure, especially for companies trying to train or fine-tune their own models. A lot of medium-sized and smaller businesses are going to realize fast that they simply cannot train modern AI workloads on their existing on-prem environments without blowing up their capex.

We’re also seeing a new pattern emerge. Labs, universities, and R&D teams are building and training models, then handing the commercialized version back to the customer through a licensing model or revenue-share arrangement. That shift speeds up AI adoption but also pushes organizations toward Canadian sovereign infrastructure, because they want assurance that their data and training environments stay within national borders. With the federal government investing heavily in local AI infrastructure and sovereign cloud, 2026 becomes the year when Canadian companies start saying not just ‘we want AI’ but ‘we need AI inside Canada.’”

Prediction 2: Organizations Finally Move Away from the Misconception That Hyperscalers Guarantee Sovereignty and Continuity

“One of the biggest misconceptions the industry sheds in 2026 is the belief that putting everything in a hyperscaler automatically solves compliance, sovereignty, and business continuity. Canadian companies are starting to understand that hyperscalers were never designed to guarantee Canadian data stays in Canada. Between legal exposure, jurisdictional questions, and the very real desire to keep national data under national control, executives are rethinking long-held assumptions. The news cycle has played a big role. Everyone is seeing outages, policy changes, and security incidents that hit thousands of tenants at once, and they are asking harder questions about risk.

As that awareness grows, diversification becomes the new best practice. Instead of trusting that a single global provider will protect them, companies are looking at hybrid models with a mix of colocation, Canadian infrastructure as a service, and selective use of hyperscalers for the workloads that actually warrant it. They want partners who pick up the phone. They want providers who understand sovereignty rules and who can build infrastructure tailored to their exact needs instead of forcing predefined catalogue options. In 2026, the industry moves past the idea that ‘no one gets fired for choosing a hyperscaler’ and recognizes that the safer long-term choice is diversification.”

Prediction 3: Hybrid and Multi-Provider Strategies Replace Status Quo Thinking as Companies Seek Flexibility, Cost Control, and Choice

“The most important advice for 2026 is simple. Stop repeating last year’s plan. The companies that future-proof their infrastructure are the ones that stop doing status quo renewals and start exploring the wider market. We meet too many teams who lift and shift everything into one cloud only to discover that the exact infrastructure they needed isn’t available, or the price structure doesn’t match their usage pattern. Once they are in, they start buying workarounds, and suddenly the cost balloons far beyond what they expected. The lesson organizations take into 2026 is that you need partners who ask what problem you are trying to solve before they tell you what to buy.

Likewise, companies are getting smarter about how they evaluate providers. They want flexibility, custom design options, and the ability to scale without being locked into one commercial model. Moreover, they want a partner who can support them not only in their home region but as they expand into new markets. And last but certainly not least, they want real human support – not just a portal. The winning infrastructure strategies in 2026 will be hybrid, diversified, and designed around actual workloads instead of one-size-fits-all catalogs. The only ones that will remain cost-effective, resilient, and competitive will be those that embrace that flexibility.”

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