Deepfakes as a Cybersecurity Governance Problem: Legal Gaps, Institutional Risk, and Public Authority

• Author(s): Tomilola Ayeni
• Paper ID: 1714182
• Page: 280-283
• Published Date: 09-02-2026
• Published In: Iconic Research And Engineering Journals
• Publisher: IRE Journals
• e-ISSN: 2456-8880
• Volume/Issue: Volume 9 Issue 8 February-2026

Abstract

Deepfakes are increasingly treated as a problem of misinformation, media ethics, or individual harm. This article argues that deepfakes should instead be understood as a systemic cybersecurity risk to public institutions. By enabling realistic impersonation without technical intrusion, deepfakes undermine authentication, disrupt public communications, and weaken institutional authority. Existing legal frameworks address some downstream harms, such as defamation or fraud, but they do not adequately account for deepfakes as a threat to secure governance. This article examines how deepfakes challenge traditional cybersecurity models, evaluates the limits of current legal responses, and argues for integrating synthetic media risks into cybersecurity law, public-sector governance, and incident response frameworks.

Keywords

Deepfakes, Cybersecurity Governance, Institutional Trust, Public Sector Cybersecurity, Synthetic Media

Citations

IRE Journals:
Tomilola Ayeni "Deepfakes as a Cybersecurity Governance Problem: Legal Gaps, Institutional Risk, and Public Authority" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 9 Issue 8 2026 Page 280-283

IEEE:
Tomilola Ayeni "Deepfakes as a Cybersecurity Governance Problem: Legal Gaps, Institutional Risk, and Public Authority" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 9(8)