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A third of people in the UK share sensitive documents unprotected online, according to new research. The research, conducted by identity verification platform IDnow, also suggests that scammers are now using AI to bypass identity checks online. 
IDnow says that those between the ages of 18 and 24 are most at risk, while nearly half (48%) of young people report risking identity theft by sharing personal documents across less secure channels like messaging apps, email, and social media. The over 50s, by contrast, seem to be more weary about what data they share online, with only 21% reporting to have shared their ID through risky channels.
More concerningly, 45% of those surveyed say that they were aware that sending scans and images of ID documents over these channels were a security risk. Yet, despite knowing that transferring information in that way posed a cybersecurity risk, a third (33%) of Brits transferred their data in that fashion anyway. 
But the data also shows that Brits weren’t too well-equipped about other cybersecurity issues and recent technological advancements. A third of survey respondents, for instance, were unaware of what deepfakes were and the security/misinformation risk that they pose.
A worrying trend
In a statement to ThisisMoney, IDnow co-founder and chief technology and security officer Armin Bauer said that “deepfakes are used to break into systems that require you to identify yourself.”
“Fraudsters typically try to generate a completely new person that doesn’t actually exist, or they use a stolen ID card and generate [a deepfake] of the person that it belongs to.”
Meanwhile, IDnow document and fraud director Lovro Persen added: “Worryingly, this research suggests that the UK public is not as concerned, or aware as they should be of the risks associated with such digitally-generated images or videos.The extraordinary leaps in AI technology mean it’s now almost too easy for a fraudster to carry out financial crimes. Consumers shouldn’t make it even easier for fraudsters though.”
“Our advice is always to think twice before sending a scan or photo of your driving licence or passport into the digital ether via unencrypted channels, such as social media or email.”
Featured Image: Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash 
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The UK Government has started championing the use of AI to replace the roles usually held by civil servants. According to the Financial Times, Oliver Dowden, the UK Deputy Prime Minister, is preparing to roll out a ‘red box’ tool in order to automate some of the tasks that are usually done by civil servants.
Introducing the “red box”
According to the outlet, the ‘red box’ tool absorbs and summarizes information from sources like the parliamentary record. It’s also reported that a second, similar tool is being tested to complete work like individualized responses to parliamentary inquiries.
These types of tasks, Dowden adds, would usually take up to three months with 25 civil servants — and while we don’t know how long it takes with these AI tools by comparison, it’s probably safe to assume that it speeds things up considerably. But don’t worry, everyone hasn’t lost their mind just yet — reportedly, this tool will be used in conjunction with human sourcing rather than replacing it entirely.
“It really is the only way, I think, if we want to get on a sustainable path to headcount reduction,” Dowden is quoted by the Telegraph as saying. “Remember how much the size of the Civil Service has grown as a result of the pandemic and EU exit preparedness. We need to really embrace this stuff to drive the numbers down.”
He added that according to a recent report from the IPPR think tank; the Government is estimated to save up to £24 billion using AI.
But while the Government is plowing £110 million into this initiative, not everyone is so confident.
John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, told the Telegraph: “Ministers shouldn’t be waiting for technological innovations to deal with the bloated bureaucracy; they should roll up their sleeves and deal with it.”
Featured Image: Photo by George Dolgikh; Pexels

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