Could a Deepfake “Boss” Email Trick Your Team? How to Build Phishing Resilience
Picture this: an email arrives from a look‑alike address - bossname@cornpany.com. Your “boss” has lost access to the company database and needs urgent help. There’s even a short video attached where they appear to struggle with the login, even speaking to the webcam while sharing the screen. With public career info and that crisp LinkedIn headshot, modern AI video tools (OpenAI’s Sora and Google’s Veo 3) can fabricate convincing clips in minutes.
You hesitate. Your boss wouldn’t know how to record a split screen video, and they wouldn’t ask for the credentials they manage. You go to their office to check just in case; your gut was right, it’s fake! Crisis averted… until the next morning, when database logs show multiple actions from an unfamiliar account. You’re confused at first but then remember the intern, he just started last week and hasn’t completed the cyber modules yet!
Oh no.
Unfortunately, this made-up scenario isn’t fantasy. A study [1] conducted by CommBank revealed “Australians [are] only able to correctly distinguish between real and AI-generated [material] 42% of the time.” Attackers blend public information with synthetic video and voice to impersonate leaders and teammates, leaning on urgency, authority, and onboarding gaps to get what they want. The result can be stolen credentials, unauthorised access, data loss, reputational damage and 4.2 million dollars of data breach related losses for Australian business in 2023 alone [2]. Tools that detect deepfakes help, but they aren’t perfect and they don’t change human habits under pressure.
“So how do I protect my business?”
The answer is top cyber professionals enforcing simple, reliable practices and frameworks that everyone follows. Think verification for risky requests, strong MFA and least‑privilege access, clear communication rules for sensitive actions, regular drills that include deepfake scenarios, and monitoring for look‑alike domains. These habits reduce the chance that a single mistake becomes a breach.
Leaders IT can help you build that capacity fast, in ways that fit how you work:
- Capacity as a Service: We equip you with the team you need to manage and complete security‑critical projects, delivering security, quality, and flexibility for clients and consultants alike. Our “virtual bench” gives you access to some of Australia’s leading digital and IT talent with proven experience across compliance programs in financial services, cybersecurity in telecommunications, application development and testing in federal departments, and cloud migrations in utilities. You get flexible resource allocation, customised talent matching, and seamless scalability, plus a unique option to convert our consultants to permanent staff at no additional charge after 12 months.
- Capacity Uplift Solution Program (CUSP): A 12‑month program that seeks out, hires, and uplifts traditionally underrepresented talent; recent graduates, returners, and career‑changers. Participants are placed with your organisation, receive on‑the‑job training, tailored learning plans, and mentoring from industry experts. Clients gain increased capacity at a lower cost base, help shape training, share responsibility with Leaders IT to develop new employees, and create diverse teams that strengthen security culture.
Treat phishing resilience as a board-level priority, not a blame exercise; build habits, frameworks, and out-of-band checks. Uplift your security capacity with Leaders IT to stay one step ahead.
[1] Commbank Newsroom. “How good are Australians at spotting an AI-powered deepfake scam?” Commbank. Accessed February 3, 2026. https://www.commbank.com.au/articles/newsroom/2026/01/can-australians-spot-deepfake-scams.html#carousel-55c39163c7-item-77f0e73f84-tabpanel.
[2] IBM Security. “Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023.” IBM. Accessed February 3, 2026. https://www.ibm.com/reports/data-breach.
