Spanish
The Association of Multiple Banks of the Dominican Republic (ABA) warned about the new challenges posed by the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the evolution of cybercrimes, especially deepfakes, which have become a mechanism of fraud and misinformation in different countries, including the Dominican Republic.
The ABA assured that AI, used for the benefit of best practices, strengthens the detection of attacks and the protection of systems. However, it has also facilitated more sophisticated offensive techniques for cybercriminals, such as fraud attempts through fake videos and audios that imitate the image and voice of public figures, it exposed.
He highlighted the circulation in the country of AI-manipulated videos, in which the voice and image of high-profile personalities are falsified, in order to promote fraudulent investments. "This type of incident not only affects the institutional reputation, but also generates uncertainty in the population and puts at risk the economic stability of the citizenry," he stated.
Among the keys to distinguish them, the guild cited details such as irregular blinking, inconsistencies in the neck and face, short video duration, and dubious origin. It indicated that it is also important to verify shadows, lights, and audiovisual synchronization, in order to question the credibility of an audiovisual.
In a press document, the entity recalled that, between January and June 2024, the National Cybersecurity Center (CNCS) registered more than 139 million cyberattack attempts locally, a figure that reflects the country's growing exposure to digital threats.
The ABA identified, among other more relevant threats, at a global level, zero-day attacks, which exploit unknown vulnerabilities in software or systems before developers can fix them; advanced ransomware, with which there is a threat to leak sensitive information or attack third parties; the vulnerability of devices that integrate the internet in their operation, the risk in supply chains, among others.
The Association of Banks reiterated its commitment to educate citizens on prevention and good digital practices, recalling that it has the Yo Navego Seguro portal (yonavegoseguro.com.do), in order to guide both individuals and companies on risks and cybercrimes, as well as offer them protection recommendations in the digital environment.
In this regard, the guild called for maintaining basic cybersecurity habits, including updating computer systems, verifying information sources, maintaining secure passwords, and reporting anomalies to the financial institution or other related company.
