The Deepfake Battlefield: A Year in Review

For the past year, we’ve executed deepfake attacks against organizations to test their security resilience. We’ve attempted to bypass controls, impersonate key figures, and exploit vulnerabilities to answer one key question:

The answer, in most cases, is No.

The Growing Threat

Deepfakes are more than just a cybersecurity issue; they’re a human issue. They affect people at work, at home and even in schools, where students are beginning to feel their impact. This technology is evolving rapidly, and without proper education, most individuals and organizations won’t recognize the threat until it’s too late.

Our research shows that approximately 80% of organizations are vulnerable to deepfake-based attacks. Whether it’s initiating a fraudulent wire transfer or extracting sensitive credentials, our success rate at hacking companies (with their permission!) is alarmingly high.

The Role of Education: Why it Matters.

However, there is a silver lining. Our findings reveal that trained users are significantly less likely to fall for deepfake attacks. When an organization prioritizes security awareness, the risk plummets. While education isn’t a silver bullet, it’s the single most effective measure to mitigate deepfake threats. The knowledge can be applied both in the workplace and at home. 

Lessons From the Field

Our simulations have uncovered a few critical insights:

• Quality matters. The more advanced the deepfake, the higher the success rate. However, even small inconsistencies—like a mispronounced word—can give it away.

• Overconfidence is dangerous. Many organizations believe their security controls are airtight, yet we’ve bypassed all detection measures using a single CEO deepfake.

• Authority bias is a major weakness. When an AI-generated voice or video presents itself as an authority figure, 17% of users on average will follow through with an action that could lead to devastating consequences.

• Existing security tools fall short. Most defenses focus on email security, but deepfakes exploit social media, phone calls, video conferencing, and more. Most organizations are unprepared for this multi-channel threat.

The Real Solution: Context Over Clues

One of the most dangerous misconceptions is the belief that deepfakes can be reliably detected through visual cues alone. This approach creates a false safety net that may not exist in the near future. Instead, context matters more than clues:

👉 Is the request urgent or unusual?

👉 Is there a financial component?

👉 Is the request coming from someone in a position of authority?

Encouraging users to pause, question, and verify instead of blindly trusting is a great defense. This mindset shift can prevent attacks not just in the workplace, but in everyday life as well. Crypto scams are working, because a person of authority is being used to manipulate authority bias and trust.

The Bottom Line

Deepfakes aren’t just a passing trend; they represent a fundamental shift in the cybersecurity landscape. As criminals leverage this technology, organizations must evolve their defenses. That starts with awareness, education, and a proactive approach to questioning what’s real and what’s artificial.

You can no longer take things at face value. Literally.

Knowledge is your best defense.

About the Author

Jason Thatcher is the founder of Breacher.ai and has a background spanning red teaming, adversary simulation, and security awareness. Breacher.ai takes a human-first approach to deepfake defense by building awareness through simulations and practical training, instead of fear tactics. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn!

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