Many security researchers are now predicting that deepfakes could become a major security threat in the 2021-2022 period. Where is the threat and what can you do about it?
In recent years, there has been a recognition that social engineering plays a huge part in the execution of cybersecurity attacks. The intersection of “non-physical” and “technical” social engineering is where criminals are mostly focused today. Enter deepfake technology, which poses a looming risk over enterprises and their security leaders as they figure out how to prepare for and mitigate such a risk.
The New England College of Optometry (NECO) formed a COVID-19 Task Force and began exploring ideas to enable in-person learning at the school in a safe, effective and well-planned manner. One of the solutions that NECO implemented is a contact-tracing tool that allows the school to respond immediately to report of an infection, accurately and effectively, without relying on a sign-in sheet or a person’s recollection of their previous contacts.
The New England College of Optometry (NECO) formed a COVID-19 Task Force and began exploring ideas to enable in-person learning at the school in a safe, effective and well-planned manner. One of the solutions that NECO implemented is a contact-tracing tool that allows the school to respond immediately to report of an infection, accurately and effectively, without relying on a sign-in sheet or a person’s recollection of their previous contacts.
From the initial secured entrance to the overarching access control system, the emphasis is currently on contactless access control and door entry solutions. A myriad of technologies from NFC and smart mobile devices to facial biometrics will help play a vital role in what are now COVID-driven essentials. An integrated strategy for access control, along with tailgating mitigation options including turnstiles, revolving doors and mantrap portals enables building security to implement even more comprehensive control and prioritized security while making use of touchless credentials.
Since January, conditions across the U.S. have been running warmer and wetter than normal. The nation also recorded its first billion-dollar weather and climate disaster of 2021 — the deadly deep freeze that enveloped much of the central U.S. in February — and two tornado outbreaks in late March.
The Vanderbilt University Public Safety team is reminding students and staff that it exists to keep them as safe as possible and provide a welcoming educational environment.
Though extremism is not a new concept, the rise in radical and extremist ideals and incidents in recent years, puts this risk on the radar of security leaders across all market sectors. How can enterprise security professionals follow and stay on top of the threat of extremism and radicalism? With a strong understanding of their organization’s risk profile, security leaders can thwart potential incidents related to extremism that could potentially harm individuals, company assets, brand reputation or more.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), NASCAR, the Talladega Superspeedway, state and local first responders, law enforcement officials, and local businesses recently held a tabletop exercise to test response plans around hypothetical public safety incidents on the day of the GEICO 500.
Deepfakes –mostly falsified videos and images combining the terms “deep learning” and “fake” – weren’t limited in 2019 to the Nixon presentation and were not uncommon before that. But today they are more numerous and realistic-looking and, most important, increasingly dangerous. And there is no better example of that than the warning this month (March 2021) by the FBI that nation-states are virtually certain to use deepfakes to help propagate increasingly misleading campaigns in the U.S. in coming weeks.
It comes as no surprise that the number of deaths attributed to gun violence in 2020 far surpassed years prior and the trend is now continuing into 2021. Gun violence has been weighing heavily on law enforcement officials, especially after the recent riots and presidential inauguration threats. Organizations, institutions, government agencies, and public venues have the responsibility to take a more proactive approach in protecting their people. Now is the time for serious conversations around upgrading and modernizing security technologies.
CEO and co-founder of social media platform Gab said the site had suffered a data breach. WIRED reported that the far-right platform had more than 70 gigabytes of data, and 40 million posts, leaked by a hacktivist who self-identifies as "JaXpArO and My Little Anonymous Revival Project."