Deepfake

26th December 2019 | Cybrary

A Deepfake is typically used to refer to a video that has been edited using an Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm to replace the person in the original video with someone else (especially a public figure) in a way that makes the video look authentic. Deepfakes use a form of artificial intelligence called deep learning to make images and videos of fake events, hence the name deepfake.

Until recently, video content has been difficult to alter in any substantial way. Due to Deepfakes being created through AI, they don’t require the considerable skill that it would take to create a realistic video otherwise. Unfortunately, this means that just about anyone can create a deepfake to promote their chosen agenda. For example, a deepfake could be used to spread false information through a “presidential candidate”. Microsoft, however, has worked on an AI-powered deepfake detection software for this purpose. The tool can automatically analyze videos and photos to provide a confidence score that the media has been manipulated.

What does this mean for an SMB?

It is important to keep an eye on Deepfakes in the coming months, as security experts are saying it is the next tool in hackers’ toolbags. They can use Deepfakes to influence company reputation, influence politics, and potentially influence a companies stock price. At this very moment, there is not much we can do to detect these technologically, but there are some things we can do:

Look for face discolorations.
Look for lighting that isn’t quite right.
Watch the lips of the person and see if the sound and video are synced poorly.
Blurriness where the face and hair meet.
Do your research and educate yourself on Deepfakes and how they are being used by hackers.

Additional Cybersecurity Recommendations

Additionally, these recommendations below will help you and your business stay secure with the various threats you may face on a day-to-day basis. All of the suggestions listed below can be gained by hiring CyberHoot’s vCISO Program development services.

Govern employees with policies and procedures. You need a password policy, an acceptable use policy, an information handling policy, and a written information security program (WISP) at a minimum.
Train employees on how to spot and avoid phishing attacks. Adopt a Learning Management system like CyberHoot to teach employees the skills they need to be more confident, productive, and secure.
Test employees with Phishing attacks to practice. CyberHoot’s Phish testing allows businesses to test employees with believable phishing attacks and put those that fail into remedial phish training.
Deploy critical cybersecurity technology including two-factor authentication on all critical accounts. Enable email SPAM filtering, validate backups, deploy DNS protection, antivirus, and anti-malware on all your endpoints.
In the modern Work-from-Home era, make sure you’re managing personal devices connecting to your network by validating their security (patching, antivirus, DNS protections, etc) or prohibiting their use entirely.
If you haven’t had a risk assessment by a 3rd party in the last 2 years, you should have one now. Establishing a risk management framework in your organization is critical to addressing your most egregious risks with your finite time and money.
Buy Cyber-Insurance to protect you in a catastrophic failure situation. Cyber-Insurance is no different than Car, Fire, Flood, or Life insurance. It’s there when you need it most.

All of these recommendations are built into CyberHoot the product or CyberHoot’s vCISO Services. With CyberHoot you can govern, train, assess, and test your employees. Visit CyberHoot.com and sign up for our services today. At the very least continue to learn by enrolling in our monthly Cybersecurity newsletters to stay on top of current cybersecurity updates