Latest news with #digitaltrust
Zawya
10-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
AI-Generated Media Drives Real-World Fraud, Identity Theft, and Business Compromise
Trend Micro uncovers the criminal playbook for deepfake-enabled cybercrime HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 10 July 2025 - Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global cybersecurity leader, today released a new report exposing the scale and maturity of deepfake-enabled cybercrime. As generative AI tools become more powerful, affordable, and accessible, cybercriminals are rapidly adopting them to support attacks, ranging from business fraud to extortion and identity theft. To read the full report, Deepfake it 'til You Make It: A Comprehensive View of the New AI Criminal Toolset, please visit: The report shows how deepfakes have moved beyond hype into real-world exploitation, undermining digital trust, exposing companies to new risks, and accelerating the business models of cybercriminals. Tony Lee, Head of Consulting, Hong Kong & Macau, at Trend:"AI-generated media is not just a future risk, it's a real business threat. We're seeing executives impersonated, hiring processes compromised, and financial safeguards bypassed with alarming ease. This research is a wake up call—if businesses are not proactively preparing for the deepfake era, they're already behind. In a world where seeing is no longer believing, digital trust must be rebuilt from the ground up." The research found that threat actors no longer need underground expertise to launch convincing attacks. Instead, they are using off-the-shelf video, audio, and image generation platforms, many of which are marketed to content creators, to generate realistic deepfakes that deceive both individuals and organizations. These tools are inexpensive, easy to use, and increasingly capable of bypassing identity verification systems and security controls. The report outlines a growing cybercriminal ecosystem where these platforms are used to execute convincing scams, including: CEO fraud has become increasingly harder to detect as attackers use deepfake audio or video to impersonate senior leaders in real-time meetings. Recruitment processes are being compromised by fake candidates who use AI to pass interviews and gain unauthorized access to internal systems. Financial services firms are seeing a surge in deepfake attempts to bypass KYC (Know Your Customer) checks, enabling anonymous money laundering through falsified credentials. The criminal underground is actively trading tutorials, toolkits, and services to streamline these operations. From step-by-step playbooks for bypassing onboarding procedures to plug-and-play face-swapping tools, the barrier to entry is now minimal. As deepfake-enabled scams grow in frequency and complexity, businesses are urged to take proactive steps to minimize their risk exposure and protect their people and processes. This includes educating staff on social engineering risks, reviewing authentication workflows, and exploring detection solutions for synthetic #trendmicro #trendvisionone #visionone #cybersecurity The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About Trend Micro Trend Micro, a global cybersecurity leader, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Fueled by decades of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro's cybersecurity platform protects hundreds of thousands of organizations and millions of individuals across clouds, networks, devices, and endpoints. As a leader in cloud and enterprise cybersecurity, the platform delivers a powerful range of advanced threat defense techniques optimized for environments like AWS, Microsoft, and Google, and central visibility for better, faster detection and response. With 7,000 employees across 65 countries, Trend Micro enables organizations to simplify and secure their connected world. Trend Micro
Forbes
09-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How AI And OSINT Can Help Rebuild Trust In Media
Ivan Shkvarun is the CEO and Co-founder of the data-driven investigation company Social Links (USA). Digital media is facing a trust crisis. According to the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, media ranks as the least trusted innovation-driving industry, and only 40% of people trust the news they consume. The World Economic Forum's 2024 Global Risks Report even ranked disinformation as the world's top risk in the coming two years. Ironically, the same technology that eroded digital trust—AI—is now being used with open-source intelligence (OSINT) to verify content and rebuild trust online. The Trust Crisis The role of AI in creating and distributing misinformation is hard to ignore. Recently, over 9,000 Facebook pages were removed after Australians lost $43.4 million to celebrity deepfakes. A few other high-profile incidents included AI-generated explicit images of Taylor Swift, a deep fake audio of London Mayor Sadiq Khan criticizing Armistice Day parades and a fake video call resulting in a finance worker transferring $25 million to scammers. Meanwhile, AI can replicate a personality with 85% accuracy in just two hours, raising concerns about digital identity manipulation. Social