Make it | ’til you fake it: Shallowfake audio as an emerging operational cyber security threat
Abstract
The growing accessibility of artificial intelligence (AI) voice synthesis poses significant cyber security and evidential risks, particularly with the rise of hybrid shallowfake audio. This term refers to recordings that merge authentic speech with synthetically generated voice segments. These hybrid manipulations challenge existing forensic audio authentication practices, which have traditionally focused on distinguishing between entirely authentic and fully fabricated recordings. Recent threat assessments, including 2024 findings from INTERPOL, underscore the growing criminal exploitation of synthetic voice technologies and the lack of consistent frameworks to effectively identify hybrid audio manipulations. This situation raises concerns about the continued reliance on legacy forensic methodologies that predate the widespread use of AI speech synthesis tools. This paper explores the procedural and analytical challenges of detecting shallowfake audio through a controlled experimental investigation that mimics realistic manipulation scenarios. Test audio files comprising mixed authentic and synthetic speech were created using affordable, commercially available production tools and examined using established audio authentication techniques. The results reveal that current forensic approaches may not consistently detect hybrid manipulations, especially when recordings are stream-captured or re-recorded after synthetic voice insertion, heightening the risk of evidential misinterpretation. This research identifies significant gaps in standardised forensic protocols and offers practical recommendations for cybercrime professionals. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
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Author's Biography
Brian Sheil, BA, PGDip, MSc, ACSFS, is an acclaimed Irish music producer and audio engineer whose mixing and mastering have garnered over 38 million streams worldwide. His distinguished career includes a 2012 Gold Disc for his contributions to a country album that reached number one on the official album charts. In 2013, he was nominated for International Audio Engineer of the Year at the Music Producers Guild Awards in the UK. Hailing from Carlow, Ireland, Brian graduated with a first-class BA (Hons) in music and audio production from the University of Lancashire and earned an MSc with Distinction in audio and video forensics from Liverpool John Moores University. He specialises in forensic audio and video analysis and has undertaken advanced training in audio forensic enhancement at the University of Colorado, Denver. In 2024, he represented Ireland as an official jury member at the Eurovision Song Contest finals, watched by over 160 million viewers. Brian’s expertise is featured in ‘The World of Sound’ by Peter K. Burkowitz and in the EU Arts and Humanities initiative, Our Thriving Tribe. Furthermore, he is an Associate Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences and a Voting Member of the Recording Academy/GRAMMY Awards. In 2026, he co-authored an INTERPOL publication ‘False Facades: Policy Approaches to Deepfake Detection’, which provides guidance to law enforcement on the identification, detection and mitigation of synthetic media threats.
Michael McElgunn, BSc, PGDip, serves as an Assistant Commissioner in An Garda Síochána, leading the Garda National Crime and Security Intelligence Service. He was attested to An Garda Síochána, Ireland’s national police and security service, in 1991, amassing extensive experience across security and policing roles. Michael’s career includes participation in major criminal investigations and representation of An Garda Síochána at numerous international security forums. He has served at the Criminal Assets Bureau and across multiple Dublin policing districts. As a Superintendent, he led the Major Emergency Management Section of An Garda Síochána. Approximately half of his career has been spent in various roles within the Security Intelligence section at Garda headquarters. In early 2020, Michael was appointed Chief Superintendent of the Dublin South Central Division (Dublin city centre) before being promoted to Assistant Commissioner in May 2022, assuming command of policing in Ireland’s Northwestern Region, which encompasses the west coast and the border with Northern Ireland. Michael holds a first-class Honours degree in police leadership (University College Dublin) and postgraduate qualifications in governance (Institute of Public Administration, Ireland) and human rights (University of Limerick). Additionally, he graduated from the FBI National Academy and qualified as a ‘Gold’ Public Order Public Safety Commander.
