December 10, 2024 at 01:47PM
Deepfakes pose a significant threat to Scottish Parliamentary recordings and live streams, as highlighted by researchers from the University of Edinburgh. They identified vulnerabilities, including hijacked streams and manipulated videos. Currently, the Parliament lacks preventative measures, but proposed solutions include enhanced authentication and a communication support team for targeted members.
### Meeting Takeaways
1. **Threat to Parliamentary Proceedings**: Deepfakes pose a significant risk to the integrity of recordings and live streams from the Scottish Parliament, potentially undermining public trust in democratic processes.
2. **Public Access and Cybersecurity Risks**: The Scottish Parliament TV offers unrestricted access to livestreams and archived recordings, which, while promoting transparency, increases vulnerability to cybersecurity threats.
3. **Key Threats Identified**:
– Unauthorized hijacking of live streams, resulting in manipulated content being displayed.
– Creation and distribution of deepfake videos via social media.
– Utilization of archived footage to train AI for producing malicious deepfake materials aimed at Parliament members.
4. **Lack of Current Safeguards**: The Scottish Parliament currently lacks established processes to mitigate the risks associated with deepfakes.
5. **Recommendations for Mitigation**:
– Develop a comprehensive intervention and reporting plan.
– Implement stronger authentication checks for access to live and archived content.
– Establish a dedicated communications team that collaborates with the broadcasting unit to support Parliament members facing targeted attacks.