ZeroFox Intelligence Brief - Synthetic Media Notable Attacks

Product Serial: B-2023-04-12a

TLP:CLEAR

In this brief, ZeroFox Intelligence provides an overview of notable synthetic media attacks. As synthetic media creation tools become increasingly sophisticated, accessible, and affordable, threat actors will be more likely to utilize this technology to enhance and diversify existing threats.

Standing Intelligence Requirements

Deep Dark Web and Criminal Underground DDW

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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 4:00 PM (EDT) on April 5, 2023; per cyber hygiene best practices, caution is advised when clicking on any third-party links.

Key Findings

Since 2021, cybercriminals have been increasingly using synthetic media to conduct more convincing social engineering campaigns used in financial fraud scams.
Synthetic media technology has been used in various cryptocurrency scams to create deepfake videos of prominent figures in the industry, impersonate customer service representatives of cryptocurrency exchanges, and create fake news stories and social media posts that make it difficult for cryptocurrency investors to differentiate between real and fake information.
Nation-state actors, including those from Russia and China, have utilized synthetic media technology for political manipulation and propaganda purposes, while hackers have used it for espionage and social engineering attacks; the use of synthetic media in such attacks increases their chances of success by making fake personas more convincing and difficult to detect.
The increasing prevalence of synthetic media technology has raised concerns about its potential impact on political campaigns, democratic processes, and geopolitical landscapes; manipulated videos can be used to spread false information, influence public opinion, and even sway election results.
The FBI, CISA, and WEF have issued warnings about the potential risks of synthetic media technology, including the use of deepfakes for financial fraud and identity theft, as well as the manipulation of public opinion and interference with democratic processes. Various organizations, including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Microsoft, and Facebook, are developing tools and technologies to detect and combat deepfakes.