Deepfake Creation Tools Proliferate on Darknet Markets

Modern marketplaces of the darknet and an emerging range of deepfake creation tools and services represent an aggravating threat to both individuals and big businesses, according to a recent report by the Kaspersky-research company.

Rising Attack of Deepfake Technology

Kaspersky Lab researchers have noted that the purchase and sale of deepfake development toolkits and services have been growing on darknet markets. The platforms are able to generate their own intuitive content by exploiting the generative AI to become deceitful and design fake videos, audio clips, and images in order to commit fraud, blackmail, and data theft.

According to the report, those statistics are horrifying, and it takes only a minute to make a fake video for $300, for instance. Furthermore, not only does the increased accessibility that is offered by AI and ML technology give the attackers the possibility to use their campaigns in an effective manner, but it also makes it possible for them to plan and act upon their designs.

Such deepfakes create fabricated images that cannot be separated from real-life individuals and possess natural speech patterns and realistic facial expressions, which makes their detection even almost impossible. However, a number of initiatives have been undertaken in order to draw the attention of the public to the dangers associated with the deepfakes.

Yet it is really hard to accidentally distinguish between the real and the fake videos. The survey by Kaspersky about Business Technology and Digitalisation shows that half of the employees who are META area users have rated themselves as capable to identify deepfake content, and the number of individuals who truly did is 25%. Such a gap proves the possibility of social-engineering for the organization or individuals in connection with the targeted deepfake exploitation.

Outlook for Businesses and People

The dangerous consequences of the spread of deepfakes are potentially a big threat not only to businesses but to individuals as well. This deviousness can use these apps to perform various financial fraud through rampant ways like impersonating CEOs and generating fake payments, and blackmailing people with disgraceful videos or photos. Moreover, the proliferation of disinformation and scams that are fueled by deepfakes undermines trust and security in the communication system.

Hafeez Rehman, Kaspersky’s Technical Group Manager, implies that to battle of the deefakes threat, proactivity has to be employed. He emphasizes the capability of using instant voice generation to impersonate people in continuation, he labels it as a potentially hazardous development. The Kaspersky Company suggests that individuals and companies should be aware of the particularities of deepfake videos and use tools such as Kaspersky Threat Intelligence in order to keep up with the pace of the evolving threat landscape.

Additionally, more attention should be given to the development of a more effective “human firewall,” which is the training and awareness of staff to boost their skill levels in exposing deepfake threats. Although these deepfake technologies advance their capabilities rapidly and their spread they become the major factor complicating digital communications security and undermining it.