November 26, 2024
Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands as both our greatest ally and most dangerous adversary. The stakes have never been higher, as organizations worldwide grapple with AI-driven threats like deepfakes and generative AI-created content while simultaneously relying on AI to detect and mitigate these potential dangers.
In this two-part series, we untangle these topics by examining the threat landscape, discussing AI’s impact through the lens of technology decision-makers, and considering Gartner’s recommendations to find the best solutions and recommendations.
Survey Results Highlight AI as “A Double-Edged Sword”
iProov’s most recent global survey – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly – gathered the opinions of 500 technology decision-makers from the UK, US, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore on the threat of generative AI and deepfakes.
This survey revealed a striking paradox: while 68% of respondents believe generative AI creates cybersecurity threats, an even larger 84% find it impactful in protecting against these same threats.
On one hand, AI-powered technologies like deepfakes have empowered attackers with sophisticated tools to impersonate individuals and create convincing false identities online.
On the other hand, AI serves as a crucial line of defense. For example, biometric liveness detection utilizes AI algorithms to identify and thwart attempts at digital deception by detecting manipulated images and videos (with better reliability than the human eye).
The Algorithm Arena: AI vs. AI
As AI-powered attacks grow in sophistication, so too do AI-driven defenses. This technological arms race is reshaping cybersecurity.
Cybercriminals leverage AI to create more convincing phishing emails, develop complex malware, and orchestrate large-scale attacks. Simultaneously, cybersecurity teams harness AI’s power to detect anomalies, predict potential threats, and respond to incidents with unprecedented speed and accuracy.
Unsurprisingly, deepfakes are now tied for third place among the most prevalent concerns for survey respondents in the following order:
- Password breaches (64%)
- Ransomware (63%)
- Phishing/social engineering attacks (61%)
- Deepfakes (61%)
The inclusion of deepfakes among these top three concerns signals a growing awareness of this emerging threat.
Organizations must embrace advanced techniques that adapt to the rapidly accelerating terrain of cyber threats, utilizing AI for the good of cybersecurity.
The Deepfake Crisis in Enterprise Security
It’s no wonder that the rise of deepfakes has emerged as one of the most alarming AI-enabled developments.
Deepfakes are a form of highly realistic synthetic media that can impersonate individuals with startling accuracy, posing significant risks to identity verification and authentication systems.
Our survey found that 47% of organizations have already encountered a deepfake attack – a number set to increase as tools grow in sophistication and accessibility. This rise may be driven by better detection technologies uncovering previously unnoticed attacks or adversarial techniques rapidly advancing, making deepfakes more widespread. organizations might not have even realized they had a deepfake problem until now.
The potential impact of deepfakes on organizations is substantial:
- 70% believe deepfake attacks will have a high impact on their organization
- 64% worry about the loss of sensitive data
- 61% are concerned about reputation damage
- 60% fear financial penalties or losses
Despite the clear and present danger, 62% of cybersecurity leaders worry their organization isn’t taking deepfake threats seriously enough. This disconnect between the reality and organizational preparedness is a significant concern.
Facial Biometric Solutions: The Frontline Defense
In response, organizations are turning to advanced security measures. A resounding 75% of surveyed tech leaders indicated that they are turning to facial biometric solutions as their primary defense against deepfakes.
The preference for facial biometrics isn’t merely a trend – it’s a recognition that traditional security measures are no longer sufficient to thwart sophisticated AI-powered attacks, as they are not verifiable or reliable indicators of identity. Bad actors can easily steal a password or intercept an OTP; even your voice is now prone to spoofing and variance over time (plus, it is difficult to obtain an authentic “source” to match a voice against).
Facial biometrics bind an individual’s face to a government-trusted ID, providing a high level of assurance that the user is the right person, in real-time. Facial biometrics are considered the most effective type of biometric solution due to their ease of use, security, and inclusivity.
Our survey reveals that organizations are implementing various solutions to address the threat of deepfakes:
These statistics demonstrate that organizations are adopting a recommended multi-layered approach to security, with biometrics playing a central role. Overall, facial biometric solutions with liveness offer a level of security that’s difficult to undermine, making them a crucial tool in the fight against deepfakes and other AI-generated threats.
The Evolving Landscape of Cybersecurity
Organizations are adapting their strategies to meet these new challenges:
- 68% have revised their cybersecurity programs to include risk considerations introduced by generative AI
- 88% have implemented policies on the use of new AI tools
- 83% have increased their investment in or budget for cybersecurity programs
These changes reflect a growing awareness of the need for adaptive, evolving security measures in the face of AI-driven threats.
In truth, it can be difficult to keep up with every latest development in the world of AI-based threats. That’s why it’s important to choose an identity verification solution that can monitor and handle those threats for your organization in real-time.
iProov utilizes AI for good: deep learning models, including Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), can help detect and match images. At the same time, computer vision ensures that the imagery belongs to a real person and not a deepfake, mask, or other synthetic media.
Critically, nearly all respondents (94%) agree a biometric security partner should be more than just a software product; they need to provide an evolving service.
Watch this video to learn more about how iProov delivers biometric security as an evolving and adaptive service as opposed to a static solution that is unable to respond to zero-day vulnerabilities and stay one step ahead of gen AI attacks:
Key Takeaways
- AI presents both significant threats and powerful defenses in cybersecurity
- Deepfakes are now a top concern for organizations
- Biometric solutions, particularly facial biometrics with liveness, are the preferred defense against AI-powered attacks
- Organizations must and are actively adapting their strategies to address AI-related risks
Looking Ahead
As we move forward, organizations must stay informed about the latest developments in AI and cybersecurity. The landscape is evolving rapidly, with new threats and defenses emerging constantly.
However, not all biometric solutions are created equal. iProov is the only biometric face verification provider to analyze real-world intelligence of threats. We don’t just help organizations fine-tune their defenses – we are the defense, actively staying one step ahead of evolving threats. By leveraging real-time threat intelligence and proactive monitoring through iSOC, we ensure that biometric systems are resilient, adaptive, and capable of countering even the most sophisticated attacks.
In part 2 of this series, we’ll explore how organizations can effectively leverage AI for good – to enhance security – with a focus aligning with Gartner’s prescriptive recommendations for combating deepfake threats, simplifying the process of biometric/liveness procurement for you.