media platforms do not make the differentiation between a real and AI-generated character easier, either. For example, Meta recently rolled out AI products that let users create characters on Instagram and Facebook, expecting these AI characters to exist like human accounts. The result? Users are skeptical and disengage from platforms. News organizations fight an uphill battle against fake news. Businesses struggle with credibility. Governments face challenges to counteract digital deception and maintain democratic integrity. How AI And OSINT Can Restore Digital Trust Eliminating AI is not the only approach. Instead, it can be used to address the very misinformation it helps create. One way to do this is with OSINT tools. OSINT is a range of methods of gathering and analyzing publicly available data from sources like social media, websites, news reports and forums, aimed at separating facts from fakes. Here are five ways AI and OSINT can help rebuild trust in online platforms: AI can scan vast amounts of content in seconds, identifying misleading narratives before they go viral. OSINT tools look for trending topics, hashtags and unusual activity in real time to detect inconsistencies and provide users with context. When a claim does go viral, OSINT platforms can check it against trusted sources. They can also use reverse image search to see if a photo or video has been reused from an unrelated event. For that reason, OSINT technologies made their way into journalism—for example, major news outlets in Norway are already training journalists in OSINT. Deepfake technology is becoming scarily good. To expose deepfakes, advanced AI algorithms analyze video, audio and images to identify manipulated content through reverse image search, geolocation or shadow analysis. Blockchain-based verification also helps track origins and prevent false information. OSINT can help here by analyzing how accounts behave. As pointed out by DataJournalism, AI tools—along with OSINT verification practices—are a good starting point for detecting deepfakes. Considering the scale of content posted daily, human moderators can't keep up. AI-driven moderation tools can identify and remove hate speech, disinformation and violent imagery—without infringing on free speech. Many OSINT platforms let users set up alerts for specific keywords or topics. If an OSINT technology is built in the AI moderation system and misinformation spikes around a certain issue—like an election, health crisis or war conflict—analysts can act fast. In another example, the United Nations sees a potential of OSINT to monitor the web for keywords and phrases associated with trafficking and smuggling. Many AI systems work like "black boxes," making decisions without explaining how they got there. To rebuild trust, developers need to focus on explainable AI (XAI)—a way to show users why an AI flagged certain content. In the example of identifying DNS attacks, XAI and OSINT improve model explainability. OSINT tools can contribute to making AI more explainable by uncovering digital footprints that justify AI-driven decisions. If an AI-powered content moderating system detects a deepfake video, OSINT can trace the source, compare metadata and uncover inconsistencies, explaining the decision. AI's impact on digital trust isn't just a tech issue—it's a policy challenge. Together, governments, researchers and tech companies must set ethical standards (but not the rules) for how AI is built and used. AI ethics committees, independent audits and cross-platform verification systems can help hold AI accountable. By providing a "source of truth," OSINT technologies can support those initiatives in building digital trust. OSINT Limitations And Concerns OSINT is useful, but it comes with strings attached. A single tweet or forum post may be harmless, yet when combined with hundreds of data scrapes, it can form a dataset that feels like surveillance or a specific individual profile. Data noise and overload is another concern. Public feeds overflow with outdated links and hoax data. We've all seen the dramatic but fake 'war footage,' showing how easy it is to misinterpret—or weaponize public information. Without a habit of double-checking sources, analysts can end up spreading the very myths they set out to debunk—especially when recommendation engines keep shoving the same false story back in front of them. On the legal side, gray areas exist. Governments still argue over how much scraping or archiving is fair play, and even U.S. agencies have paused OSINT projects after civil-liberties pushback and lack of guidance. Privacy laws shift from one border to the next, complicating cross-border investigations, as what is legal in Berlin may lead to a lawsuit in Boston. Bottom line: Good OSINT is not plug-and-play. It needs scrapers, data dashboards, proxy networks—and people who know how to use them without breaking platform rules or local regulations. OSINT works best when paired with governance, audit trails and human oversight. Conclusion The future of digital trust depends on how we use AI—not whether we use it. Prioritizing ethical AI and transparent decision-making will be crucial in restoring trust in digital platforms. But if we succeed, we won't just restore trust, we'll set new standards. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
