As deepfake scams and identity-based attacks emerge as leading cyber threats in 2026, organisations must strengthen employee awareness and identity security to build a human firewall against evolving cyber risks.
South African businesses are facing a new generation of cyber security threats as artificial intelligence becomes more deeply embedded in the workplace, with new research revealing that nearly two thirds of employees believe they could be fooled by an AI generated scam.
The findings, published by digital workforce security company KnowBe4, highlight the growing risks posed by deepfake technology and the widespread use of unapproved artificial intelligence tools across organisations.
According to the report, 86% of South African employees believe AI generated voice and video content has become so realistic that they no longer know what information they can trust. At the same time, 63% admitted they would be unlikely to recognise a deepfake attack in the workplace.
The study also found that AI adoption is outpacing corporate oversight.
