A few years ago, deepfakes were funny YouTube videos of A-listers spouting outlandish lines. Now they are being weaponized as very realistic instruments of cyber deception aimed at businesses at the executive level. What used to exist on the periphery of social media now finds its way into boardrooms, Zoom meetings, and internal Slack channels—with great consequences.
So, what does this mean for your company? And most importantly, what should leaders do today to get ahead?
Let’s get started.
ALSO READ: Preparing Your Business for a Post-Quantum Cybersecurity Future
What Are Deepfakes and Why Are They So Dangerous
Simply put, deepfakes are synthetic media created using AI—videos, voice calls, or images that impersonate real individuals with astounding authenticity.
Used for nefarious purposes, these capabilities can:
- Impersonate C-suite executives in video or audio formats
- Authorize fake fund transfers
- Spread misinformation to investors or stakeholders
- Evade website security using biometric impersonation
The most frightening thing? These attacks don’t appear as malware or phishing. They appear like you.
The Business Risk: Trust Is Now a Vulnerability
Business executives trust a rapid-fire decision-making process and high-trust communication. Deepfakes take advantage of that trust.
Picture this: your financial team gets a recorded voice message that is the spitting image of you requesting a wire transfer of money immediately to a “partner.” Or a video conference with a “colleague” telling the team to do something—only it was never made by that colleague.
We have become a world where appearance no longer matters.
How to Respond: Creating a Deepfake-Smart Cybersecurity Plan
Dealing with this new threat involves upgrading your strategy for cybersecurity to include digital identity manipulation—not merely firewalls and endpoint protection.
1. Set Up Verification Processes
Use secondary verification on all high-risk communications—particularly financial transactions and policy updates. A speedy call-back or secure message authentication can halt deception before it has a chance to gain traction.
2. Educate Employees to Identify the Unreal
Upgrade your cybersecurity guidelines to incorporate training in identifying deepfakes. Educate employees to observe audio delays, abnormal blinking, and irregular mouth movements.
3. Implement Multi-Factor Authentication for Communications
Protect your video conferencing software, emails, and messaging applications. Identity authentication should not be limited to passwords.
Curiously, technologies are also being built to identify deepfakes. Companies can use these to screen incoming media for authenticity prior to action.
Better yet? Implement enterprise-grade monitoring that raises an alert on suspicious activity in real-time.
Curious about how to prevent a malware attack? The same principle of layered defense applies: catch early, quarantine quickly, and reduce human error.
Go Back to Your Cybersecurity Playbook—Today
As this emerging threat vector takes flight, ask yourself:
- When did you last review your cybersecurity policy
- Do you have a social engineering attack crisis plan
- Is your leadership team informed about AI-fabricated deception threats
If your responses are fuzzy, it’s time to challenge your approach.
Deepfakes aren’t just an attack on your systems—they’re an attack on your decision-making process. That is the most threatening aspect about them.
Last Thought
In a digital-first world, trust is currency—and that makes it a target.
Business executives need to become skeptical communicators. Not distrusting all people, but creating systems that confirm before they act. Through intelligent training, technology, and cybersecurity policies, you can remain in front of this coming wave of cyber deception.
Because in the world we live in today, the best defense isn’t a firewall—it’s awareness.
