Mikko Hyppönen has dedicated decades to fighting malware. The 54-year-old has defeated some of the world’s most destructive computer worms, tracked down the creators of the first-ever PC virus, and has been selling his own software since he was a teenager in Helsinki.
Over the years, he’s been featured in Vanity Fair profiles, named to Foreign Policy’s Top 100 Global Thinkers, and has taken on the role of Chief Research Officer at WithSecure— the largest cybersecurity firm in the Nordics.
Beyond this, he acts as the curator of the online Malware Museum. However, all the history in his archives could be overshadowed by the new era in tech: the age of artificial intelligence.
“AI changes everything,” Hyppönen explains in a video call with TNW. “The AI revolution is going to be bigger than the internet revolution.”
As an optimist, the hacker hunter anticipates that the revolution will have a positive impact. Nevertheless, he also expresses concerns about the cyber threats it will unleash.
Headed into 2024, Hyppönen has revealed his top five concerns for the year to come. They are not ranked in any particular order, although one certainly stands out above the rest.
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1. Deepfakes
For years, researchers have described deepfakes as the most alarming use of AI for crime, yet the synthetic media has not lived up to their predictions. At least, not yet.
However, in recent months, their fears have begun to materialize. According to research from Onfido, an ID verification unicorn based in London, there has been a 3,000% increase in deepfake fraud attempts in 2023.
In the realm of information warfare, manipulated videos are also advancing. The crude deepfakes of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from the early days of Russia’s invasion have recently been surpassed by sophisticated media manipulations.
Deepfakes are now also surfacing in simple cons. A notable example was a video on TikTok claiming to show MrBeast offering new iPhones for just $2.
Lots of people are getting this deepfake scam ad of me… are social media platforms ready to handle the rise of AI deepfakes? This is a serious problem pic.twitter.com/llkhxswQSw
— MrBeast (@MrBeast) October 3, 2023
However, financial scams utilizing convincing deepfakes remain rare. So far, Hyppönen has only come across three, but he anticipates this number will grow rapidly. As deepfakes become more sophisticated, accessible, and affordable, their prevalence could rapidly increase.
“It’s not happening in massive scale just yet, but it’s going be a problem in a very short time,” Hyppönen says.