Page 199 - Cyber Defense eMagazine September 2025

fake material and the other attempts to recognize if material is actual or manipulated. Deepfakes are
extremely realistic by the adversarial technique, and even experts have difficulty distinguishing
manipulated media from actual content.

Whether a politician accused of saying things he never said, or a voice-over impersonating someone to
confirm dubious payments, deepfakes are the new threat of information manipulation.

Tom Cruise Impersonator

The New Disinformation Threat

Disinformation is nothing new, propaganda and disinformation have been around for thousands of years.
But deepfakes represent a new devilish twist in the fact that they make spurious information both visually
and audibly plausible, multiplying their impact exponentially.

Eroding Public Confidence
While doctored clips go in all directions, they create confusion, mistrust, and suspicion even on true facts.
Such a corrosion of trust undermines the foundations of democratic governments and institutions and
facilitates evil forces to shape the opinion of the public and societal fragmentation.

Manipulating Politics and Elections

Political deepfakes can determine the outcome of an election by spreading false information or
discrediting a candidate. Consider a doctored video of a politician making inflammatory speeches a week
before an election, such an action would disenfranchise undecided voters or lead to rioting.

Cyber Defense eMagazine – September 2025 Edition 199
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