According to a 2023 report, the Philippines saw a staggering 4500% rise in deepfake videos, making the public more vulnerable to misinformation and scams.

Deepfakes are a type of media, generated using artificial intelligence which may depict real or non-existent people to deceive its viewers or recipients. In the Philippines, even President Ferdinand Marcos Junior fell victim to deepfakes when a video with manipulated audio circulated. The video portrayed the president supposedly directing the Armed Forces to attack another country, which Malacañang quickly disowned as fake. Given how difficult it is to spot a deepfake, how can you protect your own security?

Oscar Viscaya, Philippines’ Country Manager for global cybersecurity leader, Palo Alto Networks warns that deepfake videos can inflict serious reputational damage, spread misinformation, and cause emotional and financial harm to individuals.  

The Business Manual spoke with Viscaya about the threat that these videos presents. In the interview, Mr. Viscaya gives a clearer picture of these threats and gives practical steps to improve our security online.

TBM: How rampant are deepfake videos these days? What technologies have made them easier to create and spread?

OV: Deepfake content is becoming increasingly prevalent with the rise of Generative AI (GenAI) tools. As of June 2024, we have observed hundreds of domains being used to promote deepfake scam campaigns, with each domain having been accessed an average of 114,000 times globally since going live. 

In essence, deepfakes are created by providing millions of images of people to a machine-learning system, which will then learn to synthesize realistic images of individuals who don’t exist. With AI tools including GenAI being more accessible to cybercriminals, they have lowered the barrier for these actors to advance social engineering tactics using deepfake.

This development poses significant cybersecurity challenges, as the sophistication of algorithms makes deepfakes harder to detect and defend against. For example, AI tools and applications like synthetic voice generators, which are now more accessible to the general public, have made it easier than ever to create realistic deepfake content. In fact, online tools can also stitch snippets of your voice together, essentially creating a piece of content that is made from your real voice.

Palo Alto Networks believes that addressing these evolving threats requires more advanced defensive strategies that go beyond traditional IT security measures. 

TBM: In what ways are scammers utilizing deepfake videos that we should be aware of?

OV: The rise of GenAI has made deepfake technology more accessible to bad actors who are using it for misinformation, manipulation, and scams. Recently, deepfakes targeted President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with false audio and video content, including claims of military action and drug use. Scammers have also used deepfakes, such as a video featuring tycoon Manny Villar promoting a fake investment platform.

We have also found that cybercriminals are increasingly using “Deepfakes as a Service,” where cybercriminals are selling, discussing, and trading deepfake tooling and creation services across forums, social media chat channels, and instant messaging platforms. The ecosystem surrounding deepfake creation and tooling has become active, and cybercriminals are selling a variety of options from face-swapping tools to deepfake videos.

TBM: Are there ways to determine if a video is fake?

OV: First of all, recognizing that videos and images can be manipulated encourages individuals to approach the content they consume with a more critical eye. While it’s becoming increasingly difficult to detect deepfakes, there are some telltale signs to look out for:

1. Unnatural eye movements or lack of blinking
2. Inconsistent lighting or skin tone
3. Blurry or changing background details
4. Audio-visual misalignment (lip movements not matching speech)
5. Unnatural head positions or movements
6. Lack of emotion or facial expressions that don’t match the context

In video calls, be wary of:

1. Poor video quality that could mask imperfections
2. Inability to perform specific actions upon request
3. Lack of interaction with the environment

As technology advances, signs that determine fake and malicious content can become increasingly subtle, making detection harder. Adopting a zero trust mindset—where the principle is to never trust and always verify—becomes essential. This approach ensures that every content is carefully evaluated and authenticated

TBM: What is your assessment of the Philippine situation? How vulnerable are we to deepfakes?

OV: The Philippines has become increasingly vulnerable to malicious deepfakes due to the heightened exposure to this type of content. According to a 2023 report, the Philippines saw the largest increase in deepfakes at 4500%. Since the start of 2024, deepfakes have manifested in various forms attacking different personalities—from content imitating anchors and reporters to emerging videos depicting the Philippine president doing and saying things that did not really happen. Filipinos’ vulnerability to these risks can further increase as bad actors take advantage of events where Filipinos are seen to rely heavily on the spread of information such as the upcoming elections.

TBM: How equipped is the Philippines to combat the problem? How would you rate the government’s capabilities in addressing phishing scams and deepfake videos?

OV: The Philippines has made significant progress in strengthening its digital defenses that has led to great improvements in the country’s cybersecurity. This can be seen in the Philippines’ latest rating on the UN Global Cybersecurity Index moving up to 61 from 53, underscoring the positive momentum the government is making on proactively countering cyber threats. 

We’ve also seen how the government is prioritizing security against AI-driven misinformation through the newly proposed bill to regulate AI use ahead of the May 2025 elections, indicating the seriousness they are placing on the matter. Not forgetting, the National Cybersecurity Plan (NCSP) 2023-2028 was also recently established with a focus on enhancing incident response and fostering collaboration across sectors. 

These initiatives and framework highlight the level of importance the government is placing on addressing the rising level of scams and cyber threats. However, the buck doesn’t stop there and more collaboration across industries is needed. Both the government and private sector must adopt global best practices and work in close synergy to strengthen the country’s defense against emerging cyber threats.

TBM: How do we combat deepfakes?

OV: In addition to user education and proactive vigilance, organizations will also have to consider the following actions:

• Deploy AI-driven solutions to combat deepfake attacks effectively.
• Invest in advanced AI technologies and seek guidance from cybersecurity experts for accurate detection and response.
• Collaborate with specialists in AI and digital forensics, to enable organizations to leverage sophisticated techniques and methodologies, for thorough analysis and validation of video authenticity, and enhance their ability to counteract deepfake threats. 

Organizations are better protected from these attacks through Advanced URL Filtering, which continues to detect and block websites that propagate deepfake-based scam campaigns. This tool employs a real-time web protection engine powered by machine learning and deep learning models to strengthen web security against advanced phishing threats.