The Impact of Deep Fakes on Business and Tips to Spot Them

Deep fakes- both the actual article and the phrase are everywhere right now. The rise of AI technology that is able to convincingly emulate the human face and mimic its expressions has brought with it a new wave of cyber crimes and criminals. The risk to businesses in a number of ways is huge and ever-changing- let’s learn a bit about it.

The Rise of Deep Fakes in the Cyber World

How deep fakes are created and their evolution in the cyber landscape.

Deep fakes are replicas of real, existing human beings created with incredibly sophisticated AI technology. Any person with a digital photo or video online can be seamlessly stitched into content that they never participated in. Although this tech has existed for a long time (Paul Walker’s resurrection for The Fast and the Furious), it has never been as quick, as effective and as available to the public as it is now. Identifying deep fakes is now more challenging than ever, and it is hugely problematic for a number of businesses and individuals in many ways. The impact of deep fakes on business cannot be understated, and since they are constantly evolving to be more and more convincing, it’s an uphill battle- especially for highly visible businesspeople.

Deep fakes are created using machine learning tools. The creator of the deep fake must train a neural network using real video footage of the person being faked. The network gains an understanding of how the person is likely to act, and what they look like in different lights and scenarios. It uses that information to paste a copy of the person’s visage onto an actor.

How Deep fakes Can Affect Your Business

Real-world scenarios where deep fakes have impacted businesses, focusing on potential risks to reputation, security, and trust.

Deep fakes cybersecurity London is now a necessary and booming industry, thanks to the sophisticated criminals now using the tech. In 2023, it was reported that fraud linked to deep fakes increased by 3000%. Facial and vocal recognition is being faked like never before, which can lead to customers and clients losing trust in businesses that cannot separate deep fakes from the real thing. 98% of the deep fakes found online last year were of a pornographic nature, which can severely damage the reputations of businesspeople who have a lot to lose. Even if a person is exonerated of “wrongdoing” after the fact, a reputation is a tough thing to repair, which can have a negative and lasting impact on any business.

Detecting Deep Fakes: Strategies for Businesses

Practical advice on tools and techniques to identify and confirm the authenticity of digital content.

Identifying deepfakes requires a number of advanced technologies that come from both the computer vision and media forensics fields, as well as employees being able to spot red flags.

1. Educate employees and management/ ownership at all levels. People in your business need to be aware that this threat is out there and be able to recognize as many warning signs as possible. They should know how to authenticate communications and what to do if they suspect a deep fake. Employees should know to look out for things like inconsistent lighting, strange or unnatural-looking movements, facial features or expressions and sound being out of sync with visuals where applicable. 
2. Use advanced deep fake detection tools. Facial recognition tech analyzes faces for any signs of stitching and manipulation and liveness checks that the person attempting verification is a real human,
3. Develop a comprehensive incident response plan. In the event that a deep fake makes it through your security protocols and training, it’s essential that you have a plan in place for a swift response. Your plan should include a lock-out strategy for the fake/ face in question, a communication strategy to reach the real client and a PR response if necessary.

Consult with Pensar IT for Training and Solutions

Pensar IT is at the forefront of deep fakes cyber security London and, as such, should be any business’s first port of call in the battle against cybercrime of this nature. Pensar can customize solutions for your business needs.

FAQs

• What exactly are deep fakes, and why are they a concern for businesses?

Deep fakes are AI/ machine learning-generated versions of real people. This is a concern for many businesses as criminals use this tech to access other people’s accounts and commit fraudulent acts.

• How can deep fakes impact the operational integrity or reputation of a business?

Since many of the deep fake videos and images are pornographic in nature, this can undermine a business or businessperson’s authority and respect in the eyes of other people. If deep fakes gain access to people’s accounts, this can make a business look unsafe or unreliable.

• What tools are available to help businesses identify deep fakes?

Facial recognition and liveness check software.

• Can training employees help in spotting deep fakes, and what should such training include?

Yes, it can. Training should include spotting fake lighting, unnatural physical movements and lipsync discrepancies.

• What steps should businesses take immediately if they suspect they are targeted by a deep fake?

Lock the account or individual in question, contact the real client and speak out publicly if necessary.