Pindrop 2026 Deepfake Readiness Index: 74% of US Security Leaders Faced Suspected Deepfake Attacks, Only 10% Have Purpose-Built Defenses

Pindrop's 2026 Deepfake Readiness Index, surveying over 250 US security leaders, found 74% encountered or suspected deepfake attacks in the past year; a quarter of victims lost over $1M in a single incident, only 10% of organizations have purpose-built…

Pindrop published its 2026 Deepfake Readiness Index on September 28, 2026, based on a survey of more than 250 US security leaders. Both Infosecurity Magazine (September 28) and Help Net Security (September 29) report that 74% of respondents encountered or suspected a deepfake attack in the past 12 months, with attacks targeting phone calls to IT help desks, remote interviews, and video meetings. Among affected organizations, 49% reported losses of $500,000 or more per incident, and one in four reported losses over $1 million from a single deepfake incident. Help Net Security additionally reports that 49% of victims experienced follow-on attacks, including ransomware and data breaches. Defense posture is weak on both measures reported: Help Net Security states only 10% of organizations have purpose-built deepfake defenses, while Infosecurity Magazine reports 93% of security leaders believe their organization is unprepared (the two figures measure different things and are not contradictory). Three in four leaders said deepfakes only become a board-level priority after an executive is personally impersonated or fooled, and 37% believe a single deepfake attack could put their company out of business. The report recommends staff training, phishing-resistant MFA, and monitoring for suspicious communications, echoing a recent Gartner report urging updated CISO playbooks.

• Pindrop's 2026 Deepfake Readiness Index was published September 28, 2026, based on a survey of over 250 US security leaders
• 74% of surveyed security leaders encountered or suspected a deepfake attack in the past 12 months
• Attacks targeted phone calls to IT help desks, remote interviews, and video meetings
• 49% of affected organizations reported losses of $500,000 or more per incident; one in four reported over $1 million from a single incident
• 49% of victims experienced follow-on attacks, including ransomware and data breaches (Help Net Security)
• Only 10% of organizations have purpose-built deepfake defenses (Help Net Security)
• 93% of security leaders said their organization is unprepared for deepfake attacks (Infosecurity Magazine)
• Three in four leaders said deepfakes become a board-level priority only after an executive is impersonated or fooled