100 Years of DEKRA: Safety in a Changing World
Expert Organization Celebrates Centennial STUTTGART, Germany, July 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 30, 2025, DEKRA celebrated its 100th anniversary – with a clear focus on the future. What began in 1925 with voluntary vehicle inspections is now a global expert organization for safety, sustainability, and digital trust. On its centennial, DEKRA reaffirms its commitment to tackling the major challenges of our time – in line with its anniversary motto: "Securing the Future." DEKRA was founded on June 30, 1925, in Berlin as the "Deutscher Kraftfahrzeug-Überwachungs-Verein" (German Motor Vehicle Inspection Association) – at a time when the automobile was beginning to reshape the world. Its mission: voluntary technical inspections to bring safety to a new era of mobility. A century later, this initiative has evolved into a global expert organization with 48,000 employees in around 60 countries – all pursuing one clear goal: enabling safety and trust in a changing world. What began in 1925 with vehicle inspections has grown into a comprehensive portfolio across mobility, industry, environment, and digital technologies. DEKRA tests both physical and digital products, processes, and systems. "Safety is not static – it evolves with the world we live in," says CEO Stan Zurkiewicz. "Our task is to help shape key areas of transformation – mobility, digitalization, artificial intelligence, and sustainability – with expertise, responsibility, and foresight." Shaping Germany – Expanding Globally DEKRA's history is marked by constant progress. When periodic vehicle inspections became mandatory in Germany in 1951, DEKRA played a key role in their implementation. The 1960s and 1970s brought a focus on education and research, including the founding of DEKRA Akademie (1974), the Research and Development department (1968), and Accident Research (1978) – the latter with the aim of learning from data. After German reunification, DEKRA took over responsibilities from the former East German vehicle authority and built a comprehensive inspection network in the new federal states. Shortly thereafter, the company entered international markets, including France, Spain, China, and the United States. Since then, DEKRA has pursued a globally focused strategy – while maintaining strong roots in its home market of Germany. New Fields – Same Mission: Safety in Transition Starting in the mid-2000s, DEKRA systematically expanded its competencies in industrial inspection, infrastructure, and environmental technologies – with the founding of DEKRA Industrial GmbH as a major milestone. In 2017, the acquisition of the Lausitzring racetrack in Brandenburg, Germany, marked an important step toward future mobility. Together with the neighboring DEKRA Technology Center, it now forms Europe's largest independent test center for automated and connected driving – a symbol of mobility transformation and the safe, responsible implementation of new technologies. Today, DEKRA's scope ranges from AI validation and cybersecurity to hydrogen safety and sustainability certifications. The common thread remains: building trust where transformation happens. Testing Expertise for Tomorrow's World "Digitalization, connected systems, and artificial intelligence are increasingly shaping our everyday lives – at home, on the road, and in the workplace. To fully harness their potential and drive innovation, we must understand their risks and manage them effectively. Only then can we truly trust them," says Petra Finke, Chief Digitalization Officer at DEKRA. "Safety is the foundation for that trust. That's why we've developed an integrated testing approach that combines functional safety, cybersecurity, and AI validation." DEKRA bundles these services under the term Digital Trust Services. This means the organization doesn't just assess whether software or systems function properly and pose no danger to users – it also examines whether they are resilient against cyberattacks, transparent in their decision-making logic, and ethically sound in their use of AI. "At DEKRA, we view digitalization not only from a technical angle but also strategically – as a driver for more efficient processes, intelligently connected data, and new, trustworthy services, both internally and externally," Finke adds. Global Growth with Focus – People at the Center DEKRA is also expanding its geographical footprint in future-relevant markets. "We are making targeted investments in regions where transformation is tangible – in Asia, North America, and Europe," says Peter Laursen, Chief Operating Officer for DEKRA's global regions. "These are the places where new technologies, new industries, and new safety requirements are emerging. And we want to help shape that future – not just respond to it." At the same time, DEKRA's operational backbone – such as vehicle inspection, industrial inspection, product testing, and audits – remains central. "These are our core services, where we also see great growth potential," Laursen continues. However, sustainable growth in new markets requires more