In 2019, a video surfaced of then - US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi that appeared to show her in an impaired condition. The video was a deepfake featuring footage modified to make the Speaker seem intoxicated or unwell. Yet despite its inauthenticity, the video went viral and received millions of views on social media. Today, many users remain unable to tell the difference between deepfakes and legitimate media.
What Are Deepfakes? Deepfakes are synthetic videos, images, or audio recordings that have been manipulated using artificial intelligence (AI) to superimpose faces, insert new people or items, modify behavior, or change audio and dialogue. Threat actors may use deepfakes to deliver malware, pose as victims to obtain access to sensitive data, spread misinformation and disinformation, or cause reputational damage.[1]
Threat actors may also use deepfakes in schemes to extort money from potential victims. Earlier this year, a mother in Arizona received a phone call that appeared to be from her daughter. The voice on the other end sobbed, pleading for help before a man’s voice demanded a ransom of one million dollars in exchange for the safe return of the young woman. Shortly after, the phone call was revealed to be part of a deepfake kidnapping scam. Threat actors had used AI voice cloning to modify an audio snippet of her daughter’s voice found online.
How Can We Identify Deepfakes? When viewing an image or video, the following signs may indicate the content is a deepfake:
- Flickering and blurring, particularly in the outlines of the face and hair or when the face changes angle.
- An uneven skin color and texture, or a strangely perfect hairline or set of teeth.
- Odd blinking patterns and unnatural movements.
- Lips that are out of sync with the person’s speech.
- Unusual changes to the background or lighting
For audio content, the following signs may indicate a deepfake:
- Choppy sentence structure and dialogue.
- Inconsistent or unnatural tone.
Recommendations - Deepfakes intended to be viewed as legitimate media should not be shared, and users are advised to contact the web host. Users are encouraged to practice basic cyber hygiene to reduce the risk of being victimized and update social media privacy settings to ensure that only trusted individuals can view their photos and videos.
For more information regarding deepfakes, including a deep dive on how they are created, please review NJCCIC - Is Seeing Believing? https://www.cyber.nj.gov/informational-report/is-seeing-believing-a-look-into-deepfakes A Look into Deepfakes report.
This article is presented at no charge for educational and informational purposes only.
Red Sky Alliance is a Cyber Threat Analysis and Intelligence Service organization. For questions, comments, or assistance, please get in touch with the office directly at 1-844-492-7225, or feedback@redskyalliance.com
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[1] https://www.cyber.nj.gov/cyber-blog/deepfakes-a-growing-cyber-threat
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