Deepfake content presents growing cybersecurity threat

Deepfakes, AI-generated videos, images, and audio that mimic real people are rapidly evolving into a dangerous cybersecurity threat. These deceptive tools are not only undermining trust but also infiltrating workplaces. Mark Sly, the University of Calgary’s IT cybersecurity director, explains the risk to UCalgary from deepfakes, and highlights the need for vigilance in identifying and combating this growing threat.

“Deepfakes are a newer attack method that threat actors are using,” Sly says. “They create realistic yet deceptive synthetic videos, images, and audio — especially voice cloning.”

Deepfakes used in $25-million scam

An incident in Hong Kong in Feb 2024 illustrates the serious risk presented by a deepfake attack.

An employee at a multinational firm was deceived into giving criminals $25-million when they believed they were on a genuine video call with the company’s finance director, who authorized the transaction.

The deepfake video call was created using publicly available imagery of employees at the company.

Not only are deepfakes raising cybersecurity concerns, they also “undermine trust because it's hard to verify what's real online anymore,” Sly warns.

Recognizing the signs of deepfake deception

Sly advises vigilance on a video call for the telltale signs of deepfakes, such as:

• Changing background colours
• Unnatural facial expressions
• Audio that does not synch to images on the screen

Protecting yourself from cybersecurity concerns, especially being “deepfaked,” starts with being mindful of what you post online.

Social media’s gift to deepfake technology

Sly explains how the digital landscape is changing with AI because its ability to convince people has greatly improved.

In the past, people received emails that immediately drew suspicion because they contained mistakes, grammatical errors or the language used didn’t sound like the sender.

Now, AI can quickly analyze social media content and create profiles that mimic an individual’s unique writing and speaking style, making it easier to deceive people.

The threat associated with deepfakes makes this April’s Cybersecurity Month at UCalgary a time dedicated to educating students, faculty, staff and the broader community about the importance of safeguarding personal information and online credentials.

Tools to protect yourself

Cybersecurity starts with you. Be cautious and preventive by staying one step ahead of cybercriminals with multi-factor authentication (MFA). At UCalgary we empower our community to take proactive measures in safeguarding our digital landscape. 

Building a culture of cyber awareness, UCalgary equips individuals with the tools and knowledge to navigate the complexities of digital security. 

Access resources from the Get Cyber Safe campaign and UCalgary's Cybersecurity, Privacy Awareness, and Research Security courses to stay informed and protected. 

Together, we can build a resilient and secure community.