than technology – it needs people who understand and drive change. "The future is not decided by technology alone – but by people who use it responsibly," emphasizes Chief Financial Officer and Head of Human Resources Wolfgang Linsenmaier. "That's why we are consistently investing in employee development, strengthening leadership, and fostering digital skills at all levels." DEKRA is also modernizing internal structures – with clearer career paths, more efficient systems, and a globally connected HR approach. The goal: a learning, values-based organization with strong customer focus. UNICEF Partnership: Securing Water Means Securing the Future As part of its centennial, DEKRA is also breaking new ground in social responsibility – through a partnership with UNICEF for the Water Security for All initiative. Together, the two organizations are implementing programs to provide access to clean drinking water in regions highly affected by climate change – including solar-powered water pumps, technical training centers, and modern groundwater treatment. "Water is essential for life – and increasingly scarce," says CEO Zurkiewicz. "Our partnership with UNICEF demonstrates what 'Securing the Future' means to us: the future begins with responsibility – for products and systems, but above all, for people." The centennial is being celebrated in Berlin, DEKRA's founding location, with partners from business, politics, and society. About DEKRA For 100 years, DEKRA has been a trusted name in safety. Founded in 1925 with the original goal of improving road safety through vehicle inspections, DEKRA has grown to become the world's largest independent, non-listed expert organization in the field of testing, inspection, and certification. Today, as a global partner, the company supports its customers with comprehensive services and solutions to drive safety and sustainability forward—fully aligned with DEKRA's anniversary motto, "Securing the Future." In 2024, DEKRA generated revenue of 4.3 billion euros. Around 48,000 employees are providing qualified and independent expert services in approximately 60 countries across five continents. DEKRA holds a Platinum rating from EcoVadis, placing it among the top 1% of the world's most sustainable companies. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE DEKRA Asia Pacific Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Arabian Business
30-06-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
Mastercard's $10bn cyber push: Adam Jones on AI, identity and the future of digital trust
As the Middle East and North Africa accelerate their shift toward digital economies, cybersecurity has emerged as a critical pillar underpinning this transformation. Mastercard, a leader in payment technology, is doubling down on this mission with a $10 billion investment aimed at strengthening digital trust and resilience. Adam Jones, Executive Vice President and Division President for West Arabia, shares insights into Mastercard's regional strategy, including the recent launch of its Cyber Resilience Center in Saudi Arabia and explains how cutting-edge AI and identity verification technologies are setting new standards for secure, seamless payments across MENA. Over the past seven years, Mastercard has invested $10 billion in developing advanced cybersecurity solutions. Can you elaborate on your strategy in this space and the outcomes of your investment? At Mastercard, we are committed to securing the digital economy through simple, seamless, and secure solutions. Our strategy focuses on assessing risks, protecting data, and building trust across every interaction, whether with consumers, businesses, or governments. We work closely with both the public and private sectors to establish more robust cybersecurity standards. As part of our long-term strategy, we've continuously invested in innovation and cutting-edge technologies to stay ahead of evolving cyber threats. This includes the acquisition of companies such as Brighterion, RiskRecon, and NuData, each bringing specialised capabilities in AI, risk assessment, and behavioral analytics to enhance our cybersecurity ecosystem. One of the key areas of opportunity is identity verification and management. By integrating these capabilities with our fraud prevention tools, we're developing more proactive, intelligent defenses. We use biometric authentication, behavioral insights, and AI-powered identity verification to ensure that every transaction is both secure and truly verified. A prime example of this innovation is Mastercard Payment Passkey, which we are rolling out across the region in collaboration with Network International. This solution eliminates the need for one-time passwords and instead uses device-based biometric authentication, like fingerprint, facial recognition, or iris scan—for a faster and more secure checkout experience. Importantly, no payment or biometric data is shared with third parties, helping to protect consumers from fraud and scams while simplifying their e-commerce journey. AI can be used for different things – even bad actors can use it to sow discord. How is Mastercard harnessing the power of AI to proactively identify cyber risks, strengthen threat responses and secure