How are deepfakes changing the landscape of social engineering in companies?

As technology advances, digital threats also evolve, becoming increasingly sophisticated and difficult to detect.

Today, attacks that once relied solely on malware or phishing are becoming smarter, exploiting human vulnerability and trust in digital information.

For organizations, this means that protection is not just limited to systems and networks, but also involves awareness, training, and robust verification processes, in the face of an ever-changing landscape.

Within this context, deepfakes emerge as one of the most impactful and worrying tools of the digital age.

Based on artificial intelligence and machine learning, they allow you to create highly realistic but fake images, videos, and audios capable of fooling even experienced users.

With their popularization, this artificial content has been used not only in public disinformation and social media, but also in corporate attacks, expanding the reach of social engineering and requiring companies to review their strategies.

What are deepfakes and how do they work?

Deepfakes are digital content such as videos, audios, and images created, or altered with the help of artificial intelligence technologies to look real, but that do not correspond to reality.

Through advanced algorithms, it is possible to mimic people's voices, facial expressions, and gestures, creating a convincing representation that can fool even attentive observers.

The main feature of deepfakes is their ability to manipulate visual and auditory information in an extremely realistic way, making them a powerful tool for both creative purposes and malicious actions.

But for deepfakes to work, it depends on technologies such as machine learning and deep neural networks.

These systems analyze large volumes of data, such as photos and videos of a person, learning patterns of movement, voice, and expression. From this, they are able to generate new content that faithfully replicates these characteristics.

Open-source tools and commercial software have facilitated the creation of deepfakes, making the technology increasingly accessible and increasing the risks of its misuse.

In the corporate context, deepfakes have already been exploited in different types of attacks. Real cases include:

• Attempts at financial fraud;

• Creation of videos that simulate instructions;

• Manipulate reputation;

• Disseminate false information.

These actions are very dangerous and compromise the internal and external trust of the organization, requiring organizations to adopt preventive measures and reliable verification systems.

Deepfake and social engineering

Social engineering is one of the oldest and most effective forms of attack in the cybersecurity universe, as it directly exploits the human link in organizations, trust.

Unlike technical threats that attack systems and networks, social engineering focuses on people, manipulating behaviors, emotions, and habits to induce decisions that compromise security.

As a result, phishing, fake calls, and requests for sensitive information are classic examples of this approach, which remains relevant even with the advancement of digital protection technologies.

And attackers know that the most exploitable vulnerability is not in the systems, but in the people who use them.

Therefore, they study patterns of behavior, routine, and hierarchy within organizations to create convincing and convincing messages, which generate a sense of urgency or authority.

By exploiting the trust and haste of employees, they are able to obtain sensitive data, access to systems, or carry out financial fraud without the victim immediately noticing.

This focus on human psychology makes attacks highly personalized and difficult to detect with technical tools alone.

With the rise of new technologies, social engineering has evolved from traditional fraud to sophisticated digital manipulation, including the use of deepfakes.

Now, in addition to fake emails and phone calls, it is possible to create videos and audios that simulate leaders or co-workers, inducing wrong decisions in an extremely realistic way.

This evolution requires organizations not only to reinforce their technological barriers, but also to invest in awareness, training, and verification protocols, making the human factor an active ally in corporate protection.

How to detect and prevent deepfake-based attacks?

As deepfakes become more sophisticated, detecting and preventing attacks based on this technology is essential for enterprise security.

This is because organizations need to combine technological solutions with awareness practices to identify false content before it causes damage, reducing financial, reputational, and operational risks.

But for this to occur, it is important to understand that prevention involves not only verification tools, but also clear protocols and an organizational culture alert to the signs of digital manipulation.

Warning signs and detection methods

Detecting deepfakes requires attention to subtle details that may indicate manipulation, such as unnatural facial movements, mismatch between audio and video, or changes in lighting and people's expressions.

In addition to technical analysis, it is important to stimulate the critical eye of employees, teaching them to question suspicious instructions and verify information before acting, these actions can be done through recurring training.

Practices that reinforce the importance of training, so the combination of technology and human perception creates an effective barrier against sophisticated fraud attempts.

Authentication and identity verification technologies

Implementing robust authentication technologies is key to preventing fraud involving deepfakes.

Solutions such as multi-factor authentication, biometrics, and real-time verification systems help confirm the identity of users and executives, protecting transactions and sensitive data.

In this way, integrating these technologies into corporate processes creates an extra layer of security, making it difficult for counterfeit content to be used successfully.

This type of protection ensures that only authorized people have access to critical information, reinforcing trust in internal processes.

The importance of awareness and continuous training

Even with advanced detection tools, security depends heavily on the human factor, so investing in awareness and periodic training prepares employees to:

• Recognize warning signs;

• Questioning suspicious instructions;

• Follow verification protocols.

In this way, frequent simulations and educational campaigns strengthen the security culture, making people active allies in protecting the company, after all, a well-trained team reacts better to threats and contributes to a safe corporate environment.

What is the role of organizational culture and digital education?

The role of organizational culture and digital education is central to strengthening corporate security in a scenario of increasingly sophisticated threats, such as deepfakes.

This is because, when the organization promotes clear values of responsibility and transparency, employees start to act with more caution and discernment, reinforcing internal and external trust.

Thus, continuous awareness, combined with verification practices and clear protocols, transforms each person into an active link in the protection of the organization, making security part of the routine and decision-making.

In this way, connecting security, people, and technology is essential to create a resilient corporate environment. This means not only investing in detection and authentication tools, but also integrating training, processes, and effective communication.

When employees understand digital risks and know how to act, the company can reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen governance, transforming technology into a strategic ally, and not just a defensive barrier.

PhishX in the fight against deepfake

PhishX acts as a strategic partner to companies in mitigating risks associated with digital attacks, including those based on deepfakes and social engineering.

Through advanced awareness and monitoring solutions, the platform assists in the identification of threats, offers continuous training for employees, and promotes attack simulations, strengthening the human factor as the first line of defense.

In addition, PhishX integrates security technology and processes, allowing organizations to implement verification protocols, monitor suspicious behavior, and adopt better authentication practices.

With this, institutions gain not only technical protection, but also a more mature digital security culture, enabling teams to recognize, prevent, and respond quickly to any attempt at digital manipulation.

Want to know more? Get in touch with our experts and strengthen your organization's security by protecting your employees against digital threats such as deepfake.

How deepfakes are changing the landscape of social engineering in companies