FAIK

Perry Carpenter is a multi-award-winning author, podcaster, and speaker, with over two decades in cybersecurity focusing on how cybercriminals exploit human behavior. As the Chief Human Risk Management Strategist at KnowBe4, Perry helps build robust human-centric defenses against social engineering-based threats.

• Foreword ixIntroduction: Riddle Me This, Chatgpt XIChapter 1: The Eternal Battle for the Mind: Why You Should Care 1Whispers from the Static 1Pleased to Meet You, Hope You Guessed My Name 2The Historical Context of Deception and Scams 4The Digital Age: A New Era of Deception 5The Far-Reaching Implications of Synthetic Media 11Why Synthetic Media Slips Right Past Our Defenses 11Cognitive Security 101: Protecting Our Minds in the Digital Age 13Takeaways 15Chapter 2: The New Frontiers of Deception: AI and Synthetic Media 17Whispers from the Static 17Inflection Points 18Brief History of AI Advances 19Is AI Alive and Does It Really Understand? 30Takeaways 34Chapter 3: The Mindset and Tools of a Digital Manipulator 37Whispers from the Static 37How Hackers Approach Technology and Problem Solving 40Deceptionology 101: Introduction to the Dark Arts 43Peering Down the Rabbit Hole 53Takeaways 57Chapter 4: Bias, Data Poisoning, & Output Oddities 59Whispers from the Static 59Hallucinations: AI’s Double-Edged Sword of Creativity 61The Big Bias Problem 64Embarrassing F{ai}lures to Control Bias 68The Consequences and Way Forward 76Takeaways 77Chapter 5: The Digital Disinformation Pandemic 79Whispers from the Static 79Lies, Darn Lies, and the Internet 80The Landscape of AI-Driven Disinformation 87Types and Tactics of AI-Generated Disinformation 89Chapter 6: Deepfakes and the Spectrum of Digital Deception 97Whispers from the Static 97On the Internet, Nobody Knows You’re a Dog 99What Really Is a Deepfake, Anyway? 100The Chilling Effectiveness of Low-Tech Deception 104Breaking Bad: How Bad Actors Can Corrupt the Morals of AI Systems 110When Jailbreaking Is Overrated: Uncensored AI Systems 125Weaponizing Innocent Outputs 128An Inconvenient Truth About Digital Deceptions 131Takeaways 131Chapter 7: The Now and Future of AI-Driven Deception 133Whispers from the Static 133Into the Exploitation Zone 135The Pillars of Deception, Scams, and Crime 138AI-Powered Scams: Old Tricks, New Tools 141Emerging Threats 146A Personal Story: How I Created Multiple GenAI-Powered ScamBots 152Finding Hope 154Takeaways 155Contents viiChapter 8: Media Literacy in the Age of AI: Your First Line of Defense 157Whispers from the Static 157The Fight for Truth 159A Quick Note before We Jump In 161Media Literacy in the Digital Age: Your Survival Guide to the Information Jungle 165The Fact-Checking Paradox: Seeking Truth in a World of Lies 172Takeaways 183Chapter 9: Cognitive and Technical Defense Strategies: Tools for Protection 187Whispers from the Static 187Building Our Cognitive Defenses 189Tech-Based Defenses 203Wrapping Up: Vigilance in the Digital Age 211Let’s Make It Fun: Sharpen Your Mental and Digital Defense Skills 212Takeaways 214Chapter 10: A New Hope 217Whispers from the Static 217Criminals Have Means, Motive, and Opportunity. But so Do We 220Let’s Make It Fun: Make It Real 224Takeaways 227Appendix: Tips, Tricks, and Resources 233Notes 241Acknowledgments 255About the Author 259Index 261