the digital ecosystem in the face of growing e-commerce? At Mastercard, we recognise both the potential and the risks that come with AI. That's why we've embedded artificial intelligence and machine learning across our cybersecurity solutions, to proactively detect threats, respond faster, and protect the integrity of the digital ecosystem. AI enables us to analyse vast volumes of data in real time to identify patterns, anomalies, and potential risks that might otherwise go undetected. This allows for faster, more precise intervention against increasingly sophisticated fraud and cyber threats. In 2023, we launched Decision Intelligence Pro, our next-generation fraud detection solution powered by generative AI. This breakthrough technology has the potential to enhance fraud detection by up to 300%, offering a powerful layer of protection for consumers and financial institutions alike. We're excited to extend these benefits to our customers across the region. As cybercrime and payment fraud continue to converge, our strategy has evolved to address broader and more complex threats. One of our most significant moves in this space is the acquisition of Recorded Future, the world's largest AI-driven threat intelligence company. This acquisition strengthens our ability to provide real-time, actionable intelligence by leveraging Recorded Future's Intelligence Graph®, a unique AI-powered platform that connects data across millions of sources to deliver the most comprehensive and unbiased threat insights globally. By integrating Recorded Future's capabilities with Mastercard's existing fraud and cybersecurity solutions, we're creating a global security ecosystem that provides unmatched protection and trust for our partners, across both public and private sectors. The ongoing digital transformation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has created fertile ground for cybercrime. Governments and companies are putting up defenses, with revenue in the region's cybersecurity market projected to reach US$4.63 billion this year. Can you tell us more about Mastercard's contribution to cybersecurity efforts in the region? At Mastercard, we are committed to advancing cybersecurity and building trust in the digital economy across MENA. Our approach brings together identity verification, AI-driven analytics, threat intelligence, and real-time fraud monitoring, creating a robust, end-to-end security framework. In partnership with Network International, we introduced our Brighterion AI technology to 60,000 merchants across the Middle East and Africa. This solution, which is both scalable and easy to implement, continuously monitors transactions for compliance and fraud, adapting in real time to evolving threats. In Saudi Arabia, we are working closely with Saudi Awwal Bank (SAB) to deploy Mastercard Gateway's Transaction Risk Management (TRM) solution. This AI-powered technology proactively assesses each transaction, helping detect vulnerabilities and reduce financial risk, while ensuring safe and seamless digital payments for customers. We also empower banks and businesses with the tools and knowledge they need to stay ahead of threats. The Mastercard Trust Center offers resources, insights, and practical toolkits to help institutions strengthen their cybersecurity posture. Meanwhile, Mastercard Cyber Secure provides acquirers with a real-time, URL-based snapshot of their merchants' cyber risk, enabling faster, smarter decision-making. By collaborating with regional players and leveraging advanced technologies, we're helping shape a more secure digital future for MENA. Mastercard has a strong presence in the MENA region. What led you to choose Saudi Arabia as the location for your new Cyber Resilience Center? Saudi Arabia is undergoing a remarkable transformation under Vision 2030, which positions innovation, digitalisation, and economic diversification as key drivers of national progress. As part of this vision, the Kingdom has set a goal for 70% of all payment transactions to be digital by the end of the decade, creating immense opportunities for fintech growth and the need for robust cybersecurity. The government's commitment to realising this vision has made Saudi Arabia a fertile ground for technological innovation and investment. Its advanced digital infrastructure, progressive regulatory environment, and a young, tech-savvy population create ideal conditions for launching future-focused initiatives like our Cyber Resilience Center. The center in Saudi Arabia also complements Mastercard's global network of cybersecurity operations, allowing us to bring international best practices while adapting to the region's specific needs. It's a critical step in our mission to secure digital commerce worldwide and serve as a trusted partner to governments and businesses across the region. What benefits will the Cyber Resilience Center bring to the Saudi payments landscape? The launch of the Cyber Resilience Center marks a significant milestone in strengthening Saudi Arabia's cybersecurity capabilities and protecting the integrity of its fast-growing digital economy. As the Kingdom accelerates toward a cashless society under Vision 2030, the center will help ensure the financial sector