How to Protect Yourself Against Deepfakes

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a surge in AI usage. Artificial intelligence (AI) holds immense promise but poses significant risks, such as privacy breaches, existential threats, and security vulnerabilities like viruses and malware.

As AI advances rapidly, so do concerns about its potential misuse, including the alarming proliferation of deepfake technology, which amplifies malware risks and jeopardizes individuals, businesses, and societal trust.

Artificial Intelligence New Risk

Remote work in this generation has become more common as people find themselves increasingly connected online, blurring the lines between work and personal life. This behavioral shift unwittingly promotes a ground for cyber threats, with malicious entities exploiting vulnerabilities in corporate networks and personal devices. 

• Deepfake, powered by AI, creates believable but completely fake audio, images, and video. Initially seen as fun, others now use it to spread lies and commit crimes online.
• Deepfake malware is especially worrying because it tricks people and makes their online activities unsafe.
• Deepfakes differ from traditional photo editing techniques like Photoshop or Faceswap in their ability to create highly realistic and convincing fake images and videos using advanced artificial intelligence algorithms.
• Unlike simple face-swapping or aging filters, deepfakes employ deep learning models to synthetically generate or manipulate visual content to make it nearly indistinguishable from authentic media

This technology raises concerns about the potential for spreading misinformation and undermining trust in digital content, as deepfakes can be used to create highly deceptive and hard-to-detect fake media. The increased number of fabricated speeches and videos is deeply concerning, as such content may easily deceive and manipulate individuals without technical expertise.

What’s more alarming is that the spread of these deceptive materials can sow discord among friends, governments, and even families, leading to heightened tensions and conflicts fueled by misinformation.

How Does Deepfake Malware Works

Deepfake technology, which uses artificial intelligence to generate synthetic audio, images, and videos, has become increasingly sophisticated and accessible. 

Deepfake malware can be used to create compelling fake content for nefarious purposes such as:

Fraud/Impersonation: Generate fake videos of executives or public figures giving instructions to authorize fraudulent transactions or distribute misinformation.

Extortion: Create explicit, deep, fake videos and threaten to release them to damage someone’s reputation unless paid.

Disinformation Campaigns: Produce fake audio/video evidence to falsely implicate individuals or sway public opinion on political issues.

Deepfake technology allows malicious people to create deceptive videos that seem to depict family members or friends urgently requesting financial assistance, enabling them to dupe unsuspecting individuals through this novel form of fraud. On a broader scale, fabricated footage portraying prominent global leaders making false statements could spark civil unrest and trigger armed conflicts.

Notable Deepfake Examples

The rise of AI has significantly impacted various sectors like technology, communications, marketing, healthcare, and government. With unregulated access, AI can be exploited for malicious purposes alongside its beneficial uses.

As AI software evolves to enhance productivity, the prevalence of deepfake malware is also increasing, posing potential risks.

Below are examples of individuals impacted by deep fake technology, revealing the consequences of malicious attacks.

1. Gabon’s President Ali Bongo

In late 2019, Gabon faced a troubling episode when deepfake videos featuring President Ali Bongo emerged. These fabricated videos depicted him delivering his traditional New Year’s address despite his prolonged absence due to health reasons, sparking widespread speculation.

The intention behind these deceitful videos was an effort to create the illusion that President Bongo was still actively leading the nation, possibly to undermine the government’s stability.

2. Elon Musk Deepfake on YouTube

In May 2022, Elon Musk’s highly realistic deepfake video emerged on YouTube and other platforms, promoting a Dogecoin cryptocurrency scam. The fabricated Musk persona endorsed a supercomputer or AI trading platform, urging investors to transfer funds for promised returns. Elon Musk swiftly debunked the video on Twitter, stating, “Yikes. not me,” to disassociate himself from the misleading content.

3. UK Energy Firm’s CEO Impersonated

In 2019, the CEO of a UK energy firm fell victim to a deepfake impersonation scam. Utilizing voice-generating AI software, the perpetrators mimicked the CEO’s voice in a call with his superior, persuading them to transfer over $243,000 to a fraudulent account. The attackers insisted on an immediate wire transfer to a supplier based in Hungary.

4. Malaysia’s Economic Affairs Minister’s Physical Relationship with an Aide

In June 2019, a contentious video seemingly captured Malaysia’s Economic Affairs Minister’s intimate encounter with an aide. Although the aide validated the footage’s authenticity, the minister and his political associates asserted that deepfake technology had been employed to manipulate the visuals—a political slander damaging the reputation of both parties.

5. Philippine Leader’s Audio Stirs Conflict With China

This month, a fabricated audio clip depicting the Philippine President ordering military action against China sparked concerns among officials, who warned it could impact the nation’s foreign relations. The deepfaked recording appears to instruct armed forces to intervene if Beijing threatens Filipinos, raising alarms over potential conflicts.

6. Previous Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès Covid-19 Speech

In early 2020, an environmental activist group known as Extinction Rebellion Belgium disclosed a doctored video featuring previous Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès. The manipulated footage falsely portrayed Wilmès linking the COVID-19 pandemic’s spread to unchecked environmental crises. The group had taken actual footage from her recent national address on the pandemic and generated a fabricated speech with their script, using deepfake technology. 

7. President Volodymyr Zelensky Urges Military Surrender to Russia

In March 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a deepfake video surfaced depicting President Volodymyr Zelensky calling for the military’s surrender to Russian forces. As the manipulated footage gained traction online, Zelenskyy’s office swiftly debunked it, revealing it as Russian propaganda – exemplifying deepfakes’ potential as a disinformation tool in armed conflicts.

Mitigating Deepfake Malware

To minimize the risks of deep fake malware, organizations and individuals should take proactive steps such as:

Detection Solutions: Deploy deepfake detection tools that analyze subtle audio, image, and video artifacts to identify manipulation. For example, Microsoft’s Video Authenticator can provide confidence scores on whether media has been artificially created.

Digital Provenance: Adopt technologies that establish tamper-proof provenance records for digital files through cryptographic hashing, blockchain timestamping, etc. This makes it harder to pass off deepfakes as accurate.

Media Policy: Implement policies regarding the acceptable use of synthetic media within the organization and ethical AI principles for any internal deepfake development.

Cybersecurity Awareness: Educate employees on deepfake risks through training red teaming exercises showcasing real-world deepfake scenarios they may encounter.

Authentication Methods: Multi-factor authentication combines biometrics with other factors to verify identities and instructions rather than relying solely on audio/video communications.

As deepfake capabilities rapidly evolve, a proactive stance on detection, authentication, and user awareness is crucial to stay ahead of this insidious malware threat.

A collective, sophisticated approach is essential, blending technological innovations, regulatory frameworks, and educational initiatives. By grasping the distinction of AI threats and proactively addressing them, we can safeguard internet users and prevent the tide of emerging cyber threats.