Black Hat 2020: Open-Source AI to Spur Wave of 'Synthetic Media' Attacks

An abundance of deep-learning and open-source technologies are making it easy for cybercriminals to generate fake images, text and audio called “synthetic media”. This type of media can be easily leveraged on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms to launch disinformation campaigns wi...

Repurposing Neural Networks to Generate Synthetic Media for Information Operations

FireEye’s Data Science and Information Operations Analysis teams released this blog post to coincide with our Black Hat USA 2020 Briefing, which details how open source, pre-trained neural networks can be leveraged to generate synthetic media for malicious purposes. To summarize our presentation,...

Deepfakes or not: new GAN image stirs up questions about digital fakery

Subversive deepfakes that enter the party unannounced, do their thing, then slink off into the night without anybody noticing are where it’s at. Easily debunked clips of Donald Trump yelling THE NUKES ARE UP or something similarly ludicrous are not a major concern. We’ve already dug into why that...

List of Open Source Deepfake Detection Tools

After I posted about Deepstar a couple of days ago, I wanted to know if there are more any more open source out there. What I found was that most of these tools are written in Python and some even help you "create" them. I also stumbled across some tools that help you detect fake news. This post ...

The face of tomorrow’s cybercrime: Deepfake ransomware explained

While many countries are beginning to ease up on their respective pandemic lock downs—which, in turn, also means that everyone will soon ease into a life that is not quite post-COVID-19—we find ourselves once more on the cusp of change, an outlook that makes some feel anxious and others hopeful...

Deepstar: An Open Source Deepfake Detection Toolkit

Deepfake as a technology has been recently since June 2016 seen in the wild and has caused concern with a lot of people. A recently released tool – Deepstar is now here to help you detect deepfake videos. Where does this come into picture from a security point of view? According to me, it directl...

Facebook Cracks Down on Deepfake Videos

Facebook is banning deepfake videos, which stem from a technique of human-image synthesis based on artificial intelligence AI to create fake content. Over the past year, security experts and lawmakers have voiced concerns about malicious deepfake applications, particularly as a vessel for...

A week in security (November 18 – 24)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs, we looked at stalkerware’s legal enforcement problem, announced our cooperation with other security vendors and advocacy groups to launch Coalition Against Stalkerware, published our fall 2019 review of exploit kits, looked at how Deepfake on LinkedIn makes for...

Anti-Deepfake Law in California Is Far Too Feeble

Opinion: While well intentioned, the law has too many loopholes for malicious actors and puts too little responsibility on platforms...

A Deepfake Deep Dive into the Murky World of Digital Imitation

About a year ago, top deepfake artist Hao Li came to a disturbing realization: Deepfakes, i.e. the technique of human-image synthesis based on artificial intelligence AI to create fake content, is rapidly evolving. In fact, Li believes that in as soon as six months, deepfake videos will be...

California Bans Deepfakes in Elections, Porn

California has passed a law that bans the use of deepfake technology in political speech, and for non-consensual use in adult content. Deepfakes are a manipulation of images and recordings, created by artificial intelligence technology, that make it appear as if an individual is doing or saying...

A week in security (September 2 – 8)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs, we looked at a smart social engineering toolkit, delved into TrickBot tampering with trusted texts, and explained five ways to help keep remote workers safe. Other cybersecurity news A new Chinese Deepfake app is under fire for privacy concerns related to the use o...

News Wrap: Deepfake CEO Voice Scam, Facebook Phone Data Exposed

In this week’s news wrap ended Sept. 6, the Threatpost team breaks down the biggest news of the week, including: Cybercrooks successfully fooling a company into a large wire transfer using an AI-powered deepfake of a chief executive’s voice and Facebook, Microsoft and a number of universities...

Facebook, Microsoft Challenge Industry to Detect, Prevent ‘Deepfakes’

Facebook, Microsoft and a number of universities have joined forces to sponsor a contest promoting research and development to combat deepfakes, or videos altered through artificial intelligence AI to mislead viewers. The two tech giants—along with the Partnership on AI and academics from Cornell...

Chinese Face-Swapping App ZAO Sparks Privacy Concerns After Going Crazily Viral

What could be more exciting than seeing yourself starring alongside your favorite actor in a movie, music video, or TV program? Yes, that's possible—well, kind of, by using a new AI-based deepfake app that has gone viral in China over this weekend, climbing to the top of the free apps list in the...

Chinese Face-Swapping App ZAO Sparks Privacy Concerns After Going Crazily Viral

What could be more exciting than seeing yourself starring alongside your favorite actor in a movie, music video, or TV program? Yes, that's possible—well, kind of, by using a new AI-based deepfake app that has gone viral in China over this weekend, climbing to the top of the free apps list in the...

China Distributes Spyware at Its Border and Beyond

Plus, Cyber Command warns about Outlook bugs, Virginia criminalizes deepfake porn, and more top security news from this week...

Biometrics: Security Solution or Issue?

NYC – With more transactions occurring online – and subsequently, the number of data breaches increasing – biometrics are moving to the forefront in discussions as a top way to authenticate data securely. However, challenges remain. The method is not yet being widely utilized by consumers or...

Are Deepfakes coming to a scam near you?

Your boss contacts you over Skype. You see her face and hear her voice, asking you to transfer a considerable amount of money to a firm you've never ever heard of. Would you ask for written confirmation of her orders? Or would you simply follow through on her instructions? I would certainly be...

Detecting Fake Videos

This story nicely illustrates the arms race between technologies to create fake videos and technologies to detect fake videos: These fakes, while convincing if you watch a few seconds on a phone screen, aren't perfect yet. They contain tells, like creepily ever-open eyes, from flaws in their...