This is an interconnected world where faceless transactions online are gaining favour thanks to the speed and convenience they offer. From logging in to banking apps, making online purchases, signing digital contracts, accessing patient records, to consuming and creating content on social media, every interaction between businesses and consumers relies on one key aspect: digital trust and safety.
digital trust: beyond buzzwords and firewalls
Digital trust is the confidence engine of the digital age. It is the invisible handshake that enables businesses and customers to interact online with confidence. The World Economic Forum describes digital trust as the promise “that digital technologies and services – and the organisations providing them – will protect all stakeholders’ interests and uphold societal expectations and values”.
Thus, digital trust and safety refers to the confidence that stakeholders place in a digital system to operate securely, ethically and transparently.
what is threatening digital trust?
Several modern threats are putting digital trust and safety under pressure.
opaque algorithms and lack of explainability
AI systems are increasingly being used for critical decision-making, from loan approvals to fraud detection. However, many operate as ‘black boxes,’ providing little visibility about how decisions are made. This lack of explainability erodes confidence among users, regulators, and other stakeholders. Without clear reasoning, it becomes challenging to justify outcomes or identify biases, which in turn makes it more difficult to meet regulatory standards.
synthetic identity and deepfake attacks
Surveys indicate that financial services experienced an 18% increase in fraud involving synthetic-identity-related account openings in 2024. The surge in deepfake technology and synthetic identity fraud is reshaping the threat landscape. Attackers can now impersonate real people in real time, evading traditional security checks. This poses serious risks for remote onboarding, e-KYC, and customer support.
misuse of generative AI
Threat actors are now using generative AI tools to launch phishing campaigns, create volumes of fake content and spike AI models to mislead results. This scenario has given rise to the ‘AI-to-AI combat’ where perpetrators are using the same convenience and power of AI to supercharge their malicious intent. They test and train AI models against enterprises to exploit their vulnerabilities.
fragmented digital risk management
Gaps in digital risk management across platforms, vendors and functions create blind spots that slow down threat response and erode digital trust among users. One of the serious consequences is software supply chain attacks, particularly when AI development pipelines are involved, often through compromised third-party components. A vulnerability can lead to a data breach and service disruptions that have a domino effect on the entire chain, severely impacting business reputation and user trust.
data privacy and unclear usage
AI-powered processes rely on data to train and analyse outcomes. Often, this data contains personally identifiable information (PII), and ambiguity about how this information is used creates an atmosphere of mistrust, even if there is no data breach. Despite robust frameworks for data privacy, several instances exist where clear consent mechanisms are lacking or data storage systems are not secured, thus hampering trust.
where digital trust and safety matter
Although all digital environments must be trustworthy for transactions and interactions, certain areas of the online landscape are more prone to rapidly evolving threats.
Digital identity protection: The rise of fraud and deepfakes makes digital identity protection crucial, especially in sectors such as financial services and healthcare. Identity verification systems must be tamper-proof to build enterprise trust.
AI and algorithmic governance: A 2024 Q3 survey of enterprise risk revealed that AI-enhanced malicious attacks continue to be the top emerging risk for enterprises. Although businesses have sounded the alarm, concerns about trust, including model bias, deepfakes, and hallucinations, have already led to tighter regulations, such as the EU AI Act, and guidelines, like the NIST AI Risk Management Framework.
Cross-platform trust and third-party risk: In 2025, businesses operate in multiple environments and across various platforms, including third-party software, cloud, on-premises, and other technology partners. A weak link in any of these can compromise the entire system and trust claims. Clear cross-platform visibility, third-party risk management, and seamless functionality of safety measures are vital components of digital trust efforts.
Fraud prevention and transaction integrity: E-commerce, banking, and financial frauds are on the rise. Enterprises and individuals have lost nearly USD 1.03 trillion globally to online scams in 2024. This highlights the need for stringent security and digital trust management measures, such as encryption, multi-factor authentication, and advanced fraud prevention technologies, to ensure that transactions are genuine and content is not manipulated.
how Infosys BPM can help
Digital trust is no longer a choice; it is a critical business enabler. As threats evolve, businesses must proactively secure data, ensure transparency, and build resilient digital ecosystems that foster trust among all stakeholders.
Infosys BPM helps global businesses strengthen digital trust through AI-enabled solutions, risk-aware operations, and continuous monitoring frameworks. With deep industry expertise, we can help you build and scale trust in a connected world.
