It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say AI is changing the world. The use of this advanced technology has skyrocketed in recent years, making waves in all industries and changing the tech landscape as we know it.
And while there is a lot of excitement around the potential of AI – especially when it comes to avoiding human error, eradicating menial tasks, and making information more accessible – there is also a lot of trepidation. Fears surrounding the ethics of AI art, the climate impacts of AI, and what it means for the average worker continue to make headlines.
One such fear surrounds the use of deepfake technology. Originally created for entertainment purposes, deepfakes are extremely convincing fake audio, images, and video content, and they’re making waves in cybercrime, particularly through phishing.
In this article, we have explored how to deal with deepfake phishing activities.
Deepfake Tech And Phishing
Understanding the threat of deepfake phishing is the first step to overcoming it, so here’s all you need to know about the dangerous rise of deepfake phishing and what to do about it.
As deepfake technology continues to evolve, fake videos, audio, and images are becoming indistinguishable from the real thing. While this can create attention-grabbing results – often at the expense of politicians and celebrities – it is also proving to be a powerful tool in the art of deception.
Ofcom reports that 43% of people aged 16+ have come across at least one deepfake online in the last six months, and they are increasingly being used to carry out phishing attempts. With 91% of UK businesses experiencing at least one successful phishing attack per year, according to ICO, this new development is concerning.
What Does Deepfake Phishing Look Like?
Phishing traditionally relies on emails, messages, and websites to trick users into divulging sensitive data, often masking it as a legitimate company or person. With deepfake technology, these attempts gain even more validity.
Often termed ‘vishing,’ deepfake phishing can create realistic audio or video to impersonate trusted figures, including those within the company, like colleagues, executives, or clients.
Most people wouldn’t think twice about carrying out a request given over the phone by their CEO, but vishing introduces the possibility that this phone call could be fraudulent, causing unsuspecting workers to divulge data, payment, or information to malicious parties.
This can have serious consequences for businesses, ranging from financial and reputational to legal, as well as impacting the mental health of employees who fall victim. Here is how deep fakes work through different modes of communication like emails, video calls, and voice messages –
Emails Or Messages
Businesses of different sizes are losing billions of dollars to BEC frauds ( business email compromise). This fraud is also popular as CEO fraud. Thanks to deepfake, threat actors have gone one step ahead and made BEC attacks even more dangerous. The possibility of generating personalized messages makes these senders appear credible. Sometimes, they can create fake accounts on LinkedIn ( in the name of the CEO) and trap employees.
DeepFake Video Calls
Deepfake impersonation through Zoom calls can be really dangerous. These attackers impersonate someone familiar to you and manipulate you to share valuable information ( credentials).
Voice Messages
Deep, fake voice messages are already blurring the line between real people and impersonators. The attackers just need a 3-second clip of a voice message to use it against you. They can leave voice mails or engage in live conversations with fake voices. A 2022 study reveals that 37% of organizations had faced a deep fake call or voice message.
Protecting Against Deepfake Phishing
There are steps businesses can take to protect themselves against this new and concerning cybersecurity threat. Most of them start by building awareness about deep fake phishing activities and creating protocols to spot and report such activities.
Increasing Staff Awareness
First and foremost, employee training is vital. Everyone within the organization should be aware of the latest phishing tactics, including the risk of deepfake scams and how to recognize them. Holding regular training sessions ensures everyone’s knowledge base is up to date.
Employee Training
Employees must go through training to identify fake social media personalities. Impersonators on social media usually have many photos, videos, and audio clips resembling their colleagues or CEOs. Regular training can help them understand the difference between fake and real accounts.
However, deepfake videos, images, and content still have some inconsistencies ( especially deepfake videos). There are some levels of inconsistency in lip movement or jerky movement of the torso or the head. Organizations with a lack of training to teach these principles can opt for phishing simulation programs. It’s even better for organizations as their employees learn to report such fraudulent activities.
Adding Verification Protocols
Verification protocols like multi-factor authentication and secondary verification methods can also add an extra layer of protection. Stringent incident response planning can help you take the correct action regarding containment, investigation, and recovery of cybersecurity incidents.
All of these elements and more are covered within information security frameworks like ISO 27001, which are designed to encourage best practices and drive compliance. By prioritizing effective cybersecurity measures, organizations can ensure they keep their data safe, protecting staff, stakeholders, and customers in the process.
Conclusion
Deep Fake phishing finds its success in manipulating people and their activities. Their first step is to earn human trust by posing to be someone they know or trust. While it’s affecting people on an individual level, the impact of deep fake phishing on businesses is a huge one.
That’s why it’s important for businesses and organziations to conduct social engineering awareness exercises regularly. Such exercises will help the employees develop their sixth sense to spot deepfake phishing instantly.
They can develop muscle memory to understand a scam the moment they see it. The tactics mentioned in this article should help a business develop its frontline defense against such phishing activities. Did you find this article useful? Share your feedback through the comment section. Thank you for reading.
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