How can I protect against deepfake identity impersonation attacks?

To protect against deepfake identity impersonation attacks, the sources suggest a multi-layered approach that combines specialized technical strategies, identity-centric security architectures, and expert-led training.

According to the sources, you can gain specific protection strategies through the following avenues at the 2026 Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit:

1. Specialized Operational Strategies

The summit features a dedicated session titled "How to Stop Deepfake Identity Impersonation Attacks," which is offered across two different tracks: Cybersecurity Operations and Response and Identity and Access Management (IAM). This session provides pragmatic advice on threat detection and response in the AI era.

2. Adopting an Identity-First Security Architecture

A primary defense against impersonation is evolving your security posture toward an identity-first approach. This involves:

• Placing identity-based controls at the heart of your organization’s protection architecture.
• Elevating IAM to enhance the overall cybersecurity posture against sophisticated AI-generated threats.
• Exploring high-value AI use cases specifically designed for IAM to counter impersonation attempts.

3. Mastering AI Defense

The sources emphasize that "Mastering AI in cybersecurity" is essential for defending against AI-enabled attacks. This includes:

• Learning to defend your enterprise’s AI investments while simultaneously protecting against deepfakes.
• Participating in sessions like "Winning in a World Without Truth," which addresses how to navigate an environment characterized by deepfakes and AI hype.
• Utilizing AI Security Platforms, which Gartner identifies as a top strategic technology trend for 2026, to provide a technological buffer against impersonation.

4. Technical and Contractual Safeguards

• Technical Insights: The summit provides guidance on using workflow augmentation and AI strategies for SecOps to better detect and investigate suspicious activity.
• Vendor Management: You can attend Contract Negotiation Clinics to reduce risks in AI and GenAI deals, ensuring that the technology providers you use have robust security terms for evolving data architectures.

To understand the challenge of deepfakes, imagine a high-security bank vault where the lock used to be a simple physical key; deepfakes are like a perfectly forged master key that looks and acts like the original. To protect the vault, you don't just get a better key; you implement multi-factor verification—like a fingerprint, a voice code, and a retinal scan—so that even if the key is forged, the imposter still cannot get inside.