How to Protect Yourself from Voice Duplication Attacks

A blog by Ariel IT Services, a Manage Service Provider

Voice duplication is a form of cyberattack that uses artificial intelligence to create realistic and convincing imitations of human voices. Cyber criminals can use voice duplication to impersonate employees, customers, or executives and trick unsuspecting victims into revealing sensitive information, transferring funds, or granting access to corporate systems.

In this blog, we will explore some examples of how voice duplication has been used in real-world scenarios, and provide some tips on how to protect yourself and your organization from this emerging threat. We will also explain how Ariel IT Services, a Manage Service Provider, can help you secure your IT infrastructure and prevent voice duplication attacks.

Examples of Voice Duplication Attacks

• In 2019, a UK-based energy company was scammed out of $243,000 by a voice duplication attack. The fraudsters used AI to mimic the voice of the company's CEO and instructed the finance director to make an urgent transfer to a Hungarian supplier. The finance director did not notice any difference in the voice and followed the instructions, only to realize later that it was a hoax.
• In 2020, a Canadian insurance company was targeted by a voice duplication attack that impersonated one of its clients. The fraudsters used AI to create a voice that sounded exactly like the client and called the insurance agent to request a change in the bank account details for the payment of a claim. The agent verified the identity of the caller by asking some security questions, but the fraudsters had access to the client's personal information and answered them correctly. The agent then proceeded to update the bank account details, and the fraudsters received the payment instead of the client.
• In 2021, a US-based law firm was attacked by a voice duplication scheme that pretended to be one of its partners. The fraudsters used AI to generate a voice that matched the partner's voice and accent and called the receptionist to ask for the access code to the firm's voicemail system. The receptionist, who recognized the voice, gave the code without hesitation. The fraudsters then accessed the voicemail system and retrieved confidential messages from the firm's clients and cases.

Tips to Protect Yourself from Voice Duplication Attacks

• Be aware of the possibility of voice duplication and educate yourself and your staff on how to detect and prevent it. Voice duplication technology is constantly improving and becoming more accessible, so you should not rely solely on voice recognition as a means of verification.
• Use multiple factors of authentication when dealing with sensitive or financial transactions. For example, you can use a combination of passwords, PINs, biometrics, or one-time codes to verify the identity of the caller or the recipient.
• Verify the source and the context of the request. If you receive an unexpected or urgent call from someone claiming to be your boss, your colleague, or your client, ask them to provide some details that only they would know, or call them back on a known number. If the request involves a change in bank account details, a transfer of funds, or a grant of access, confirm it with another authorized person or channel.
• Report any suspicious or fraudulent calls to your IT department, your manager, or your security provider. If you suspect that you have been a victim of a voice duplication attack, notify the relevant parties as soon as possible and take steps to mitigate the damage.

How Ariel IT Services Can Help

Ariel IT Services is a Manage Service Provider that specializes in providing IT solutions and security services to small and medium-sized businesses. We can help you protect your IT infrastructure and data from voice duplication attacks and other cyber threats by offering the following services:

• IT audit and assessment: We can evaluate your current IT systems and identify any vulnerabilities or risks that could expose you to voice duplication attacks. We can also recommend and implement the best practices and standards for IT security and compliance.
•  IT support and maintenance: We can provide you with 24/7 IT support and maintenance, including monitoring, backup, recovery, and patching. We can also handle any IT issues or incidents that may arise and resolve them quickly and efficiently.
• IT security and protection: We can provide you with the latest and most advanced IT security solutions and tools, such as antivirus, firewall, encryption, VPN, and multi-factor authentication. We can also train your staff on how to use them and how to avoid voice duplication attacks and other cyber scams.

If you are interested in learning more about how Ariel IT Services can help you secure your IT infrastructure and prevent voice duplication attacks, please contact us today. We offer a free consultation and a customized quote for your IT needs.