Threat actors can create deepfake videos of an employee in compromising or scandalous situations (e.g. sextortion) or initiate audacious threats like virtual kidnapping to extort money or favors. (Credit: TensorSpark/Adobe Stock)
As artificial intelligence capabilities advance, online threats are becoming more powerful and perilous. One of the most insidious AI threats to have emerged are deepfakes, a type of synthetic media where images, videos, or audios are altered or fabricated using AI technology.
How have deepfakes become so popular with threat actors?
Deepfakes can be deployed by threat actors to achieve a range of objectives. Some of which include:
Scamming individuals and businesses
Deepfakes can be easily mobilized in phishing and social engineering attacks. For example, a finance worker inadvertently wired $25 million to scammers after engaging in a live video call with a deepfake-impersonated CFO. Deepfake scams are said to have caused losses worth $12 billion globally.
Infiltrating organizations
Threat actors can use deepfakes to trick employees into giving up their credentials. Foreign threat actors have also been observed securing real jobs by faking their identities and gaining insider access to systems and data.
Spreading disinformation and damaging reputations
Social media is already awash in thousands of deepfake videos and images designed to spread false disinformation. Many leading brands and politicians have already fallen victim to deepfake content depicting them doing or saying things they never did.
Faking identities to bypass authenticity checks
Fraudsters are increasingly fabricating fake identities to pass motion-based biometric tests. It is said that one deepfake digital identity attack happens every five minutes.
Promoting fake investment schemes
Scammers have been using deepfakes of celebrities and finance experts to promote investment scams. For example, fake Elon Musk videos promoting cryptocurrency investments have raked in billions of dollars for scammers.
Bullying and blackmailing
Threat actors can create deepfake videos of an employee in compromising or scandalous situations (e.g. sextortion) or initiate audacious threats like virtual kidnapping to extort money or favors.
What Can Organizations Do To Detect Deepfakes?
Listed below are some best practices that can help:
Leverage AI-based deepfake detection tools
There are several and emerging AI-powered tools organizations can use to detect both audio and video deepfakes. These include DuckDuckGoose, Sensity AI, Deepware, Resemble AI, TrueMedia.org, and FakeCatcher. Choose the best one depending on your requirements and use case.
Ensure employees are trained and informed
Employees need education and training on how to identify signs of manipulation such as lip-syncing inconsistencies, unusual head, torso and eye movements, awkward speech patterns, strange body posture, subtle changes in background color, blurry videos, etc. They must also be taught to leverage tools like Google’s About this image and other fact-checking tools to detect signs of disinformation.
Secure identities of senior executives
Senior C-level executives are at higher risk of a deepfake impersonation. Organizations may want to consider adopting techniques such as digital watermarking or CAI standards so that digital content can be authenticated, verified, and traced back to its original source. This not only improves trust and transparency but also prevents bad actors from producing deceptive content.
Follow Federal guidance on deepfake threats
The U.S. government has published detailed guidance on how organizations and employees can detect deepfakes, tools they can use, and how to establish media provenance. The guidance also provides best practices on how organizations can train staff, forge cross-industry partnerships, and implement efforts to preserve the authenticity of online content.
Establish strong authentication processes
Implement authentication to confirm or verify any unexpected or unusual communications, particularly those involving senior executives, sensitive data, or financial transactions. Employ tools such as phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA) and zero trust to minimize the risk of identity fraud.
Form a habit of reporting deepfake media
Employees must report deepfakes immediately to security teams. Organizations should report manipulated media to the NSA Cybersecurity Collaboration Center or to the FBI (at CyWatch@fbi.gov). To remove online disinformation, deepfake media or imposter profiles, contact social media platforms directly.
The ability of individuals and organizations to effectively mitigate the threats posed by deepfake identities will ultimately rely on a collaborative effort between content creators and consumers. Both producers and audiences must take shared responsibility in understanding how to verify the authenticity of information presented through multimedia. Everyone involved in the creation, distribution, and consumption of such content should remain informed about the risks, as well as the tools and strategies available to combat these risks. Organizations and individuals alike should prioritize education and awareness to protect against the growing challenges posed by deepfake technologies.
About the author
A 25-year veteran information security professional with experience in the medical, aerospace, manufacturing and defense fields, Erich Kron is Security Awareness Advocate for KnowBe4. Author, and regular contributor to cybersecurity industry publications, he was a security manager for the U.S. Army's 2nd Regional Cyber Center-Western Hemisphere and holds CISSP, CISSP-ISSAP, SACP and many other certifications. Erich has worked with information security professionals around the world to provide tools, training and educational opportunities to succeed in information security.
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