Recent events in Southeast Asia point to AI being more widely adapted for Social Engineering. The bad part, these have proven to be successful. We’ll likely see a rise in Deepfake being used in targeted attacks towards financial institutions over the coming weeks. Think Crypto Traders, Credit Unions etc…

The most recent malware strain spreading in Asia suggests that AI Deepfake can be used to pass biometrics for bank accounts and fund transfers. Though not proven, the smoking gun is there.

The #1 thing you can do at the moment is spread awareness.

There’s also some easy steps you can take to protect yourself:

1. Consider your digital footprint on Social Media. The videos and photos you upload to Social Media could potentially be used against you or some one you know.

2. If you are uploading video to social media, especially of C-suite executives, consider adding soft background music. This makes it very challenging for the AI model to discern what is a human voice.

3. Don’t answer the phone…unless you know the caller. Let it go to voicemail. Those robocalls you get with a hang up could be some one recording your voice. Phone spoofing allows phone numbers to be faked and may appear to be coming from your area code. If you don’t recognize the number, let it ring.

Just a few examples of what is possible today with AI:

1. Face Swap / Deepfake Video: Attackers can use your face and impersonate you or some one you know.

2. Voice Clone: Your voice can now be cloned and manipulated to say anything with just 3 seconds of audio.

3. Image to Video: Images can now be turned into video, though the quality is not great yet…