At last year’s RSAC Conference, I experienced McAfee’s deepfake detection technology, a system that checks every video you watch and offers a percentage likelihood that it’s fake. This was a demo using a super high-end Intel PC, not something I could replicate in my own office. Even now, the technology requires an Intel Core Ultra 200V series processor, so unless you bought your Intel laptop in the last six months or so, you’re out of luck.

At this year’s conference, Sandy Kronenberg, CEO of Netarx, a company that uses AI to detect AI, introduced me to the Flurp, a more accessible deepfake detector for voice, video, and email. While it’s compatible with enterprise-level managed security, it’s also something that any interested consumer can use.

What Is the Flurp?

I had to ask Kronenberg just why they called this app the Flurp. “I started in IT services 28 years ago, and the company logo was purple,” he replied. “Someone commented it looked like a purple flurp drink from the Jimmy Neutron cartoon.” He noted that it’s a consumer-friendly name for a product that consumers can and should use.

The Flurp is an app for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, and a simple browser extension. A simple green, yellow, or red icon indicates the trust level for the current communication. Businesses pay $5 per user per month for a company-wide installation, but individuals can use it for free by signing up on Netarx’s website.

“That large organization has a back door in the individual’s private and personal communications,” observed Kronenberg. “We’ve made it so you can extend to your corporate communications as well as personal communications.”

We all do security awareness training, but it can just make people afraid to be productive.

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Kronenberg explained that a higher level of service is available for companies that require post-quantum encryption, want to use their own blockchain of choice, or need to host their own validation algorithms. The monthly price goes up to $10, but there’s also an initial fee to have Netarx customize the technology.

Why Do We Need the Flurp?

The idea for the Flurp came when Kronenberg was meeting with a client. The client took a phone call, and his face turned white. A social media attack had just cost his company millions.

“Sure, we all do security awareness training,” he said, “But it can just make people afraid to be productive.” If you’re looking at an email and the Flurp stays green, you know it’s OK. You don’t have to be afraid. But if the Flurp turns yellow or red, you know there’s trouble.

I agree that security training doesn’t make employees into security experts. If an inexpensive AI-powered tool can remove some of the burden, that’s surely a plus. If it sounds interesting, try it for yourself or your tech-averse relatives, and relax just a little.

About Neil J. Rubenking

Lead Analyst for Security

When the IBM PC was new, I served as the president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years. That’s how I met PCMag’s editorial team, who brought me on board in 1986. In the years since that fateful meeting, I’ve become PCMag’s expert on security, privacy, and identity protection, putting antivirus tools, security suites, and all kinds of security software through their paces.

Before my current security gig, I supplied PCMag readers with tips and solutions on using popular applications, operating systems, and programming languages in my “User to User” and “Ask Neil” columns, which began in 1990 and ran for almost 20 years. Along the way I wrote more than 40 utility articles, as well as Delphi Programming for Dummies and six other books covering DOS, Windows, and programming. I also reviewed thousands of products of all kinds, ranging from early Sierra Online adventure games to AOL’s precursor Q-Link.

In the early 2000s I turned my focus to security and the growing antivirus industry. After years working with antivirus, I’m known throughout the security industry as an expert on evaluating antivirus tools. I serve as an advisory board member for the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), an international nonprofit group dedicated to coordinating and improving testing of anti-malware solutions.

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