Risk Management
FASB Advances Stablecoin Accounting Standards: 6 Votes in Favor of Starting Technical Agenda
FASB voted 6-1 on Wednesday to advance a stablecoin accounting project, focusing on clarifying whether stablecoins and similar assets can be treated as cash equivalents. This move stems from feedback on the 2025 agenda consultation and recommendations from President Trump's Digital Asset Working Group, aiming to reduce uncertainty in GAAP application.
MIT Report: Supply Chain Sustainability Remains a Corporate Priority, Policy Shifts Do Not Shake Commitments
The latest report jointly released by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) shows that despite significant changes in the global policy environment in 2025, approximately 73% of companies still maintain their supply chain sustainability commitments. Based on a survey of 1,203 supply chain professionals across 97 countries, the report finds notable differences between North American and European companies in drivers, data tools, and measurement methods, while also pointing out that supplier data availability is the biggest obstacle to measuring Scope 3 emissions.
Ransomware attacks surged 28% month-on-month in September, marking the first rebound in six months
NCC Group's latest report reveals that ransomware attacks rose by 28% month-on-month to 421 in September, the first increase in six months. North America and Europe accounted for three-quarters of the incidents, with the industrial sector suffering 29% of attacks. Despite an overall 5% decline in the third quarter, groups like Qilin and Akira remain highly active.
A Comprehensive Guide for CFOs on Leveraging AP Automation to Combat Financial Fraud: From Detection to Defense
With the proliferation of AI and deepfake technology, financial fraud cases have surged, placing unprecedented pressure on corporate CFOs. This article analyzes major threats such as invoice fraud, business email compromise, and fake vendors, and points out that AP automation, powered by AI-driven anomaly detection, role-based access controls, and full-process audit trails, can effectively identify and prevent fraud while reducing human errors, empowering finance teams to focus on strategic growth.
Inflation increase below expectations paves way for further Fed easing
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the consumer price index rose 3% year-on-year in September, slightly higher than August but below expectations. Core CPI was also 3%. The market expects the Fed to cut interest rates by 25 basis points at both the October 29 and December meetings. Tariffs continue to push up core goods prices, while the slowdown in housing cost increases stands out as a positive.
Tax Foundation: Trump Tariffs Raise Retail Prices by 4.9 Percentage Points
The Tax Foundation's latest report shows that tariffs imposed by the Trump administration this year have pushed retail prices up by 4.9 percentage points, with imported goods costs rising by 6 percentage points and domestic goods costs by 4.3 percentage points. The report cites research by Harvard economists published this month and quotes the foundation's senior economist Alex Durante, countering the administration's claim that consumers have not borne the burden of the tariffs.
AWS Large-Scale Outage Raises Questions about IT Resilience
On Monday, Amazon Web Services (AWS) experienced a large-scale outage that affected thousands of customers and multiple digital services. Despite mitigation measures taken by the company, services remained in a degraded state. Analysts noted that the incident once again reminded CIOs of the importance of multi-cloud and on-premises hybrid architectures, as well as recovery plans independent of the primary cloud provider.
Fortune 100 companies accelerate disclosure of AI and cybersecurity-related risks
According to EY's latest report, Fortune 100 companies are accelerating the disclosure of AI strategies and related risks, with board oversight rising from 16% in 2024 to 48%, and the proportion of companies listing AI as a risk factor in 10-K filings increasing from 14% to over one-third. Meanwhile, transparency in cybersecurity governance has improved, with over 70% of companies adhering to external security frameworks. Another report from AuditBoard points out that nearly half of companies face risk management challenges in AI implementation.
KPMG Bets on Agentic AI: Deepening Partnerships with Salesforce and Google Cloud
KPMG recently announced two major AI investments: equipping its global sales teams with Salesforce's Agentforce agentic platform and adopting Google Cloud's Gemini Enterprise across the entire company. This move comes as the Big Four accounting firms race to deploy agentic AI. KPMG executives stated that this is not just about efficiency gains but a reshaping of business models. Meanwhile, the industry also faces warnings about AI application failures, such as the AI error incident at Deloitte Australia.
Atlanta Fed: Tariffs may trigger 'substantial' upside inflation
Atlanta Fed economists stated that although the highest U.S. tariffs since the 1930s have not triggered a sudden surge in prices as expected, business surveys indicate the impact may be delayed but 'substantial,' with inflationary pressures potentially lasting into 2026.