AI deepfakes increasingly used for political manipulation and corporate infiltration

As artificial intelligence deepfakes grow more sophisticated, they are increasingly deployed for political manipulation and corporate infiltration. Pro-Kremlin channels have targeted Ukrainian lawmakers with fake videos, while US states struggle with a patchwork of election deepfake laws, such as Massachusetts lagging behind. In the corporate sector, hackers use 'synthetic insiders' and remote hiring schemes, including a North Korean operation that raised over $5 million, to infiltrate US firms.

Synthetic insider threats

• ▪A 2026 Verizon analysis of approximately 22,000 security incidents found that 12% of the breaches were the work of internal actors.
• ▪Hackers are increasingly using cheap artificial intelligence deepfakes to pose as trusted staff, a security threat known in the technology industry as "synthetic insiders."
• ▪Alex Lisle, chief technology officer at Reality Defender, stated that deliberate insider threats cause the most damage because perpetrators know where sensitive corporate data is located and how to access it.

North Korean remote work scheme

• ▪The North Korean remote work scheme raised more than $5 million for the sanctioned regime in Pyongyang through wages and data theft.
• ▪The United States Justice Department cracked down on a North Korean scheme where operatives used stolen identities of over 80 Americans to secure remote jobs at more than 100 US companies.
• ▪Eight individuals based in the United States were sentenced for operating "laptop farms" of computers in American homes to make overseas North Korean workers appear local.

Deepfake detection in hiring

• ▪Adam Finkelstein of consultancy Alvarez & Marsal stated that treating recruitment as a pure human resources task is no longer sufficient for high-risk remote technical roles.
• ▪Tom Hegel, a threat researcher at SentinelOne, recommended that firms screen metadata, IP addresses, and device fingerprints during the application process to detect fraudulent candidates.
• ▪Security experts suggest low-tech defenses, such as asking a job candidate to turn their head or wave a hand, can disrupt live deepfakes during video interviews.

Accidental data leaks

• ▪The market for data-loss prevention grew from $33 billion in 2025 to almost $43 billion in 2026.
• ▪Bernard Montel of Tenable warned that excessive monitoring, such as logging keystrokes and screenshots, can undermine employee trust and create a culture of surveillance.
• ▪A 2025 Fortinet report attributed 62% of security incidents to human error or hijacked accounts, such as emailing incorrect files.
• ▪Dave Spillane of Fortinet stated that corporate insider threats are far more likely to happen by accident than through deliberate plots.

Shadow AI usage risks

• ▪John Hultquist of Google Threat Intelligence Group noted that employees create "shadow AI" risks by feeding sensitive corporate data into unapproved artificial intelligence tools.
• ▪Art Gilliland, chief executive of identity firm Delinea, stated that because artificial intelligence agents require access to sensitive systems, their identities are as valuable to attackers as human credentials.

Political deepfakes and legislation

• ▪The Massachusetts House passed two bills in February 2026 to ban deceptive campaign media and require disclosures, but both have remained stalled in the Senate.
• ▪Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels have spread AI-generated deepfake videos of Ukrainian lawmakers Andriy Levus and Ivan Yunakov calling for peace and lamenting the war.
• ▪The deepfake videos of Ukrainian lawmakers Andriy Levus and Ivan Yunakov accumulated approximately 130,000 views within two weeks, according to NewsGuard.
• ▪Twenty-nine US states have active artificial intelligence election deepfake laws, while California and Hawaii have had their laws struck down on First Amendment grounds.
• ▪Minnesota and Texas prohibit political deepfakes for a specified number of days before an election, while Maryland enforces a year-round ban.
• ▪An artificial intelligence-cloned version of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey's voice appeared in a Republican rival's Instagram advertisement in 2026.