Access data is highly sought after by cybercriminals. They are increasingly using artificial intelligence to steal it. Attacks based on deep fake technology are on the rise. The result is that online users are becoming increasingly distrustful of digital content. That is why providers of online services must take security precautions to protect against identity theft.
When they want to commit identity fraud, cyber criminals are increasingly relying on artificial intelligence. This significantly increases the quality and quantity of attacks and noticeably reduces costs and workload. It is therefore expected that phishing, spear phishing and social engineering attacks will again be at the top of the list of the most popular types of attacks in 2025.
One consequence: online customers' trust in digital content and communication channels, in texts, photos, audio and video recordings, in emails and SMS, in voice and video calls, will continue to decline. They will increasingly rarely 'simply' trust online content - and online providers. The distrust of what they read, hear and see will continue to grow strongly in the new year.
Deep fake technology makes attacks more successful
A key reason: the ever-increasing availability and ever-easier application of AI-supported deep fake technologies. The deceptively real imitation of famous public figures, relatives, friends, work colleagues, companies and authorities - not only in documents, but also in emails and chats, in voice and video calls - can offer an ever-improving cost-benefit ratio. Successful deep fake attacks are being reported more and more frequently in the media. A decline in this trend is unlikely in the coming years. The result: In a Bitkom survey last year, 70 percent of German online users stated that they could no longer fully trust digital photos and videos due to the worrying reporting.
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Read the best news from B2B CYBER SECURITY once a monthA development that is likely to become more severe in the coming years. Emails, chat messages, calls, photos and videos are all increasingly being used by cyber criminals as a vehicle for identity fraud. Consumers' trust in digital media and channels - and their online providers - will therefore continue to suffer, and for many companies this will sooner or later lead to a loss of sales.
Online providers must offer protection against identity theft
The pressure on their management to ensure greater security here, transparently and for everyone to see – especially with regard to AI-supported cyber attacks – will therefore grow.
Online providers will have to realize that their customers are placing increasing value on the security of their digital identity data, their online accounts. They will increasingly insist that providers they interact with effectively protect their personal data, especially against AI-based attacks. Companies that cannot do this will have to accept customer losses. Customer loyalty and identity security will grow ever closer together in the coming years.
Most companies have a lot of work to do. In last year's global Ping Identity survey Fighting The Next Major Digital Threat: AI and Identity Fraud Protection Take Priority, almost all IT decision-makers (97 percent) reported having identified problems with their company's identity verification. Almost half (48 percent) doubted that their company had the necessary technologies to defend against AI attacks. And 54 percent suspected that the increasing use of AI would lead to a general increase in identity fraud cases.
expansion of multi-factor authentication
Companies and authorities can therefore only be advised to upgrade in 2025 - especially in the area of IAM/CIAM. In order to have a real chance of preventing, detecting and warding off AI-based identity fraud at an early stage, the proportion of multi-factor authentications (MFAs) will continue to increase and advanced technologies such as AI-based IAM platforms will increasingly have to be used. This will not only involve protecting the digital identities of employees, partners, suppliers, customers and machines. AI agents, which are increasingly populating companies' digital infrastructure, will also have to be equipped with digital identities, managed and secured. Hardly any company will be able to avoid such an update to its IAM/CIAM infrastructure in 2025.
Comment by Detlev Riecke, Regional VP DACH at Ping Identity.
About Ping Identity Ping Identity is a guarantee of secure and seamless digital experiences for all users - without compromise. This is what we mean by digital freedom. We enable organizations to combine best-in-class identity solutions with the third-party services they already use to eliminate the use of passwords, prevent fraud, strengthen zero trust, or everything in between.
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