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This Month

📝 Newly created content: The Threat of AI-Driven Risks: Deepfakes and Scams

📝 Trending created content: Ensuring Compliance in Social Media: A Helpful Guide and Checklist

📝 Trending curated content: Make Your Risk Register Open to All Stakeholders

The Threat of AI-Driven Risks: Deepfakes and Scams

Artificial intelligence is significantly enhancing the capabilities of threat actors, leading to more sophisticated and harder-to-detect scams, as well as the proliferation of deepfakes. These aren't just theoretical future problems; they are present risks with practical implications for both individuals and organisations.

Deepfakes

AI enables the creation of highly realistic synthetic media, including videos, audio recordings, and images, where a person's likeness is digitally altered or fabricated. These are commonly referred to as deepfakes.

Practical Implications

• Misinformation and Disinformation: deepfakes can be used to create convincing but false narratives about individuals, companies, or events, which spread rapidly on social media and damage reputations or influence opinions

• Impersonation and Fraud: malicious actors can create deepfake audio or video of individuals, such as executives or employees, to bypass security protocols, authorise fraudulent transactions, or gain access to sensitive information through voice or video verification systems

• Reputational Damage: individuals and organisations can suffer significant reputational harm if deepfakes are created and spread that portray them saying or doing things they never did

• Extortion and Blackmail: deepfakes can be used to create compromising material that is then used to extort individuals

Solutions for Individuals and Organisations

For Individuals

• Cultivate a Healthy Scepticism: be critical of unexpected or highly emotional content, especially if it seems out of character for the person depicted

• Verify Information from Multiple Sources: Do not rely on a single source for essential or potentially controversial information, especially if it is presented in video or audio format on social media

• Look for Inconsistencies: while deepfakes are improving, subtle inconsistencies in lighting, facial expressions, blinking patterns, or audio quality can sometimes be indicators. (Note: Relying solely on this is becoming less reliable as the technology advances)

• Be Wary of Urgent Requests: scams often rely on creating a sense of urgency. If you receive an urgent request for information or action based on a video or audio message, verify it through alternative, trusted communication channels

• Adjust Privacy Settings: limit the amount of personal information and media available publicly on social media that could be used to create convincing deepfakes

For Organisations

• Implement Robust Verification Processes: move beyond single-factor authentication or verification methods that deepfakes can fool. Utilise multi-factor authentication (MFA) and consider knowledge-based authentication or physical verification for high-risk transactions or access

• Educate Employees: provide training on the existence and dangers of deepfakes and social engineering tactics. Employees should be aware of the potential for deepfaked communications and know how to report suspicious activity

• Establish Communication Protocols: define clear procedures for verifying requests for sensitive information or actions, especially those received via unexpected channels or in unusual formats

• Monitor for Deepfakes and Misinformation: Employ tools and services that can help monitor social media and the internet for deepfakes or false information related to your organisation or key personnel

• Develop a Crisis Communication Plan: Have a plan in place to rapidly address and counter the spread of deepfakes or misinformation that could harm the organisation's reputation

• Strengthen Account Security: Encourage and enforce the use of strong, unique passwords and multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all social media and sensitive accounts

AI-Powered Scams

AI is being used to make various types of online scams more effective and personalised. This includes enhancing phishing attempts, creating more convincing fake profiles, and automating malicious activities.

Practical Implications

• More Convincing Phishing Attacks: AI can generate highly personalised phishing emails and messages that are grammatically correct and contextually relevant, making them harder to identify as fraudulent

• Automated Account Compromise: AI can be used to automate the process of guessing passwords or exploiting software vulnerabilities to gain unauthorised access to social media accounts and other online services

• Scalable Malicious Campaigns: AI enables threat actors to launch and manage large-scale scam campaigns more efficiently, targeting a greater number of individuals simultaneously

• Evolving Malware and Exploits: AI can assist in the development of more sophisticated malware and the identification of zero-day vulnerabilities in software.

Solutions for Individuals and Organisations

For Individuals

• Enhanced Vigilance Regarding Phishing: be extremely cautious of unsolicited messages, emails, or links, even if they appear to come from known contacts or organisations. Always double-check the sender's address and the legitimacy of links before clicking

• Use Strong, Unique Passwords and MFA: this remains a fundamental defence against automated attacks

• Be Sceptical of Unexpected Contact: If contacted unexpectedly by someone you know with an unusual request, verify their identity and the request through a different communication method

• Update Software and Applications: regularly update operating systems, web browsers, and applications, as updates often include security patches that address known vulnerabilities that AI could exploit

For Organisations

• Implement Advanced Email and Threat Filtering: utilise AI-powered security solutions that can detect and block sophisticated phishing attempts and malware

• Conduct Regular Security Awareness Training: Train employees on the latest phishing techniques and social engineering tactics, emphasising the role of AI in making them more convincing

• Deploy Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Solutions: EDR systems can use AI and behavioural analysis to detect and respond to malicious activity on devices that might result from successful phishing or malware attacks

• Strengthen Access Controls: implement the principle of least privilege to limit employees' access to sensitive data and systems, reducing the potential impact of an account compromise

• Regularly Audit and Monitor User Activity: utilise AI-powered monitoring tools to detect anomalous user behaviour that might indicate a compromised account or an ongoing attack

• Develop and Practice Incident Response Plans: Be prepared to respond quickly to security incidents, including those that may result from AI-driven attacks

Final Thoughts

By understanding how AI is being used to enhance deepfakes and scams, individuals and organisations can implement targeted solutions to mitigate these growing risks. The key is a combination of technological defences, user education, and robust security protocols.

Ensuring Compliance in Social Media: A Helpful Guide and Checklist

Time moves fast, and fads and trends seem to come and go in the blink of an eye. Adhering to the myriad regulations and guidelines for social media is no mean feat.

However, whether you are an experienced social media manager or are new to the scene, the underlying importance of social media compliance in social media management cannot be overstated.

Maintaining social media compliance safeguards your brand and customer trust in the long run.

This article will explore the different components of social media compliance, the risks associated with various social media violations, and strategies for managing compliance.

To learn more, read the full article here.

Make Your Risk Register Open to All Stakeholders

A stakeholder analysis is a critical tool for any organisation. It allows for the identification and understanding of the interests and concerns of the different groups that have a stake in an organisation’s success. This understanding will enable the management of those groups to meet their needs effectively.

There are several things to consider when performing a stakeholder analysis. First, it’s essential to identify all the groups that could be affected by your decisions or actions. This includes customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers, regulatory bodies, and community members. Second, it’s also essential to understand each group’s objectives and priorities. This will help you determine which issues are most important to them and how to address them effectively.

To find out more, read the full article here.

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