As artificial intelligence (AI) technology continues to advance, deep fakes have emerged as a pressing concern for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). These AI-generated videos, images, and audio clips can deceive even the most discerning eye, posing significant cybersecurity risks that can undermine trust and security. Deep fakes are no longer just a technological curiosity—they represent a serious threat to businesses, including SMEs, which often lack the robust cybersecurity measures of larger corporations.
Dr. Andrew Newell, Chief Scientific Officer at iProov, puts it succinctly: “Deep fakes aren’t new… but the difference now is that the quality has reached a point where spotting them by eye is nearly impossible.” For SMEs, this raises important questions: How can they protect themselves from the growing threat of deep fakes? How can cybersecurity services support their efforts to safeguard their business and identity in an increasingly deceptive digital landscape?
In this post, we’ll explore the risks deep fakes pose to SMEs, how they affect cybersecurity, and practical steps that businesses can take to mitigate these dangers.
The Threat to SMEs
Deep fakes challenge one of the most essential aspects of business: trust. For SMEs, which often operate with smaller teams and leaner budgets, a breach of trust can have catastrophic consequences. Deep fakes threaten to undermine not only external relationships with clients but also internal processes, such as employee verification and secure communications.
Deep fakes can be used in a range of scenarios to exploit vulnerabilities, including:
Business Email Compromise (BEC): Deep fake technology can be combined with phishing attacks to create highly convincing fake communications from a CEO or manager, tricking employees into transferring funds or sharing sensitive information.
Identity Theft and Fraud: Cybercriminals can create synthetic identities or use deep fake audio or video to impersonate key staff members, deceiving clients or stakeholders.
Reputation Damage: SMEs are more vulnerable to reputation-damaging attacks due to their size. A deep fake video of a company leader making inappropriate remarks could go viral, harming the business’s credibility.
As Andrew Newell explains, “Much of human society is underpinned by the fact that we have identity, and we can verify the identity of another person, and that leads to trust.” Deep fakes erode that trust, which is particularly dangerous for smaller businesses that rely heavily on personal relationships and reputation.
Mitigating the Deep Fake Threat for SMEs
Given the rapid evolution of deep fake technology, SMEs must adopt proactive measures to mitigate risks. While large corporations often have dedicated cybersecurity teams, SMEs can turn to cybersecurity service providers for essential protection. Here’s how:
1. Leverage AI-Powered Detection Tools
Advanced AI detection tools are key in combating deep fakes. These tools can analyse the fine-grained details of an image or video at a pixel level to detect signs of manipulation. Cybersecurity providers offer these solutions, which SMEs can implement as part of their overall security strategy.
Newell emphasises the importance of relying on technology rather than the human eye to detect deep fakes: “We must shift to technology to reliably detect deep fakes. The answer lies in adopting systems that can pick up on details the human eye can’t.”
Pro Tip: Choose a cybersecurity service that offers AI-powered deep fake detection as part of their offering. This is particularly useful for SMEs that need cost-effective, scalable solutions.
2. Implement Multi-Factor Authentication and Strong Verification Processes
SMEs can protect themselves by strengthening their identity verification processes. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is one way to ensure that deep fake impersonations don’t lead to unauthorised access. Using video verification software with AI-based “liveness” detection can ensure that real people—not deep fakes—are involved in identity-sensitive activities.
Hack: Ensure that your cybersecurity provider includes real-time liveness detection in their verification systems. This involves asking users to perform specific actions (like blinking or head movements) that deep fakes find difficult to replicate.
3. Strengthen Email Security with AI and Behavioural Analysis
Deep fakes can amplify the effects of phishing and BEC attacks. By impersonating key individuals in an organisation, hackers can more easily convince employees to perform actions that could be harmful to the business. Cybersecurity services often provide email security systems that use AI and behavioural analysis to detect unusual activity or requests that don’t align with normal patterns.
Pro Tip: Invest in cybersecurity services that specialise in BEC prevention by using AI-driven email security solutions. These systems are designed to identify anomalous patterns and flag potential phishing attempts before they reach your employees.
4. Train Employees and Raise Awareness
While technology plays a critical role, employee awareness and training are just as important. Employees at SMEs should be educated about the risks of deep fakes and phishing attacks. By understanding the potential threats, staff can be more vigilant and sceptical of unusual requests or content.
“We must not place the onus of mitigating against deep fakes solely on the user,” Newell warns, “but education is still an important part of the solution.” Cybersecurity service providers can offer tailored training programs to help businesses stay one step ahead.
Fun Fact: Deep Fakes Aren’t All Bad
While deep fakes present significant threats, they aren’t all bad. The same technology that powers deep fakes is being used in positive ways. For example, the film industry is using deep fake technology to create natural-looking lip syncs for dubbing movies into different languages. This allows for more seamless and immersive experiences for international audiences.
For businesses, deep fake technology can even be used to create virtual avatars for customer support or marketing, providing a more interactive experience for clients.
Hack: SMEs can take advantage of deep fake technology for good. For example, consider using virtual avatars in online training or customer service to enhance the user experience, but ensure they are ethically used and disclosed.
Why Cybersecurity Services Are Crucial for SMEs
The bottom line for SMEs is that deep fakes pose a serious cybersecurity challenge, but there are effective ways to mitigate the risks. Partnering with a reliable cybersecurity service provider can help protect your business from these evolving threats, allowing you to focus on growth and operations without fear of being compromised by malicious actors.
In fact, many cybersecurity services are now offering tailored packages specifically designed for SMEs. These packages include a range of tools, from AI-powered deep fake detection and email security to employee training and identity verification.
Pro Tip: When selecting a cybersecurity service provider, look for one that offers deep fake detection, multi-factor authentication, and AI-powered security tools as part of their SME package. It’s an investment that will pay off in the long run.
Final Thoughts
Deep fakes represent a growing challenge for SMEs in Australia and around the world. From phishing scams to identity theft, the risks are clear. However, with the right cybersecurity services, SMEs can mitigate these risks and maintain trust in their operations. By investing in AI-powered detection tools, email security, and employee training, your business can stay ahead of cybercriminals and ensure your digital identity remains secure.
As Andrew Newell aptly put it: “We are at an interesting point in time… the threat of deep fakes has evolved quickly, and everyone is catching up.” But by staying proactive and adopting cybersecurity measures now, SMEs can protect themselves and thrive in an increasingly digital world.
