ZeroFox Intelligence Brief - Synthetic Media: A Primer

ZeroFox Intelligence Brief – Synthetic Media: A Primer

Product Serial: B-2023-03-06a

TLP:CLEAR

In this brief, ZeroFox Intelligence will provide an overview of the six segments of synthetic media with context, current threats, and recommendations for countering the threats presented by synthetic media.

Standing Intelligence Requirements

Deep Dark Web & Criminal Underground

For the most up-to-date list of ZeroFox Threat Research’s Intelligence Requirements, please visit:

https://cloud.zerofox.com/intelligence/advisories/14956

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Scope Note

ZeroFox Intelligence is derived from a variety of sources, including—but not limited to—curated open-source accesses, vetted social media, proprietary data sources, and direct access to threat actors and groups through covert communication channels. Information relied upon to complete any report cannot always be independently verified. As such, ZeroFox applies rigorous analytic standards and tradecraft in accordance with best practices and includes caveat language and source citations to clearly identify the veracity of our Intelligence reporting and substantiate our assessments and recommendations. All sources used in this particular Intelligence product were identified prior to 5:00 PM (EST) on February 28, 2023; per cyber hygiene best practices, caution is advised when clicking on any third-party links.

Key Findings

• The availability and sophistication of synthetic media capabilities have increased significantly in recent years due to advancements in AI and machine learning (ML).
• While technologies associated with synthetic media have many positive applications, each technology has the potential to be used maliciously—and threat actors have already seen the results.
• In recent years, tools and services dedicated to deepfakes proliferated to the point of commoditization across the open, deep, and dark web (DDW).
• Widespread use of synthetic media within the cyber threat landscape remains low, but ZeroFox Intelligence assesses the threat is likely growing based on ease of access and use of supporting technologies combined with an observed increase in utilization by cybercriminals and nation-state actors over the last 12 months.