The 4 horsemen of digital deception and how to fight them

Imagine scrolling through your go-to social media feed when something stops you cold. It’s your favorite celebrity making an emotional confession about an inappropriate relationship. Without a second thought you click the juicy “read more” button. But here’s the thing: Do you really know who’s feeding you this story and where the browser takes you when you click?

We’re living in a time where synthetic content (such as deepfakes, cloned voices, fake images) and lies spread faster than a California wildfire. And even though most people know the internet is riddled with digital deceptions, our cognitive abilities often conspire against us, turning our minds into the reliable accomplice of a deceptionologist.

The four horsemen of digital deception
Let’s meet the main antagonists, those who aim to alter our perception of reality and hijack our rational thinking:

1. The confirmation crusader (Confirmation bias):
This smooth operator serves up exactly what you want to hear, making you fall for stories that align with your biases, preferences or beliefs. Remember the time when your uncle shared that article about chocolate curing all human ailments? For just one moment, you wanted to believe it. That was the confirmation crusader, feeding your sweet tooth with agreeable facts.

2. The emotional tempest (Emotional triggers):
The emotional tempest turns every scroll into an emotional rollercoaster. She is the reason you find yourself in those midnight hours scribbling in the comments section, making your heart race and palms sweat. A drama queen who doesn’t care about facts, the tempest wants to provoke you to react, click and share.

3. The digital naïf (Digital ignorance and illiteracy):
Technology is evolving so fast that most people struggle to keep up. Moreover, deepfakes are becoming so hyper-realistic and widespread that it has become very difficult for distinguish fact from fiction. The digital naïf is the vampire lurking in the dark, luring us deeper into the world of fabrication and deception, feeding on our confusion and struggle to keep up with evolving technology.

4. The sower of discord (Polarization and distrust):
This insidious character is a mastermind of manipulation, able to turn molehills of disagreement into mountains of discord. It’s the reason why family dinners have become an ideological battleground, why we can’t talk politics without feeling as though we’re navigating a minefield.

It all comes down to money and minds
Each of us sits within the crosshairs of scammers and disinformation artists, weaving webs of deception, trying to snag our cash or influence our thoughts, opinions and world views. There’s a model from the field of counterterrorism that fits surprisingly well here. It’s called the 3N model, and it describes how scammers and propagandists target people. The 3Ns stand for needs, narratives and networks.

●       Needs: This type of deception often exploits the fundamental human needs of safety, belonging, understanding or validation. For example, a sudden phishing email from your bank asking you to confirm an unauthorized transaction can target your sense of safety and belonging.

●       Narratives: Deceivers craft compelling stories that appeal to our beliefs and emotions. They are hard to resist, even if they’re not grounded in fact. For example, your CEO unexpectedly reaches out over Zoom, asking you to make an urgent wire transfer.

●       Networks: Disinformation and deception are spread via networks, exploiting our trust and connections against us. When people we trust share fake news, phishing websites and malicious applications, we’re all the more likely to assume they’re credible and trustworthy.

Managing the growing risks of digital manipulation and deception
Bad actors usually seek the path of least resistance to get to what they want. Overcoming technical defenses is hard. The easiest way for a hacker to succeed is by fooling a victim into giving up sensitive information, credentials or access.

Organizations must raise employee awareness around these risks and constantly remind them to fact-check suspicious material or contacts, practice critical thinking and not allow runaway emotions to interfere with sound judgment. Here are some best practices to advocate:

Assess before you amplify: Investigate the information source. Is it credible? Can you find the same information from other reputable sources? In the world of disinformation, accuracy is your friend.

Keep emotions in check: If some content, email or message invokes a feeling of urgency, anxiety, nervousness or uncertainty, that’s your cue to pause and review. Ask yourself, is this information designed to manipulate or exploit my feelings?

Don’t engage, report: Be mindful of what you click, share and engage with online. If you spot disinformation, report it to the social media platform and your security team. Do not comment or engage, as this only feeds the beast and amplifies its reach.

Embrace your role as a digital hero: Recognize your power to protect your organization and network of friends and family from threats like social engineering, phishing and ransomware. You’re either gun-shy or trigger-happy. Select the most cautious behavior.

Combating the four horsemen of digital deception requires organizations to empower users through consistent education and training; it also means playing an active and committed role in building a community of digital truth-seekers, where each member does their part to turn the internet ecosystem from a dumpster fire to a well-tended garden.