With the unprecedented move to remote working, businesses have fundamentally changed how they operate. This shift to remote working brings with it boundless opportunities for innovation, adaptability, and offshoring. However, there’s a flip side to this coin – where we see cybercriminals fine-tuning their attack strategies, graduating from traditional phishing attacks to the more menacing deepfakes.
A few years back, phishing was primarily associated with dubious emails, often with typos, urging users to share their personal details. Though basic, these phishing tactics bore fruit for hackers, taking advantage of unsuspecting victims. But, as organisations bolstered their cybersecurity measures and awareness campaigns became commonplace, these rudimentary attacks lost their sheen.
However, cybercriminals have now unleashed a more sinister tool: deepfakes. As explored by Todyl, deepfakes utilise advanced artificial intelligence to produce authentic looking videos or audio recordings. With minimal resources, they can impersonate anyone, from a team leader to a CEO, potentially misleading employees to divulge classified information.
Consider the ramifications. An authentic-looking video message from your ‘CEO’ discussing a merger, or an audio clip from a ‘senior manager’ sharing sensitive financial data. The avenues for deception have multiplied, posing not just economic threats but jeopardising brand trust and integrity.
For modern business leaders, being proactive is paramount. Continuous learning, continually investing in the latest cybersecurity infrastructure, and cultivating an organisational culture of diligence are vital to outsmarting these evolving threats.
In summary, with the shift to a remote workforce, cybercriminals have evolved their strategies from classic phishing attacks to more sophisticated employee impersonation techniques using AI technologies such as Deepfake, and it is your responsibility as business leaders to ensure your business doesn’t become a victim.
On Thursday 23rd of November we went live on LinkedIn with Pax8, to introduce a 3-step strategy to protect your business from these new types of advanced phishing attacks.
If you missed it, catch up on the link below.
