The rise of deepfakes seriously threatens brand trust and reputation. As these manipulation technologies become more advanced, businesses must stay ahead and alert to potential damage and misinformation. To prepare for this new wave of digital deceit, companies need to be informed and alert to their vulnerabilities. Deepfakes use artificial intelligence to create realistic videos, audio or images of people appearing to say or do things they never did. The easy availability of this technology amplifies the potential for disinformation to go viral, with devastating effects on business. Such fraud increased worldwide by over tenfold from 2022 to 2023.
Companies need to address the following in their 2025 strategic plans:
Rapid Response Planning –Respond decisively. Start with an official statement from the targeted person that debunks falsehoods. Any deepfake social media video should be followed by a response video setting the record straight.
Cyber Reputation Plan – Identify a trusted third-party reputation service to track the digital footprint of the culprit and delete files off hosted platforms. Our partner Digijaks uses forensic data online to combat deepfakes and beef up web security to prevent future issues.
Legal Advisor Recommendations – New laws are addressing the prevalence of deepfakes, enabling politicians, celebrities, businesses or individuals to take action against deepfake creators and distributors.
Crisis Communications Planning – Transparency and education counter deepfakes. Customers are aware of the potential for misinformation and, when warned, are more likely to scrutinize the content and trust verified sources. Make this a priority for 2025 planning.
Digital Identity Security – Companies today need a consistent and recognizable digital presence more than ever before and now have the means to protect videos, images and other digital assets. Watermarking and similar security measures ensure authentic content across communication channels with provable traceability, thus bolstering trust and identifying deceptive content.
The potential for a deepfake attack puts every business on watch and ready for instant response. Don’t fall asleep in the foxhole.