Asian CISOs in 2026 face a new realism: deepfake technology has evolved from novelty to an operational risk embedded in everyday threat narratives.
The latest safety insights warn that AI-generated content will become more persuasive, more ubiquitous, and more difficult to distinguish from authentic material.
For organisations across Asia, this translates into three pressing realities: impersonation at scale, fraudpersonation via video and audio, and targeted social engineering that exploits trusted communications.
The recent deepfake incidents linked to high-profile platforms underscore a widening attacker playbook. Phishing campaigns increasingly leverage convincingly altered videos or audio to prompt executive-friendly transfers or sensitive disclosures.
In many Asian markets—where rapid digital adoption, high employee mobility, and dense financial ecosystems prevail—the payoff for adversaries is substantial, driving an elevated emphasis on resilience, verification, and rapid containment.
CISOs in Asia should prioritise three strategic axes. First, strengthen identity-first security. Multi-factor authentication, proactive account monitoring, and strong verification processes for high-risk transactions help blunt impersonation attempts that rely on authentic-looking media.
Second, operationalise AI risk governance. Integrate AI risk into governance frameworks, with model provenance, data tracing, and post-deployment monitoring to detect anomalous outputs or misuse of AI tools in real time.
Third, elevate user awareness and communication protocols. Regular simulations of deepfake scenarios, clear escalation paths, and executive-level briefings can reduce response times and minimise social-engineering successes.
Technology choices should favour layered protections that work regardless of content provenance.
The report suggests that while image and video analysis tools can flag suspicious media, these tools provide probabilistic assessments and should be paired with business context, anomaly detection across identity and access management, and robust incident response playbooks.
In practice, organisations should implement strict content verification for high-stakes actions, maintain hardware-backed MFA where feasible, and ensure that VPNs and encrypted channels are standard for sensitive communications.
Asia’s threat landscape demands governance that is nimble and accelerated. CISOs must embed deepfake awareness into incident response, vendor risk management, and third‑party access controls, recognising that today’s best defence is a coordinated blend of technology, policy, and people—backed by executive buy‑in and ongoing training.
