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Protect the Person. Not Just the Password.
In cybersecurity, we often talk about protecting data, devices, systems, and identities. But what about the people behind them? Employees don’t leave...
Introduction: Why Analog Still Matters in a Deepfake World
The digital world is accelerating, automating, and—alarmingly—faking its way into every corner of our lives. Deepfakes mimic voices. AI writes emails that pass for human. Scammers spin up fake video calls or hijack legitimate workflows. And with each leap forward in digital deception, security teams are left with one pressing question: What can we still trust?
One answer: analog firebreaks.
These are the slow, deliberate, human-centered trust mechanisms that halt the spread of automated deception. Think of them as digital “speed bumps”—they don’t eliminate risk, but they force a pause. A handshake. A phone call. An in-person check. These analog security firebreaks are proving to be one of the most underutilized tools in modern cybersecurity.
This blog breaks down what analog firebreaks are, how they work, and why your security strategy needs to include them.
What is an Analog Security Firebreak?
An analog firebreak is any manual, human, or physical action inserted into a digital process to slow down automation and reintroduce trust.
Examples include:
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A required phone call before transferring large sums of money
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In-person badge checks, even when digital access is granted
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Handwritten signatures for final contract approvals
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Face-to-face onboarding steps for new vendors or employees
These measures don’t scale easily—and that’s the point. When you can’t automate, you can’t mass-spoof. That makes analog firebreaks incredibly effective against sophisticated, high-scale threats like deepfakes, social engineering, and AI-driven phishing.
Why Digital-Only Systems Are Fragile
Most modern companies prioritize digital speed: automated workflows, seamless authentication, zero-touch approvals. But speed is a double-edged sword. It makes operations efficient—and it makes attacks efficient too.
Consider:
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Deepfake CEOs convincing staff to initiate wire transfers
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AI-written messages impersonating internal leadership
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Fraudulent job interviews using fake webcam overlays
Digital systems without analog checks allow these threats to propagate instantly and at scale.
By contrast, analog processes force a trust recheck. They interrupt the flow. That’s not a bug—it’s the design.
Use Cases for Analog Security Firebreaks
Here’s how organizations can embed analog firebreaks into their operations without grinding to a halt:
1. Finance & Approvals
Before large payments, add a required human voice check with two named approvers. Use code words or analog verification procedures.
Why it works: Email or chat approvals can be spoofed. Voices and personal confirmation are harder to fake in real time.
2. Hiring & Onboarding
Require at least one in-person or real-time video touchpoint for new hires and vendors. Use additional ID verification offline.
Why it works: Prevents scam-based credential stuffing or fraudulent hires—like the North Korean IT worker schemes that slipped past major firms.
3. Executive Communications
Create executive-specific firebreaks: no urgent approvals via chat; always verify through a second channel.
Why it works: Deepfakes and executive impersonation are rising. Analog fallback protocols preserve trust.
4. Incident Response Protocols
In a crisis, trigger analog escalation steps: voice-only bridge lines, handwritten notes, or face-to-face command centers.
Why it works: Ensures critical decisions are anchored in human oversight, not spoofed systems.
5. Board Reporting & Risk Oversight
Introduce analog trust rituals into digital governance: signed paper approvals, board calls for risk signoffs.
Why it works: Symbolic? Maybe. But boards increasingly understand that trust in data, reports, and security systems is under siege.
Trust is the New Attack Surface
Attackers don’t need to break your encryption. They just need to trick your people. And when every step in your workflow is fast, frictionless, and digital—they’ll find a way in.
Analog firebreaks re-anchor trust in what can’t be faked easily: time, voice, presence, physicality. It’s not about being anti-tech. It’s about being pro-resilience.
And if you’re responsible for human risk management, cyber culture, or workforce security, these aren’t just nice-to-haves. They’re your new perimeter.
What's Next?
Want help building hybrid security models that combine digital workflows with analog trust anchors? Our Strategic Advisory team can help design the analog firebreaks your organization needs. Reach out today.
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