The Digital Resilience Lab, Issue #2 - Fake Cyber Attacks, Disinformation-as-a-Service and the Power of TikTok Edits
Yes, I’ve made it. 🥳
I stuck to my plan to publish a newsletter, so now here’s the second issue of the Digital Resilience Lab.
So, for this issue, we'll have a look at disinformation in the corporate sector, the increased threat of AI-driven fake cyber attacks and the power of TikTok edits.
#1: Disinformation comes in all shapes and forms
That's one thing we can take away from the the recent shooting at the Trump rally. Shortly after, there were several conspiracies going viral online from both ends of the political spectrum ranging from democrats supposedly being behind the shooting to this being a false flag operation done by Trump’s team.
While we’ve talked a lot about far-right conspiracies in the past, we currently see similar developments on the left/ progressive circles, which have been labelled online as “BlueAnon”. While the original far right QAnon “movement” has propagated numerous crazy claims, often involving high-profile political figures and wild theories about secret cabals, BlueAnon refers to a collection of conspiracy theories that tend to align with liberal or progressive viewpoints. BlueAnon conspiracies have gained traction online, fueled by social media algorithms and echo chambers that reinforce biases. These conspiracies can range from seemingly harmless theories to more dangerous misinformation that can influence public opinion and behavior.
"Ok, but so what?" you might ask. The conclusion here is that we need to be aware of this - as individuals, organization and societies as this development poses risks to all three.
#2: Digital Manipulation is increasingly targeting companies
Disinformation isn't limited to politics; it increasingly targets companies and institutions. False claims can be part of elaborate attacks to harm organizations or spread by individuals seeking attention. These campaigns can target products, high-profile individuals like CEOs, or entire companies.
For example, in 2021 TikTok and Facebook videos falsely claimed that Apple AirPods could cause cancer due to radiation emissions. Those videos urged users to throw aways their AirPods immediately. Kekst CNC even says in a 2022 report that FTSE 100 companies "are targeted with disinformation daily".
#3: Disinformation-as-a-Service (DAAS)
Today - roughly two years after this report - the issue has likely worsened. This is partly due to a commercialization of disinformation, where actors offer "disinformation-as-a-service" or DAAS. In this business model "PR firms" are hired to by clients to setup and manage disinformation campaigns, primarily in social media. These services includes creating, seeding and amplifying false and misleading content.
Although DAAS is already available at a relatively low price points according to different reports and research, the costs are likely to decrease further due to technological advancements and AI. Generative AI not only makes it cheaper, easier and faster to create harmful content, but it also facilitates the production of content tailored to specific target audiences, spreading it widely across the internet.
With further developments in deep learning, AI will be able to produce highly persuasive and realistic fake news, deepfake videos, and synthetic media that are difficult to distinguish from authentic content.
#4: AI-fueled fake cyber attacks are a risk to watch
Next to classic disinformation campaigns, attackers got creative and found even more ways to use synthetic and fake content to harm companies. One of those are faking cyber attacks. In these scenarios, criminals claim to have hacked a company and use AI to create fake evidence of the breach.
And even if the company doesn’t fall for the scam, the attackers might threaten to publish the fabricated evidence - inducing a reputational crisis.
A notable example is a recent fake attack on Europcar, where cybercriminals claimed to have accessed millions of customer records. Europcar refuted the claim, highlighting inconsistencies and the likely use of AI-generated data. This mechanism can be used for various reputational attacks, leveraging AI to create fake evidence and manipulate public perception.
Another instance involves Epic Games. In February 2024, a hacking group claimed to have stolen 200GB of sensitive data and listed it for sale on the dark web. The gaming company’s stakeholders closely monitored the situation online. Shortly after the alleged breach, the criminals revealed that the data was fake. Their aim was to exploit the reputation of a well-known brand to deceive other hackers into purchasing the counterfeit data, thereby making a profit.
