Public accessibility to video, audio, and photo editing tools along with artificial intelligence (AI), deepfake technology will continue to grow. Most people utilize deepfakes for personal amusement; unfortunately, some use them to commit fraud.
The ability to create convincing videos has developed new opportunities for scammers who want to impersonate people of influence and trick others into believing something that isn’t true.
To steer clear of malicious acts, a fundamental understanding of deepfakes is critical.
What is a Deepfake?
Deepfakes are a manipulated form of media created through artificial intelligence. The technology allows users to create realistic images, videos, and recordings of people with the help of an application.
Deepfakes can produce synthetic media through machine learning algorithms. These algorithms analyze thousands of images or hours of footage to notice subtle details such as a person’s facial expressions and mouth movements. As a result, they can replicate and impersonate individuals to a certain extent.
The algorithm uses the information to build a neural network that can predict what the face will look like in any given circumstance. For example, deepfakes can predict what someone would look like if they were smiling or laughing.
How Do Deepfakes Work?
The infographic listed three simple steps of how deepfake technology works. However, there is more to it than simply uploading images and videos. This section will further discuss the process, highlighting two components: autoencoders and Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs).
Autoencoders are a type of neural network that compresses data into a low-dimensional representation. The idea is that you take an input image and run it through the autoencoder, representing that image in a much lower dimension—around two or three dimensions.
In order to reconstruct the original image from this compressed one, you run it back through another autoencoder that runs in reverse. This process is useful for deepfakes because it helps make the process more efficient by reducing the amount of necessary information to store and transmit.
By compressing data into a smaller representation, you can get away with storing less information and transmitting it over shorter distances—like sending videos across the internet or storing them on local storage devices.
As for GANs, they are generative adversarial networks. They are a type of neural network that creates deepfakes and other machine learning models. GANs consist of two agents: a generator, which creates data, and a discriminator, which tries to determine whether the generated data is real or fake.
The discriminator is trained to distinguish between authentic images and fake images by comparing them to known ones from the training set. In contrast, the generator is trained to generate photos that will fool the discriminator.
Uses and Benefits of Deepfakes
1. Art and general entertainment
People use deepfake technology for art and general entertainment in various ways, ranging from abstract images to fully rendered movie scenes.
Artists may use deepfake technology to create a piece of artwork that would be impossible to create through traditional means. This artwork could be something like an image of a person with a realistic face but an abstract body (two legs and four arms), or it could be something more subtle, like a Van Gogh portrait that’s moving.
People are also using deepfake technology to make art, remix videos, and even create movies. For instance, someone could take your favorite movie scene and replace the actors with their favorite celebrities.
2. Education and training
Deepfake technology has been called a game changer for education and training because it allows users to get an immersive, hands-on experience with the topics they’re studying.
If you’re studying history, deepfake technology can be used to create historical scenes and within them, the interaction with historical figures. Deepfakes can also bring life to figures that were once relegated to black and white photos or paintings allowing new ways to experience the world that is being studied.
3. Identity protection
Identity protection is crucial because hackers are constantly finding ways to steal personal information. Deepfakes allow people to set fake accounts to protect themselves online. Interviewees in news outlets or any public domain can use deepfakes to protect the person’s identity entirely. Instead of their real faces on camera, deepfakes use an AI-generated avatar.
4. Research
People use deepfake technology for research purposes in medicine to create realistic simulations of a real-world situations that can be used for training purposes.
Simulations can also allow doctors to practice certain procedures before they need to on real patients, helping to reduce the risk of making mistakes that could harm someone.
5. Public safety
Deepfake technology allows police departments to recreate crime scenes in a virtual format to better understand what happened and how the perpetrator got away.
This technology helps recreate everything from car accidents to more violent crimes. It allows police departments to study crime scenes at any time of day or night without risking the safety of their officers.
It’s also possible for them to examine lighting and weather conditions that may have affected what they saw when they were on site.
The Risks and Dangers of Deepfake Technology
1. Organizational or individual defamation
It’s possible for individuals or organizations to use deepfakes to aid with defamation because they allow for the creation of fake videos that are indistinguishable from real ones.
