Risk Management Show Deep Fake Threats: Why Executives Are Prime Targets with Joshua McKenty
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May 9, 2025 In this engaging conversation, Joshua McKenty, CEO of Polyguard and former Chief Cloud Architect at NASA, delves into the rising threats of deep fakes and AI-driven scams targeting executives. He discusses the alarming vulnerability of high-profile leaders, exposed through real-world cases like a $25 million fraud. Joshua highlights the psychological manipulation tactics behind these schemes and the need for improved cybersecurity training to combat them. His insights underline the urgency for organizations to adopt proactive defenses and rethink risk management strategies.
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Executives' Deepfake Vulnerability
- Executives are highly vulnerable because their extensive trusted networks can be impersonated using deepfakes.
- Cloning high-trust leaders amplifies potential damage due to the many people authorized to act on their behalf.
Multi-channel $25M Deepfake Fraud
- A Hong Kong finance executive was tricked into transferring $25 million via a multi-channel deepfake attack.
- Attackers used email, text, and a Zoom call with deepfaked video of the CFO and finance team to convince the victim.
Train for Non-Standard Scenarios
- Train employees on non-standard scenarios and unusual requests to create awareness beyond SOPs.
- Keep training frequently updated as deepfake technology evolves quickly, making old detection methods ineffective.