Contact Center Pipeline May 2025 | Page 41

The key to preventing Agentic AI threats to contact centers is to verify the actual person at the other end of the conversation. And the only way to do that reliably in the age of Agentic AI is to leverage the cryptographic potential of modern smartphones.

The device in your pocket is actually a highly sophisticated security tool. It contains numerous features that can be used to create a digitally signed chain of trust which validates the legitimacy of the data that flows between your phone and a contact center.

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• Multi-factor authentication( MFA). A step-up from the less-secure KBA protocol, MFA requires proof of identity through multiple and unrelated verification mechanisms. As noted earlier in this article, hacker toolkits are already being developed to defeat MFA screening, so MFA alone is not adequate protection.

• Voice biometrics. There are now sophisticated voice biometrics systems that use voice printing to match a caller’ s voice with that of a known customer( or against a database of known scammers). These systems can speed caller authentication or detect a fraud attempt without the added friction of MFA questioning.

While criminal use of GenAI voice synthesizing applications is creating new challenges for these systems, the more advanced applications are using AI and machine learning algorithms. These enhance sensitivity to stay ahead of evolving threats that leverage synthetic voice.

Properly implemented, this cryptographic signing process can effectively prevent digital injection attacks, which are the injection of false data into the stream. This eliminates the most dangerous vector through which bad actors can leverage Agentic AI and deepfakes.

Identity verification solutions that leverage this technology can quickly and securely verify whomever an agent is speaking with. Anyone using Agentic AI or deepfakes to impersonate someone else will immediately be surfaced to the agent, preventing the bad actor from proceeding further.

Of course, technology alone is only a starting point. Although the threat is urgent, some systems take months or even years to fully deploy across your contact center. Other solutions leveraging cryptographic attestation, however, are able to deploy in minutes, immediately protecting contact center agents against automated Agentic AI attacks and human social engineering attempts.

Clearly, organizations need to stay competitive when it comes to adopting

In line with privacy laws, most states require customer opt-in for organizations to store personal voice recordings. But we see the use of this technology expanding in the years to come.

• Agent training. Agent training is an essential element for cybersecurity. But, as current events have shown, live humans make poor firewalls against increasingly sophisticated, AIarmed threat agents. Contact center agents should be viewed not as a shield but as one more element of a strong, multi-layered defense.

FINAL PREDICTION

While there is no way to fully know what changes lie ahead for voice security in the contact center, one thing is clear.

As negative forces are growing in scale and sophistication, protection of the interconnected processes that keep our organizations operating at optimal levels must include a multi-layered approach to voice cybersecurity. These tap best-in-class practices and technol-

AGENTIC AI

Agentic AI and other GenAI-powered technologies.

But this shouldn’ t come at the expense of adding substantial risks. With the right defensive tools in place, contact centers can realize the benefits of Agentic AI while protecting themselves and their customers against Agentic AI-powered threats.

Aaron Painter is an AI deepfake expert and CEO of Nametag. Previously, Aaron served as CEO of Cloudreach, a leading independent multi-cloud solutions provider and spent 14 years at Microsoft in global leadership positions. He is sought-after for his expertise on enterprise cybersecurity, AI deepfakes, and workforce account security measures.

VOICE SECURITY

ogies that are adaptable, responsive, and work collectively to assure optimal work process efficiency.

In this way, the balancing act that is our ever-present reality will continue to support a positive CX while assuring a high level of security for agents, their customer callers, and the organizations they serve.

As Security Officer for Mutare, Brian Mc- Donald is responsible for company policies, technologies, and training to assure all company operations adhere to rigorous data protection and privacy measures.

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