The RSA Conference 2024 in San Francisco is buzzing with talk about deepfakes, but experts warn that the current AI-generated synthetic media is just the tip of the iceberg compared to what’s on the horizon.
Kevin Mandia, CEO of Mandiant at Google Cloud, predicts that within months, more realistic and convincing deepfake audio and video will flood the internet, leading to a mass manipulation of people’s perceptions. Despite this looming threat, there is hope as security tools are emerging to detect synthetic media, with startups like Reality Defender winning accolades for their innovation.
Mandia emphasizes the importance of embedding watermarks in content to prevent deepfakes from deceiving users. He also calls for a shift in focus towards holding cybercriminals accountable by sharing attribution intel and naming individuals behind attacks. The recent sanctions against the leader of the LockBit ransomware group demonstrate the effectiveness of this strategy in deterring cybercriminals.
As the cybersecurity landscape evolves, Mandia stresses the need for collaboration between law enforcement, governments, and private industry to effectively combat cyber threats while respecting privacy and civil liberties.