For example, a person could create a deepfake of a political opponent saying something controversial and then distribute it online. The video would be highly damaging to the target’s reputation, as most people would be unable to tell it was fake.
2. Spreads misinformation
Deepfakes are so convincing and lifelike that they can easily spread misinformation. The obvious way is through social media, where users can repost or reshare the video without any sort of verification process.
There have also been cases where people have created deepfake videos of celebrities saying things they never said, which may cause critical reactions from the public.
3. Social engineering schemes
Social engineering is a way for malicious criminals to trick you into giving them access to your personal and private information. It often involves tricking you into clicking on an email or text message link that will install malware on your computer or give them access to sensitive data.
Deepfakes are a new form of social engineering that people can use to trick others into believing something that isn’t true through videos, audios, and messages, potentially leading to phishing, baiting, and scareware. Moreover, deepfakes may also be used to conduct other malicious acts, such as hiring fraud.
4. Corporate fraud
As a form of AI, deepfakes can easily help a person commit corporate fraud and other crimes. The simplest way is creating a fake video of an established business owner in which they make a malicious statement. Criminals may also use deepfakes to take advantage of people who are working remotely.
It’s possible for deepfake technology to generate fake employees to gain access to corporate information. Using deepfakes for identity theft allows them to trick customers into buying products or services, posing a challenge to security measures.
5. Denial of evidence
One of the most concerning aspects of deepfake technology is that it allows people to create convincing fakes, which can make it difficult to tell what’s real and what’s not.
In any situation involving a deepfake crime, it’s easy for individuals to deny any evidence. A witness can present evidence, but the person in question can say that what they presented is false. It causes confusion and complicates cases further since the possibility of a false charge is likely.
How to Protect Your Organization from Deepfake Attacks
1. Provide media literacy training to staff
Preventing deepfake fraud starts with training. Organizations need to educate their staff on media literacy because it’s not just about protecting the business—it’s about protecting the people they work for and with.
When you’re constantly surrounded by messaging from advertising and marketing, it’s hard to know if something is true or not, especially when sources seem reliable but aren’t. The lack of knowledge can make a company susceptible to deepfake attacks.
2. Use biometric authentication
Companies should make use of a biometric verification system because it’s more secure than traditional passwords. Hackers can guess or steal passwords, but biometric data cannot be replicated without the owner’s consent. This feature makes biometric authentication perfect for protecting against video-based deepfake attacks.
3. Study deepfake identification techniques
Deepfake videos can defame businesses and ruin their reputations. They’re becoming increasingly sophisticated—so companies must take steps to ensure they don’t fall victim to this attack. One way is by studying and researching deepfake identification techniques.
Researching will help you understand what a deepfake video is and how it works; it’ll also arm you with information about some of the most common types of deepfakes and how you can identify them on your own so you know when something isn’t right or looks suspicious.
4. Keep accounts private
Anyone can use deepfakes to defame your business and undermine its reputation by using false content of you saying something controversial, for example. Hackers can also use deepfakes to get access to your account information and steal valuable data from within your company.
The best way to protect yourself against this attack is by keeping your personal and professional social media accounts private. A private account will prevent anyone from viewing your full profile, your shared images, and other details about you. This method adds an extra layer of protection that keeps strangers out.
5. Reduce posts
It can be tempting to share as much as possible on social media, especially when it comes to promoting your business. However, there’s a reason companies are starting to limit how much they post online, and it’s because of deepfake attacks.
The more you post, the more people will see what you’re doing. If that happens, it will be easy for anyone to create deepfake content about your business, especially if you post a video talking about your business or a hot topic. Hackers can also analyze when you post and where you often post, making you susceptible to deepfake attacks.
True or False? Real vs. Fake?
Technology has provided society with several benefits, but we must never take the risks they pose for granted. Deepfakes make it harder for everyone to see what the truth is. These days, people struggle to determine what information is true, and deepfakes can make things more difficult.
People have used deepfakes for entertainment, but they can cause serious harm to individuals and corporations. They can manipulate the truth by using AI, making this technology dangerous, so knowing what it is and how it works will help you be more aware online.
If you are looking for fraud risk management solutions to protect your organization, Q5id can help you out.
Contact us today to learn more.
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