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November 8, 2022
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CEO and co-founder
Learn what deepfakes are, how they are created and detected, and why they pose a threat to cybersecurity and society.
A deepfake is a portmanteau (more on that in a moment) of “deep learning” and “fake”. What is a portmanteau? It is when you take multiple words and combine them into a new word. For example, smog is a portmanteau of smoke and fog. So how exactly could deepfake affect you and your business?
If you take a photo, audio, or video and replace one person in it with someone else’s image, you’ve created a deepfake. If you create an audio file with a voice that impersonates someone else, you’ve created deepfake content. With today’s technology, this goes beyond cropping your face over someone else’s in a photograph. Current technology allows very realistic and believable content to be created. Content that never actually existed or happened.
The dangers and risks of deepfake content are simple. False narratives are created. That means that misinformation is spread, and that then leads to misunderstanding. It can include political content. Imagine if false speeches, behaviors, or more were attributed to candidates or leaders. Not only could that result in interference with elections, but it also could affect existing relations.
A person of authority is in a position to provide guidance, and that then gives us directives. If information is created fraudulently, perhaps it can be corrected at the moment, but it also never goes away online. Remember, if it’s online, it’s out there forever. And a deepfake falls under the same rules. But that’s only one part of the dangers this presents.
Deepfakes can also be used in cybercrime. The FBI warned that they have received and increased number of reports that deepfakes are being used fraudulently to commit crimes.
While you might feel confident that you can decipher between real and fraudulent content, or that you would never fall for a scam, statistics say otherwise. And a deepfake can affect you personally. Phishing emails can be accompanied by audio files that ask you to perform fraudulent tasks. You might identify a scam in your email, but what if you receive a voice message as a follow-up to that same request? Suppose you own a business, and someone files a false customer complaint or review of your product. This could have repercussions that you can’t easily prove as false to your customer base.
Humans are the strongest way to offset cybersecurity risks of any kind. Having strong training programs, enforcing behaviors, and being aware of the latest threats are strong tactics for keeping your business safe. AllSafe IT offers a complete end-to-end solution for keeping your business safe.
