Never seen a Deepfake before? Watch this video first.
Without knowing what a Deepfake is you might think that Tom Holland and Robert Downey Jr acted out a scene from Back to the Future. The truth is neither of these actors got together to recreate this scene. With the power of machine-learning software, you can manipulate a video to have someone’s face overlap someone else’s face. You might have experienced a similar technology like FaceSwap on your phone. Over the years this technology has become drastically better and kind of creepy.
Audio Deepfake technology is also available for anyone to download. Artificial Intelligence can listen to someone’s voice, learn their speech patterns, and create new sentences using that person’s voice. Watch Ron Swanson star in Addams Family Values.
It’s no surprise that technology like this would fall into the hands of cybercriminals. In 2019 A German company was scammed out of $220,000 because of a Deepfake. They mimicked the voice of an executive and demanded the money immediately. It’s inevitable that ransom artists will start abusing this technology to trick businesses into giving up large sums of money.
Here are some ways you can prevent scams:
- Make sure all accounts are verified and have two-factor authentication
- Limit who has access to certain accounts
- Train employees on cybersecurity
In today’s world, it’s hard to know what’s real or fake. However, there are ways to spot a Deepfake. Look for these signs:
- The person in the video has unnaturally smooth skin or slightly off skin tone
- The person is not blinking at a normal rate
- Unnatural head positions
- Imperfections in speech. If it sounds like an automated voice message system, it might be a Deepfake
The best thing you can do is to trust your instinct. If something feels off, contact your employer or tech department. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
If you have more questions about cybersecurity send us a message. We would be happy to help make your IT infrastructure safer.
As our Chief Strategy Officer, Chris Roberts is committed to helping each and every one of our clients attain a higher standard of IT efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and optimization. He focuses on research and development in an effort to identify and harness the best IT practices for businesses.