If you are interested in learning more about this topic and have a look at more examples, I highly recommend this article by BLACKBIRD.AI .
#5: From TikTok Edits to Deepfakes
Deepfakes are a hot topic right now - and rightly so. Audio-visual disinformation is particularly dangerous, simply because we still give more credence to images and videos. But as technology advances, it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between real and synthetic media. And yes, deepfakes are also a real threat, especially to companies and executives.
Recommended by LinkedIn
Another tool that is less hotly debated are TikTok Edits. TikTok has become a powerful platform for spreading both information and disinformation, thanks to its unique format and widespread popularity. TikTok Edits are short, engaging videos often created using real videos taken out of context (or deepfakes). These edits are designed to go viral, leveraging the platform's algorithm to maximize reach and impact.
Due to the mechanism and remix culture, edits are shared widely and across-platforms, meaning you don't even have to create elaborate deepfakes. Again, the US election is delivering perfect examples of this. After the presidential debate, TikTok was flooded with edits. The edits mostly showed Donald Trump as a confident, self-assured candidate. In contrast, short clips of Joe Biden quickly went viral, showing him looking confused, old and frail - in keeping with the "Sleepy Joe" narrative.
So TikTok edits can be both a blessing and a curse. But as Ann-Katrin Schmitz recently said here: "Whoever controls the edits controls the internet". Companies should be aware of this - both for their own marketing and as a reputational risk.
#6 Expert Spotlight: Alan Shaw-Krivosh
So, now that we are all well aware of the growing risk of disinformation and synthetic media, one question really is pressing: What to do about it?
To address this, I talked to Alan Shaw-Krivosh. Alan works at the intersection of technology, politics, & security, specializing in digital risk and information integrity at Limbik . Previously, he was an Associate Editor at Dataminr, analyzing AI-generated public information feeds and delivering daily briefs on various topics to clients, such as election integrity, cybersecurity, and sensitive content. He holds a Master’s in Security Studies from St. Andrews and a Bachelor’s in Political Science from UCLA. Alan’s career focuses on enhancing digital security and information accuracy.
When asked about the biggest threats in the current digital landscape, Alan doesn’t hesitate. “Disinformation, misinformation, and malformation are the biggest threats,” he told me. He highlights the role of emerging technologies like AI and synthetic media in amplifying these threats. “The weaponization of information is a growing concern, especially with more sophisticated bot networks and deep synthetic media.”
While deep fakes are not the most urgent threat at the moment, Alan warns that their prevalence will likely increase. “Emerging tech like AI can speed up the process of amplifying disinformation, making it easier and more sophisticated.”
Despite the daunting challenges, Alan emphasizes the importance of resilience and countermeasures. “For organizations, building resilience and educating stakeholders is crucial,” he advises. This includes defining and communicating organizational values, engaging with effective technology solutions, and having a multi-pronged strategy involving cybersecurity, physical security, and cognitive security.
On an individual level, Alan suggests a combination of diverse information sources and developing a critical mindset. “Diversity in sources and viewpoints is important, and developing a critical mindset is essential,” he says. However, he acknowledges that maintaining a critical mindset can be exhausting. “There’s a balance to be struck – healthy skepticism without tipping into conspiracy theories.”
Alan’s parting advice underscores the importance of learning from other fields. “We can learn a lot from marketers. At the end of the day, everyone is vying for influence,” he notes. By expanding our understanding and strategies, we can better navigate the complex world of digital threats.
In short, here are four things to consider when dealing with disinformation:
Stay Connected and Engaged and Gather some Karma Points
Sources
Digital politics, comms, & risk | Measuring the offline impact of online activities | Ex-digital nomad & expat 🗺️
4moAwesome stuff! Was a pleasure to speak. Looking forward to the next one!
Congratulations on publishing the second issue of the #DigitalResilienceLab newsletter! 🎉 The topics you’ve covered are incredibly relevant and timely, especially with the growing concerns around #disinformation and #cyberattacks.