remains secure, trusted, and prepared for future growth. Designed as a regional hub, the center will empower organisations with the tools, intelligence, and expertise needed to detect, prevent, and respond to cyber threats in real time. It will also foster deeper collaboration between public and private stakeholders, helping to elevate cybersecurity standards across the wider MENA region. In addition to its technical capabilities, the center will support the development of local talent through cybersecurity training, certifications in Arabic, and ongoing knowledge-sharing sessions. By strengthening cyber readiness and establishing shared benchmarks, it aims to build a more resilient and innovative digital payments landscape. We're also proud to bring on Riyad Bank as our first partner, working with us to advance cybersecurity best practices in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
Forbes
30-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Hasta La Vista, Long-Lived Certs: Why 2029 Is The Year Everything Changes
Jason Sabin, CTO of DigiCert Inc. Passionate about digital trust, including digital certificate management for web, device & user identity. With quantum computing breakthroughs from Microsoft, Amazon and Google over the past six months, it's starting to feel like 2029 is shaping up to be a real turning point. And no, not just because it's the year the Terminator came back to hunt down Sarah Connor. In the world of digital trust, 2029 has its own kind of Judgment Day. It's the year Gartner says organizations need to be quantum-ready. And as of April 14, 2025, it's also the year the industry is expected to shift to 47-day certificate lifespans, replacing the already-short 398-day standard. And it's the year organizations that haven't embraced crypto-agility may find themselves scrambling to catch up. This isn't science fiction—it's the very real future of cybersecurity. And the clock is ticking. The Quantum Arms Race Is Real Recent advances in error correction, qubit stability and hybrid quantum models have put us on an accelerated path toward a cryptographically relevant quantum computer—one that could break widely used encryption like RSA and ECC. When that day arrives, the consequences won't be limited to headlines. It will affect everything: secure internet sessions, financial transactions, software updates and more. And while that quantum day hasn't yet arrived, attackers aren't waiting. 'Harvest now, decrypt later' tactics are already in play. Sensitive data is being intercepted today, with the intent to break it once quantum capabilities catch up. For governments, enterprises and anyone dealing in IP or personal data, this is a now problem—not a later one. The Good Guys Have a Plan: PQC + Automation Enter post-quantum cryptography (PQC)—a new generation of encryption designed to withstand quantum threats. We are actively working with NIST, IETF and industry partners to bring quantum-safe and hybrid certificate solutions into the mainstream. NIST's selection of its first four PQC algorithms in 2024 was a major milestone, but transitioning global systems will take time. And here's where it gets interesting: The same tools and strategies organizations need to become quantum-ready are the same ones they'll need to survive the move to 47-day certificates. Let that sink in. By modernizing your public key infrastructure (PKI), automating certificate lifecycle management and preparing for crypto-agility today, you're essentially killing two security birds with one stone: • You're ready for quantum threats • You're ready for short-lived certificate enforcement Why 2029 Really Matters NIST recommends public-sector organizations be fully transitioned to quantum-safe crypto between 2030 and 2035. Gartner, however, has drawn a sharper line for enterprises: be quantum-ready by 2029. That same year, browser vendors are expected to enforce 47-day certificate validity, requiring automated, scalable certificate management to keep up. These timelines aren't random—they're the reality check for organizations still relying on manual certificate (cert) renewals or legacy encryption protocols. The digital trust infrastructure we rely on today won't stand up to what's coming. What To Do Now? Organizations that wait will be forced into reactive mode—facing operational risk, regulatory penalties and potential breaches. Those who act now can make a smooth, strategic transition. That includes: • Taking inventory of current cryptographic assets/cryptographic bill of materials (CBOM). • Implementing certificate automation across environments to support crypto-agility. • Preparing internal policies and compliance plans for short-lived certificates. Over the past couple of years, a number of enterprises have mapped out their PQC roadmap and implemented the tools to thrive in a post-quantum, automation-first future. The move to PQC isn't just a swap of algorithms—it's a fundamental shift in how organizations manage trust. So whether you're facing quantum threats or chasing short-lived cert cycles, 2029 is your deadline. And as any sci-fi fan will tell you: The future isn't set—but it is coming. Will you be ready? Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
