The Doppelganger in the Boardroom
Have you ever seen the 1982 film “The Thing?”
The premise is simple. A group of American researchers in Antarctica encounter an extraterrestrial life form that assimilates into their group by mimicking other organisms. Without a reliable way of detecting whether someone is human, the film descends into chaos as the researchers learn that any one of them could be “the Thing.”
AI deepfakes are eerily similar. Imagine receiving an email from your boss marked “urgent!” You open it, and he asks you to send a large sum of money to one of your trusted vendors immediately because an invoice is overdue. You clock this as suspicious, because your boss wouldn’t typically ask you to do something like this. Then he calls you on Teams and makes the same request. Because you can see and hear him, you decide to trust the request and send the money without questioning it. Except it wasn’t your boss. It was an AI deepfake imitating your boss to trick you into doing its bidding.
Deepfakes: The Shapeshifters of the Cyberworld
Deepfakes are a relatively new phenomenon that have emerged alongside the rise of AI. They are forms of media, usually video clips, audio clips, or images, that have been created using AI to appear convincingly real. They take on the identity of someone you can trust, by mimicking faces, voices, and movements.
Any images, videos, or voice samples of you that are available online can potentially be used to create a deepfake. Deepfake creation starts with collecting photos and videos of the target from different angles, under various lighting conditions, and with a range of facial expressions. Voice samples can then be used to model the pitch, cadence, and the tone of the target person’s speech. Once the AI is trained, it can begin producing fake content in a variety of forms.
Examples of Deepfake Usage
The scenario presented in the introduction wasn’t just made up for a blog post. It happened in real life and cost the company $25 million. Beyond scamming you out of your life’s savings, deepfakes have other sinister uses.
Fake News and Misinformation – Imagine scrolling through social media and seeing a video of former President Obama delivering a public service announcement. Everything seems normal, until he suddenly starts spewing profanities left and right. This was an actual deepfake created by Jordan Peele to warn the public about the technology.
Bypassing Authentication – Deepfakes can be used to bypass facial and voice recognition systems by mimicking a person’s voice and appearance. This can give cybercriminals access to critical systems, data, and financial information, leaving your organization incredibly vulnerable.
Nonconsensual Image Distribution – One of the most concerning uses of deepfakes is when AI tools are used to superimpose someone’s face onto content without their consent. This often targets celebrities, influencers, and most disturbingly, minors. These images can then be used for blackmail or harassment.
Deepfake Busters: How to Catch a Deepfake
Want to know the scariest part about all of this?
Deepfake detection tools are still in their infancy, and there is no completely reliable way to catch every single one of them. Solutions do exist that analyze images and videos for signs of deepfakes, but many rely on indicators that you can also look for yourself.
In addition to cybersecurity measures such as MFA, identity and access controls, and payment safeguards, one of the other ways you can check if someone is a deepfake is by calling the person directly. AI deepfakes often imitate prominent people within a company because large amounts of public data may be more readily available about them. If your CEO emails you with an urgent request that seems unusual, don’t wait for a follow-up call. Instead, use your secure employee directory, and call the number that you know is trustworthy.
If you ever do find yourself in a situation where you suspect a deepfake, keep an eye out for inconsistencies. Skin that is too smooth, mouth movements that don’t quite sync up, and strange background motion, are all signs that may indicate a deepfake. A deepfake can mimic a human, but it still cannot fully capture the essence of who that person is. Remember that if something feels off, it probably is, and there’s absolutely no harm in double checking. Taking a moment to verify the request could save you and your organization a great deal of hassle and heartache in the long run.
