FROM THE ARCHIVE
Trust needs a second channel when identity is uncertain.
AI-era fraud makes verification a business process question.
Retrospective editionPrepared for this archive on The edition date identifies its place in the weekly series.
A familiar voice, a convincing message, or a polished document can make an urgent request feel authentic. I want organizations to design important approvals so that one persuasive communication is never the entire basis of trust. The principle applies to ordinary working habits as well as technology.
Separate urgency from authority
A request to change a payment detail or disclose sensitive information should follow the agreed process even when it appears to come from a senior person. Leaders set the tone by respecting those checks themselves. A colleague who verifies a request should feel supported rather than apologetic for slowing an executive down.
Use an established route for confirmation
For consequential requests, confirmation should use a known contact method or approved workflow, rather than information supplied by the suspicious request itself. The precise arrangement belongs in the organization’s security and operating procedures. Teams should practise realistic examples so that the expected action is familiar when a difficult situation arises.
Make reporting easy and useful
A person who notices something unusual needs a clear place to raise it. The response should help the organization learn without discouraging early reporting. I would ask whether a near miss leads to a useful discussion of the process. As AI changes what can be convincingly imitated, disciplined verification becomes a shared business habit, supported by technology and reinforced by leadership.
How Genellipse can help
Genellipse can help review the technology and workflow controls around consequential requests, including access, approval, and escalation paths. Our security services can support a focused assessment with your operating teams. Where AI assistance is proposed, we can help define its boundaries so that it supports the verification process and leaves the required authority with people.
FROM PERSPECTIVE TO PRACTICE
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